Category: Issue
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Some Claims Dismissed in Pet Food Arsenic Case
An Illinois federal court has dismissed part of a putative class action alleging that Champion Petfoods USA Inc. sold foods for animals that contained elevated levels of several heavy metals—including arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead—as well as bisphenol A (BPA), pentobarbital, “non-regional and non-fresh ingredients, or unnatural or other ingredients that do not conform to…
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Heinz Asserts Trademark on “Poppers” as Appetizers
H.J. Heinz Co. has filed a trademark infringement suit alleging Real Good Food Co. created and sold frozen appetizers described as “Poppers,” which Heinz argues it owns the rights to for “frozen appetizers consisting primarily of vegetables, pork and/or cheese, not including shrimp.” H.J. Heinz Co. Brands LLC v. Real Good Food Co., No. 19-0915…
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New Yorker Deems Fish Selection “Last Robot-Proof Job”
The New Yorker has described a visit to the warehouse of Fulton Fish Market, a web start-up that aims to provide fresh fish across the United States using “an Amazon-esque warehousing-and-logistics system.” In “The Last Robot-Proof Job in America?” the author states, “There is one thing, however, that the sophisticated logistics system cannot do: pick…
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UK House of Lords Subcommittee Argues Against Meat Definition Laws
The EU Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the U.K. House of Lords has submitted a letter to the country’s agriculture minister in response to a EU committee’s approval of a measure that would prohibit the use of meat-associated words and phrases—including “sausage,” “burger” and “steak”—to describe plant-derived products. “Veggie tubes proposal a misteak,” the subcommittee’s…
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Organic Producers Could Potentially Use GMOs, USDA Suggests
In testimony before the House Agriculture Subcommittee, Under Secretary of Agriculture Greg Ibach suggested that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could potentially be used in the production of organic foods eventually. “As the National Organic Standards Board set the rules originally, right now GMO or transgenics are not eligible to be in the Organic Program, but…
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FDA Approves Soy Leghemoglobin as Color Additive
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that soy leghemoglobin has been approved for use “as a color additive in ground beef analogue products” following a petition submitted by Impossible Foods. The announcement notes that the agency previously found soy leghemoglobin to be generally recognized as safe as a flavor additive. “FDA concurs…
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FDA Issues Warning Letter to CBD Co. for Unsubstantiated Claims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning letter to Curaleaf Inc. for “illegally selling unapproved products containing cannabidiol (CBD) online with unsubstantiated claims that the products treat cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, opioid withdrawal, pain and pet anxiety.” FDA cites the company’s website and social media accounts to assert that Curaleaf’s marketing establishes…
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Stoney Patch Infringes Trade Dress, Alleges Sour Patch Maker
Mondelez Canada Inc. has filed a lawsuit in California federal court alleging Stoney Patch cannabis-infused gummies infringe the trademark and trade dress of Sour Patch gummy candies. Mondelez Canada Inc. v. Stoney Patch, No. 19-6245 (C.D. Cal., W. Div., filed July 19, 2019). Stoney Patch candies, which contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Sour Patch Kids are…