Category: Issue 626
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Slim-Fast Discontinues Snack Advertorial Content After Ad Board Ruling
Slim-Fast Foods Co. has ended its “100 Calories Snacks” advertisements appearing in Star magazine after the advertising industry’s self-regulation investigative unit, the National Advertising Division, determined that the format of the ads could mislead consumers into believing they were part of the publication’s editorial content. The cover of Star featured “what appeared to be an…
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Rudd Center Examines Food and Beverage TV Advertising to Children
The University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity has released a study on TV food advertising viewed by preschoolers, children and adolescents, claiming that “food advertising exposure increased with age for both black and white youth, but black youth viewed approximately 50% or more ads than did white youth of the same…
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“Wine Ponzi Scheme” Perpetrator Sentenced to Six Years
John Fox, former owner of wine shop Premier Cru, has reportedly been sentenced to 6.5 years in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and defrauding investors out of at least $45 million. As part of the scheme, Fox sold wine to customers around the world, embezzled the money, then used newer purchasers’ money to…
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Plaintiff in Herr Foods Litigation Seeks Disqualification for Defense Attorney
The plaintiff in a purported class action asserting that Herr Foods Inc. mislabels its packaged snacks as “natural” has filed a motion to disqualify defense counsel, alleging the attorney repeatedly made “extortionate threats” and committed professional misconduct. Whitaker v. Herr Foods, Inc., No. 16-2017 (E.D. Penn., motion filed December 14, 2016). The plaintiff’s motion follows…
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Tradewinds Iced Tea Mislabeled “100% Natural,” Putative Class Action Alleges
A consumer has filed a projected class action against Tradewinds Beverage Co. alleging the company’s iced tea products are misleadingly labeled as natural despite containing caramel color. Martin v. Tradewinds Beverage Co., No. 16-9249 (C.D. Cal., filed December 14, 2016). The plaintiff argues that she regularly paid a premium for Tradewinds Iced Tea products believing…
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USDA Wins Summary Judgment in Foie Gras Dispute
A California federal court has granted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) motion for summary judgment in a case alleging the agency acted arbitrarily in denying a petition to prohibit foie gras produced from force-fed poultry. Animal Legal Def. Fund v. USDA, No. 12-4028 (C.D. Cal., order entered December 14, 2016). In the petition for…
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U.S. Codex Delegates Schedule Spices and Culinary Herbs Meeting
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety and the Agricultural Marketing Service are convening a January 17, 2017, public meeting in Washington, D.C., to evaluate draft positions for consideration at the 3rd Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) slated for February 6-10 in…