Category: Issue
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Lawsuit Challenges Alcohol Content in Kombucha
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that O Organics and Lucerne Foods Inc. “greatly understate” the alcohol and sugar content of their kombucha. Freedline v. O Organics LLC, No. 19-1945 (N.D. Cal., filed April 10, 2019). The plaintiff argues that “the beverages contain more than three to five times the alcohol allowed…
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FDA Announces Start Date for Intentional Adulteration Inspections
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that inspections for compliance with a rule aiming to mitigate the risk of intentional adulteration (IA) will begin in March 2020. The rule, which “is designed to address hazards that may be intentionally introduced to foods, including by acts of terrorism, with the intent to cause wide-spread…
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USDA Seeks Comments on NPIP Program Changes
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will accept comments on proposed changes to the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) Program Standards until May 13, 2019. Changes include an amended testing protocol for Mycoplasma, amended Salmonella isolation procedures and updated cleaning and disinfecting procedures.
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Nutrition Claims on Children’s Food Confuse Consumers, Study Suggests
A study published in a BMJ journal has purportedly found that foods marketed to children in the United Kingdom frequently contain health and nutrition claims that mislead consumers into believing that the products are healthful. Garcia et al., “Confused health and nutrition claims in food marketing to children could adversely affect food choice and increase…
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Preservative Could Cause Higher Flu Vulnerability, Quartz Reports
Quartz has reported on a Michigan State University study purportedly finding that tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), which can help preserve unsaturated vegetable oils and animal fats, may cause a higher susceptibility to influenza. Researchers apparently found that TBHQ caused the T cells of lab mice to become more sluggish and thus unable to fight off the flu…
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AriZona Tea Lacks Promised Ginseng, Consumers Allege
Two consumers have filed a putative class action alleging that Beverage Marketing USA Inc. markets its AriZona iced green tea products as containing “ginseng for energy” despite lacking “any detectible amounts of ginseng, if indeed it contains any ginseng at all.” Niles v. Beverage Marketing USA Inc., No. 19-1902 (E.D.N.Y., filed April 2, 2019). The…
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Washington Post Covers Pork Inspection Change
The meat industry is moving towards self-regulation for identifying diseased animals, an article in The Washington Post asserts. The article documents a series of changes shifting responsibility for identifying contamination in meat production, especially pork and poultry, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to employees of the regulated production plants. The Post spoke to…
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Plaintiff Alleges Danone Misleadingly Markets Coconut Milk as Healthy
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Danone US Inc. markets its So Delicious Coconut Milk to health-conscious consumers using health and wellness claims despite coconut milk’s level of saturated fat. Heymsfield v. Danone US Inc., No. 19-0589 (S.D. Cal., filed March 29, 2019). The plaintiff alleges that coconut milk “is unhealthy”…