Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Tag: Connecticut

  • Putative Class Action Filed After DNA Test Reportedly Finds Subway Chicken Sandwiches Are Half­-Soy

    A Connecticut plaintiff filed a projected class action against Subway after DNA testing of the chain’s chicken sandwiches allegedly showed the meat was only 42 to 53 percent chicken and the remainder was processed soy. Moskowitz v. Doctor’s Associates Inc., No. 17­-0387 (D. Conn., filed March 1, 2017). Researchers affiliated with the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s…

  • Milano® Trademark Suit Dismissed

    A Connecticut federal court has reportedly approved the dismissal of Pepperidge Farm’s lawsuit against Trader Joe’s Co. alleging the grocery infringed Pepperidge Farm’s trademarked Milano® cookies. Pepperidge Farm v. Trader Joe’s Co., No. 15-1774 (D. Conn., order entered March 9, 2016). The lawsuit challenged Trader Joe’s Crispy Cookies, which Pepperidge Farm asserted were the same…

  • Pepperidge Farm Asserts Trademark Infringement Against Trader Joe’s Crispy Cookies

    Pepperidge Farm, maker of Milano® cookies, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Trader Joe’s Co. alleging the retailer’s Crispy Cookies emulate the shape and configuration of Milano® cookies. Pepperidge Farm, Inc. v. Trader Joe’s Co., No. 15-1774 (D. Conn., filed December 2, 2015). In addition to the similarity between the cookie products, Pepperidge Farm…

  • Restaurant Manager Alleges Obesity Discrimination

    According to a news source, a 600-pound man, who worked as a Hometown Buffet restaurant manager, has filed a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act against OCB Restaurant Co. in a Connecticut federal court, alleging that he was fired and replaced with a worker who “is not morbidly obese and does not suffer from…

  • Connecticut Governor Holds Ceremonial GM Labeling Bill Signing

    While Connecticut enacted legislation (H.B. 6527) in June 2013 requiring that foods containing genetically modified (GM) ingredients be labeled as such, once neighboring states have adopted similar laws, Governor Daniel Malloy (D) held a ceremonial bill signing in a health food café in Fairfield on December 11, 2013. Now known as Public Act 13-183, the…

  • Connecticut Passes GM Labeling Legislation

    Connecticut lawmakers have passed a bipartisan bill (H.B. 6527) that will require labeling on foods that contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients, making it the first state in the nation to enact such legislation. Designated as “An Act Concerning Genetically-Engineered Food,” the bill was unanimously passed in the Senate and by a 134-3 vote in the House.…

  • Discredited Resveratrol Researcher Sues UConn for Wrongful Termination

    A scientist who was accused of falsifying data in research on the purported health benefits of red wine has reportedly sued the University of Connecticut, claiming that it wrongfully dismissed him and violated his civil rights in doing so. Das v. Univ. of Conn. Bd. of Trustees, No. 13-6039748 (Conn. Super. Ct., Hartford, filed March…

  • JPML Rejects Motion to Consolidate and Centralize Tainted Beef Litigation

    The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has denied a motion seeking to consolidate and transfer to a multidistrict litigation court three cases filed in federal courts against companies allegedly responsible for a 2009 E. coli outbreak involving contaminated ground beef. In re: Ne. Contaminated Beef Prods. Liab. Litig., MDL No. 2346 (J.P.M.L., D. Conn., decided…