Category: Issue
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EFSA Rejects Study Linking Sucralose to Cancer
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a statement rejecting an Italian study claiming a link between the use of the sweetener sucralose and cancer in mice. The EFSA Journal’s review of a 10-year study conducted by the Ramazzini Institute criticized the study’s design and methodology, concluding that available data does not support the…
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Scott Gottlieb Confirmed, Sworn In as FDA Commissioner
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Scott Gottlieb to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a 57-42 vote. Gottlieb previously served as a deputy FDA commissioner and an official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the George W. Bush administration. Among Gottlieb’s critics are senators who expressed concern over his connections…
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Sazerac Limited to Attorney’s Fees in Trade-Dress Suit
A federal court has ruled that Sazerac Co. may take Fetzer Vineyards, Inc. to trial for its trade-dress claims but cannot seek damages because it failed to disclose damage calculations in a timely manner. Sazerac Co. v. Fetzer Vineyards, Inc., No. 15-4618 (N.D. Cal, order entered April 27, 2017). Sazerac, maker of Buffalo Trace bourbon,…
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Putative Class Action Alleges Burger King Overcharged Customers
A Maryland consumer alleges that when she used coupons offering a free sandwich with the purchase of an initial sandwich, Burger King locations in Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Florida charged her more than they would have if she had purchased sandwiches without the coupons. Anderson v. Burger King, No. 17-1204 (D. Md.,…
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Class Actions Claim “Truffle” Oil Contains Chemical Flavoring, Not Real Truffles
Two putative class actions allege that Trader Joe’s “Black Truffle Flavored” olive oil and Monini’s “White Truffle Flavored” olive oil are flavored with synthetic chemicals rather than truffles. Brumfield v. Trader Joe’s, No. 17-3239 (S.D.N.Y, filed May 2, 2017); Jessani v. Monini N. Am., No. 17-3257 (S.D.N.Y., filed May 2, 2017). The plaintiffs argue that…
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Summary Judgments in Strawberry-Breeding Dispute Favor Both Sides
A federal court has granted summary judgment on a majority of issues in a dispute between scientists and the University of California Davis centered on the intellectual property rights of two strawberry varieties. Cal. Berry Cultivars, Inc. v. Regents of U. of Cal., No. 16-2477 (N.D. Cal., filed May 2, 2015). Two former UC Davis…
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Del Monte’s $32-Million Arbitration Award Confirmed in Pineapple Seed Dispute
A Florida federal court has confirmed an arbitration tribunal’s decision awarding $32 million to Del Monte International for Inversiones Y Procesadora Tropical Inprotsa’s continued use of Del Monte pineapple seeds after the agreement permitting use had expired. Inversiones Y Procesadora Tropical Inprotsa v. Del Monte Int’l, No. 16-24275 (S.D. Fla., order entered May 1, 2017).…
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FDA Budget Includes GMO Information Campaign
A budget plan passed to fund the U.S. government until September 2017 reportedly includes $3 million to pay for an information campaign about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food. As a partnership between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture, the campaign will apparently seek to counter “misinformation about agricultural…