Category: Issue
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Kern’s Juices “Almost Entirely Sugar-Water,” Lawsuit Alleges
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Stremick’s Heritage Foods misrepresents its Kern’s juice as a “healthful, natural juice product made solely from fresh fruits” despite being “almost entirely sugar-water, with a small amount of fruit juice added for color and texture.” Levin v. Stremick’s Heritage Foods, No. 18-1748 (C.D. Cal., filed…
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Putative Class Action Challenges Barilla’s “No Preservatives” Label
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Barilla America Inc. misleads consumers because its pasta sauces, which are labeled as including “No Preservatives,” contain citric acid. Kubilius v. Barilla Am. Inc., No. 18-6656 (N.D. Ill., E. Div., filed October 1, 2018). The complaint contends that several authorities identify citric acid as a…
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Court Dismisses EEOC Complaint on Behalf of Muslim Meatpackers
A Colorado federal court has dismissed the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC’s) lawsuit alleging JBS USA discriminated against Muslim workers by denying prayer breaks. EEOC v. JBS USA, No. 10-2103 (D. Colo., entered September 24, 2018). The court found that EEOC failed to prove that JBS suspended or fired the workers in an effort…
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New York Times Asks: Can Lab-Grown Meat Be Kosher?
The New York Times has reported on the Orthodox Union’s efforts to determine whether meat grown in a lab from animal cells can be kosher. The reporter follows a rabbi tasked with researching the process. The rabbi distinguishes between products grown from muscle cells—which must be from an animal properly slaughtered in kosher standards rather…
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FDA Seeks Input on Plant-Based Milks
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has solicited public input on questions related to plant-based substitutes for dairy products such as almond or soy milk. The agency’s request for information (RFI) seeks responses on three points: “How do you use plant-based products?” “What is your understanding of dairy terms like milk, yogurt and cheese…
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ASA Upholds Complaints on Ad Discouraging Fresh Fruit Consumption
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld two complaints against Costa Coffee for a radio ad comparing the difficulty associated with the length of time for which an avocado is ripe—”sure, they’ll be hard as rock for the first 18 days, three hours and 20 minutes, then they’ll be ready to eat, for about…
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HHS Issues Report on BPA Toxicity
U.S. Health and Human Services’ National Toxicity Program has issued a research report on the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) in rats. The study “was designed to characterize and evaluate the toxicological potential of BPA following perinatal only or chronic exposure in rats under the conditions of a chronic, extended-dose response design.” The report is…
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Pesticide Monitoring Report Shows Residue Levels Below Federal Limits, FDA Announces
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the results of its annual Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program. From samples collected between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2016, the agency analyzed 7,413 samples and reportedly found that more than 99 percent of domestic and 90 percent of imported foods complied with federal standards. FDA…