Category: Issue 644
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“Persistent” Use of Energy Drinks Linked to Alcohol Disorder and Cocaine Use
A study by University of Maryland researchers has purportedly found that adolescents and young adults whose consumption of energy drinks continued or increased after age 21 are at increased risk of alcohol use disorder, cocaine use or nonmedical stimulant use by age 25. Amelia M. Arria, et al., “Trajectories of energy drink consumption and subsequent…
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TTAB Denies Trademark Status for “Coffee Flour”
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) has affirmed a refusal to grant Empire Technology Development a trademark for “coffee flour,” finding “clear evidence of generic use” of the term. In re Empire Tech. Dev. LLC, Serial No. 85876688 (TTAB, entered August 3, 2017). The company, which created the flour from ground coffee cherry skins,…
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Dairy Group Challenges Wisconsin Water Law Enforcement
A dairy trade group has filed a lawsuit against Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) alleging that the agency both exceeded its authority and failed to follow required public rulemaking processes when it set new water pollution control regulations affecting dairy and animal feeding operations. Dairy Bus. Ass’n v. Wis. Dep’t of Nat. Res., No.…
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Copper Mugs May Cause Illness, Health Officials Warn
Iowa health officials have warned that the copper mugs typically used to serve Moscow Mule cocktails may cause copper poisoning. The state’s Alcoholic Beverage Division warns that according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, copper should not come into contact with acidic foods with a pH below 6, and a traditional Moscow Mule is…
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Ad Board Recommends Against Gimmick-Exposing Campaign
The National Advertising Division (NAD) has recommended that Sanderson Farms change a campaign claiming that its competitors are tricking consumers with “raised without antibiotics” labels on poultry products. NAD found that the information in Sanderson’s ads was accurate, including its claim that “none of the chicken you buy in the grocery store has antibiotics in…
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Mexico Bans Imports of U.S. Potatoes
In response to a petition for a constitutional injunction from a group of Mexican potato growers, a federal district court in Los Mochis, Mexico, has banned the import of U.S. potatoes to “preserve food sovereignty and the health of Mexican crop fields.” The growers reportedly argued that imported potatoes create a risk of crop disease…
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Chicago SSB Tax May Cause State to Lose Federal Funding, USDA Warns
According to a warning letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax that took effect in the Chicago metropolitan area on August 2, 2017, violates the federal Food and Nutrition Act, putting Illinois at risk of losing its food-stamp funds. Some retailers could not update point-of-sale systems to exempt SSB…