Category: Issue 622
-
Putative Class Action Challenges Krispy Kreme’s Raspberry, Maple and Blueberry Products
A consumer has filed a projected class action against Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc., alleging the company’s blueberry, maple and raspberry products are not made with the ingredients in their fruit-based names. Saidian v. Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc., No. 16-8338 (C.D. Cal., filed November 9, 2016). The complaint highlights health benefits apparently linked to raspberries, blueberries,…
-
Splenda® Manufacturer Files Trademark Suit Against Dunkin’ Donuts
Heartland Consumer Products, producer of sucralose-based sweetener Splenda®, has filed a lawsuit against Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. and its franchisees alleging the restaurant chain misleads its customers into believing it carries Splenda® while providing a different sweetener made in China. Heartland Consumer Prods. v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., No. 16-3045 (S.D. Ind., Indianapolis Div., filed November 7, 2016).…
-
Former Wine Co. Owner Charged with Fraud for Mislabeling Grapes
A federal grand jury has indicted Jeffry Hill of Hill Wine Co. on charges that he sold wine falsely labeled as originating from Napa Valley in California. United States v. Hill, No. 16-CR-0454 (N.D. Cal., indictment entered November 1, 2016). The indictment accuses Hill of growing grapes outside the designated Napa Valley borders and selling the grape…
-
California Court Dismisses PHO Suit as “Frivolous,” Preempted
A California federal court has dismissed a consumer’s putative class action against AdvancePierre Foods, Inc. alleging the company both physically and financially harmed her by selling her a microwavable sandwich made with partially hydrogenated oil (PHO). Hawkins v. AdvancePierre Foods, Inc., No. 15-2309 (S.D. Cal., order entered November 8, 2016). The court agreed with AdvancePierre’s argument…
-
Missouri Appellate Court Rejects “Ingredient List Defense”
A Missouri appeals court has reversed a lower court’s dismissal of a lawsuit alleging Stonewall Kitchen, LLC misled consumers about its cupcake mix containing sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP), which the complaint contended precludes the company from marketing the mixes as “all natural.” Murphy v. Stonewall Kitchen, LLC, No. 104072 (Mo. Ct. App., E.D., order entered…
-
Soft Drink Taxes Gain Nationwide Traction
Four cities and one county have reportedly passed taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), joining Berkeley, California, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in adopting measures purportedly designed to curb sugary-drink consumption. According to media sources, voters in Boulder, Colorado, passed a 2-cent-per-ounce excise tax on SSB distributors, while those in San Francisco, Oakland and Albany, California, passed a…
-
Sonoma County Passes Ban on GMO Crops
Voters in Sonoma County, Calif., have passed by a significant margin— 55.9 to 44.9 percent— a ballot initiative that prohibits cultivation of genetically modified crops. Santa Cruz, Humboldt, Trinity, Marin and Mendocino counties have already passed similar measures. The Center for Food Safety reportedly helped draft Measure M, providing legal and scientific counsel over the…