Category: Issue
-
Plaintiff Alleges Collective Terms in Ingredient List Mislead Consumers
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging Trader Joe’s Co.’s two-ingredient fruit bars are deceptively labeled with collective terms such as “apples” on the ingredient list instead of the specific name for an apple-based ingredient. Jamison v. Trader Joe’s Co., No. 18-2216 (E.D.N.Y., filed April 14, 2018). The plaintiff asserts that the use…
-
Advocacy Groups File Letter in Opposition to Meat Labeling Petition
The Good Food Institute (GFI), with a group of plant-based and “clean” meat companies, has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) responding to a petition filed by the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association requesting that the agency restrict the definitions of “beef” and “meat” to products derived from live animals. GFI argues that…
-
“Natural” Bai Beverages Contain Artificial D-Malic Acid, Plaintiff Alleges
Bai Brands faces a potential class action alleging that it labels its Bai fruit-flavored beverages as containing “natural” ingredients but fails to disclose the inclusion of artificial malic acid. Branca v. Bai Brands, LLC, No. 18-0757 (S.D. Cal., filed April 19, 2018). The plaintiff alleges that the ingredient list is misleading because it contains only…
-
U.K. to Ban Plastic Straws, Stirrers
The United Kingdom has announced plans to ban the sale of plastic straws and drink stirrers in an effort to combat plastic waste in oceans. Previous initiatives to further that goal have included a ban on microbeads in personal care products, fees for single-use plastic bags and a proposal for a deposit-return process for single-use…
-
China Imposes 178.6 Percent Trade Duty for U.S. Sorghum
China’s Ministry of Commerce has reportedly announced that it will require importers of U.S.-grown sorghum to pay a 178.6 percent deposit in anticipation of anti-dumping tariffs, which may discourage imports and directly affect American growers. A Chinese investigation apparently concluded that U.S. sorghum is being dumped on the Chinese market, despite denials from U.S. officials. “This…
-
Gene-Edited Food Groups Plan Public Perception Approach
As gene-edited foods advance and move “closer to supermarket shelves,” agricultural and biotechnology groups are looking to avoid a dispute over public perception of the technology, according to the Wall Street Journal. Gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, TALEN and zinc-finger nucleases are different from techniques that create genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which involve the insertion of…
-
Agriculture Committee Introduces 2018 Farm Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Agriculture Committee has introduced the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Farm Bill). The bill includes provisions on farm policy, regulatory reform, animal health and specialty and organic crops. According to the committee’s highlights, “One of the most consistent complaints policymakers hear from farmers and ranchers is about burdensome regulations.…
-
EU Proposes “New Deal for Consumers”
The European Commission has proposed changes to directives governing food safety, marketing and distribution. According to an EU news release, the proposal would update the General Food Law, “which dates back from 2002 and thus needs an update,” and “will give citizens greater access to information submitted to the European Food Safety Authority [(EFSA)] on…