Category: Issue 635
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APHIS Hosts Public Meetings on GMOs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will host public meetings to hear comments on proposed revisions to regulations governing importation, interstate movement and environmental release of certain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Public meetings will be held in Kansas City, Missouri; Davis, California; Riverdale, Maryland; and via…
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Washington Post Details Fraudulent Corn and Soybean Imports
A Washington Post report tracking multiple shipments of corn and soybeans imported from Turkey has purportedly found that the food was sold in the U.S. market fraudulently labeled as organic. The article argues that U.S. Department of Agriculture organic standards create loopholes that allow fraud to slip through. Organic corn and soybeans grown outside of…
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Cracker Barrel ADA Class Action Settlement Gets Preliminary Approval
A federal court has given preliminary approval to a class action settlement in which Cracker Barrel restaurants will develop a disability-access compliance policy for parking facilities at its locations. Heinzl v. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, No. 14-1455 (W.D. Pa., order entered May 15, 2017). The settlement agreement requires Cracker Barrel to develop a survey…
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Chobani, Alex Jones Settle Defamation Claims
Infowars founder Alex Jones has reportedly agreed to retract his statements concerning Chobani LLC’s production facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, after Chobani filed a defamation lawsuit. Jones’ website published a video asserting that Chobani’s Idaho facility, which employs a number of refugees, was linked to a crime and a rise in incidents of tuberculosis. “During…
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Court to Consider Whether ADA Applies to Five Guys’ Website
Five Guys has moved to dismiss an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complaint from a blind plaintiff allegedly unable to use the burger chain’s website, arguing that the plaintiff cannot prove she was denied access to a “place of public accommodation” because the statute is limited to physical facilities. Marett v. Five Guys Enters, No.…
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California Growers Sue to Stop Imports of Argentine Lemons
A group of California citrus growers has sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeking to stop implementation of a new rule that would lift the ban on importation of lemons from Argentina, claiming the rule violates both “sound science and good public policy.” U.S. Citrus Sci. Council v. USDA, No. 17-0680 (E.D. Cal., filed May…
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Creation Foods Charged With Falsifying Kosher Certification for Cheese
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has reportedly filed charges against Creation Foods and its vice president Kefir Sadiklar alleging the company sold cheddar cheese falsely labeled as kosher to Jewish summer camps. The agency asserts that Creation Foods edited a digit in the product code to match the code of a cheese product approved as…
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Court Denies Red Bull’s Motion to Dismiss $60 Million Wrongful Death Suit
Red Bull North America lost its motion to dismiss a $60-million wrongful death lawsuit involving a man who drank four cans of the energy drink every day for five years. Lemley v. Red Bull N. Am., No. 17-33 (S.D. Ga., order entered May 16, 2017). The suit alleges that reports dating back to 2000 show…