Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Tag: D.C.

  • D.C. Upholds Ban on Raw Butter

    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has upheld a lower court’s ruling finding a challenge to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) prohibition on interstate sales of unpasteurized butter to be meritless. McAfee v. FDA, No. 21-5170 (D.C. Cir., entered June 10, 2022). A lower court previously dismissed a challenge filed…

  • Additional Probes, Lawsuits Announced on Toxic Elements in Baby Food

    New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced a probe into whether baby food contains toxic elements such as arsenic and other metals. In a press release, James said, ““Baby food manufacturers have a legal and moral obligation to ensure the safety of their products, and provide peace-of-mind to the parents who rely on their…

  • Smithfield Foods “Safe Pork” Lawsuit to Continue

    A D.C. Superior Court has denied Smithfield Foods’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging it misleads consumers by marketing its products as “safer pork.” Organic Consumers Assn. v. Smithfield Foods Inc., No. 2020 CA 2566 B (D.C. Super. Ct., entered December 14, 2020). The lawsuit, filed by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), alleged that Smithfield “employs…

  • Advocacy Group Sues for Info on Pork Inspections System

    Food & Water Watch Inc. (FWW) has filed a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has “engaged in dilatory and obstructionist tactics” to avoid fulfilling the organization’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests on documents related to the establishment of the New Swine Inspection System (NSIS). Food & Water Watch Inc. v.…

  • Proposed D.C. SSB Tax Would Shift Burden to Manufacturers

    A Washington, D.C., Council member, with the support of seven other members, has introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) that would replace a sales tax that took effect in early October 2019 with an excise tax applied to SSB manufacturers. According to a press release, the Healthy Beverage Choices Act of 2019 “repeals the…

  • RFK Jr. Group Sues Baby Food Co. for “Natural” Representation

    Children’s Health Defense, an organization founded and chaired by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has filed a lawsuit alleging that Beech-Nut Nutrition Co. misrepresents its baby-food products as “100% natural” despite containing pesticide residues. Children’s Health Def. v. Beech-Nut Nutrition Co., No. 2019 CA 4475 (D.C. Super. Ct., filed July 8, 2019). The organization alleges that…

  • Advocacy Group Sues USDA for Petition Inaction

    The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) has filed a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has failed to act on the organization’s 2014 petition seeking certification for labeling claims about animal welfare and environmental stewardship during the meat and poultry production process. Animal Welfare Inst. v. USDA, No. 18-2621 (D.D.C., filed November 14,…

  • D.C. Court Dismisses Olive Oil Complaint

    A D.C. court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging Deoleo USA Inc.’s “extra virgin” olive oil, finding that the plaintiff failed to state a claim. Fahey v. Deoleo USA Inc., No. 18-2047 (D.D.C., entered November 8, 2018). Deoleo settled a similar lawsuit in March 2018, and the plaintiff “apparently caught wind of this news,” the court…