Category: Issue
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Tootsie Rolls Contained PHO After Federal Ban, Plaintiff Alleges
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. sold Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops with partially hydrogenated oil (PHO) in 2016, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a rule declaring PHO unsafe for use in food. Beasley v. Tootsie Roll Indus. Inc., No. 18-7724 (N.D. Cal., filed…
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Canada Dry Settlement Receives Preliminary Approval
A California federal court has granted preliminary approval to the proposed settlement of a lawsuit alleging Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. and Canada Dry Mott’s Inc. misled consumers into believing that Canada Dry Ginger Ale was “Made from Real Ginger.” Fitzhenry-Russell v. Keurig Dr Pepper Inc., No. 17-0564 (N.D. Cal., entered January 10, 2019). Under the…
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USDA Releases GMO Labeling Standard
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Marketing Service has released the final National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS), which will require food manufacturers, importers and other entities to indicate on a product’s label whether it was made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The rule applies to food products in which the predominant ingredient is…
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Canadian Food Safety Law Takes Effect
The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR), which consolidates 14 Canadian food safety laws into one set of rules, went into effect January 15, 2019. The final rules were published in June 2018 and aim to “provide clear and consistent rules for food commodities so consumers can be confident that food on grocery shelves is…
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U.K. Public Consultation to Examine Ads for Foods High in Fat, Sugar and Salt
The United Kingdom has launched a public consultation on a proposal to restrict some types of advertising for foods high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS). The consultation targets “volume-based price promotions of HFSS food and drink that encourage people to buy more than they need, for example, ‘buy one, get one free’ and free…
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FDA Issues Uniform Compliance Date, Technical Amendments to Nutrition Facts Panel
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established January 1, 2022, as “the uniform compliance date for food labeling regulations that are published on or after January 1, 2019, and on or before December 31, 2020” to help “minimize the economic impact of label changes.” The agency also issued technical amendments to the Nutrition…
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Publications Examine Effects of Farm Bill on Hemp, CBD
The December passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, or the Farm Bill, has resulted in several publications speculating about the effects of the bill’s legalization of industrial hemp on the cannabidiol (CBD) market. The law, which removed “hemp” from the definition of “marijuana” in the Controlled Substances Act, may “make CBD production legal…
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Amazon to Stop Selling Force-Fed Foie Gras in California
Following a California settlement, Amazon has reportedly agreed to stop selling foie gras produced from force-fed ducks and geese. The settlement between the company and Los Angeles County stems from a lawsuit alleging that Amazon violated a 2004 California law banning the sale of the products. Under the agreement, Amazon will not sell—or allow its…