Tag: dairy

  • “Sour Cream” Chips Flavored with Diacetyl, Plaintiff Alleges

    A consumer has alleged that Frito-Lay Inc.’s Baked Cheddar and Sour Cream chips use diacetyl to obtain the sour cream flavor without referring to diacetyl as a characterizing flavor. Vado v. Frito-Lay Inc., No. 20-2055 (S.D. Cal., filed October 19, 2020). The complaint asserts that artificial diacetyl, which provides a butter flavor, is used to…

  • “Veggie Burgers” Approved But “Vegan Cheese” Banned in EU

    The European Parliament has reportedly voted against a ban on the use of meat terms for plant-based alternatives to meat, allowing words such as “burger,” “steak” and “sausage” to be used on the packaging for plant-based foods, while passing a measure to ban the use of dairy terms on alternatives to dairy foods, such as…

  • Europe Announces Seizure of Counterfeit Dairy Products

    Europol and Interpol have announced the seizure of 320 additional tonnes of “counterfeit and substandard food and beverages” following an operation that involved 83 countries, bringing the operation’s seizure total to about 12,000 tonnes. “This year’s operational activities have found a new disturbing trend to address: the infiltration of low-quality products into the supply chain,…

  • Mashed Potatoes Lawsuit Dismissed

    A New York federal court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that BEF Foods Inc. misleadingly marketed its Bob Evans mashed potatoes as containing butter. Sarr v. BEF Foods, No. 18-6409 (E.D.N.Y., entered February 13, 2020). The lawsuit alleged that the packaging promised “real butter” and “fresh potatoes” despite containing vegetable oil and preservatives. The court…

  • Study Criticizes Marketing for “Toddler Milks”

    A Public Health Nutrition study has purportedly found that “toddler milks,” or “sugar-sweetened milk-based drinks for toddlers,” are a growing market but are advertised as providing unsubstantiated benefits. Choi et al., “US toddler milk sales and associations with marketing practices,” Public Health Nutrition, February 4, 2020. The researchers reportedly found that 45% of preschoolers (24…

  • Virginia Law Limiting Use of “Milk” Advances

    Following a vote in the Virginia House Agriculture Subcommittee, the state’s House of Delegates will reportedly consider a bill that would limit the use of “milk” to describe the “lacteal secretion” from specific animals, including cows, sheep, goats, yaks, reindeer, water buffalo, horses and donkeys. During the subcommittee discussion, one delegate reportedly suggested adding “dairy”…

  • Animal Welfare Claims Challenged

    As consumers prioritize animal welfare more highly when purchasing meat, more companies are claiming to hold their production facilities to high standards—and more plaintiffs are disagreeing. Advocacy groups have targeted multiple companies for their allegedly misleading marketing touting their humane housing or slaughtering practices. For example, the Organic Consumers Association and Food & Water Watch…

  • No Agreement on Definitions of “Meat” and “Dairy”

    The dispute over the meaning of meat- and dairy-related terms continued in 2019, with more states passing bans on the use of terms implying animal-derived products, such as “burger” or “milk,” to describe plant-based products. Nebraska, Arizona and Washington considered bans, and Arkansas’ ban was targeted with a challenge from Tofurky that has resulted in…