Category: Issue
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Oregon Senators Urge FDA to Update CBD Regulations
Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting an update to federal regulations on cannabidiol (CBD) to “give U.S. producers more flexibility in the production, consumption, and sale of hemp products.” Wyden and Merkley urge FDA to answer a series of clarifying…
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PIRG Releases Food Safety Report
Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has published a report on food safety in the United States. The report finds an increase in food recalls since 2013 but acknowledges that systemic advances in food-safety issue detection may partly account for that increase. The authors make a number of policy recommendations, including (i) requiring food-production plants to…
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Red Bull Ad Makes Unauthorized Focus Claims, ASA Rules
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled that Red Bull Co. made unauthorized health claims about purported benefits of its energy drink on mental focus and concentration. The company’s subway advertisement featured cartoon women in an office setting with the text “The Secret to Finishing Early.” The ad referenced a consumer initiative encouraging workers…
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Brewery Sues Federal Government for Shutdown’s Approval Delays
Washington, D.C., brewery Atlas Brew Works has filed a First Amendment lawsuit and motion for preliminary injunction alleging that the federal government’s partial shutdown has violated its right to speak because the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has stopped issuing label approvals, causing beer production to halt. Atlas Brew Works v. Whitaker, No.…
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“Metchup” Mark Owner Alleges Trademark Infringement by “Mayochup”
The owner of a trademark on “Metchup” has filed an infringement suit alleging that H.J. Heinz Co.’s “Mayochup” is “confusingly similar” to his protected trademark. Perry v. H.J. Heinz Co. Brands, No. 19-0280 (E.D. La., filed January 14, 2019). The plaintiff has purportedly used the “Metchup” mark to sell his ketchup-mayonnaise and mustard-mayonnaise combinations since…
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Lawsuit Challenges Nutritional Benefits of Sprouted Grains
A plaintiff has alleged that Food for Life Baking Co. Inc. misled consumers by advertising its cereal product, Ezekiel 4:9, as nutritionally superior to comparable cereal products because it is made with sprouted grains. Elliott v. Food for Life Baking Co. Inc., No. 19-0249 (E.D.N.Y., filed January 13, 2019). The complaint asserts that Ezekiel 4:9’s…
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GMO Opponents “Know the Least But Think They Know the Most,” Study Finds
A study in Nature Human Behavior has reportedly found that Americans who oppose the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) believe themselves to be highly informed on the subject but lack knowledge of it. Fernbach et al., “Extreme opponents of genetically modified foods know the least but think they know the most,” Nature Human Behavior,…
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Meta-analysis Finds No Effects Associated with Artificial Sweeteners
A review of 56 observational studies and controlled trials has reportedly found “no compelling evidence” that non-sugar sweeteners (NSSs) cause positive or negative health effects. Toews et al., “Association between intake of non-sugar sweeteners and health outcomes: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and observational studies,” BMJ, January 2, 2019. Some…