Tag: GMO
-
Study Purports to Find Increased Consumer Acceptance of GMOs After Labeling Mandate
Researchers at the University of Vermont have published the results of a study comparing consumer attitudes towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs) before and after implementation of the state’s labeling mandate. Jane Kolodinsky et al., “Mandatory labels can improve attitudes toward genetically engineered food,” Science Advances, June 27, 2018. Funded in part by the U.S. Department…
-
USDA Releases Proposed Bioengineered Ingredients Standard
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released the proposed National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, which would establish “a mandatory uniform national standard for disclosure of information to consumers.” The proposal defines “bioengineered food” as food “that contains genetic material that has been modified through in vitro recombinant deoxyribonucleic…
-
Gene-Edited Food Groups Plan Public Perception Approach
As gene-edited foods advance and move “closer to supermarket shelves,” agricultural and biotechnology groups are looking to avoid a dispute over public perception of the technology, according to the Wall Street Journal. Gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, TALEN and zinc-finger nucleases are different from techniques that create genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which involve the insertion of…
-
Court Expresses Doubt on FDA’s “Good-Faith Efforts” to Define “Natural”
A New York federal court has issued a decision seemingly aiming to spur action from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has purportedly exhibited “no discernible activity” to establish a definition of “natural.” In re Kind LLC “Healthy and All Natural” Litig., No. 15-2645 (S.D.N.Y., entered March 2, 2018). Kind LLC previously filed motions to…
-
Florida Magistrate Recommends Against Awarding Fees to Chipotle
A Florida magistrate has recommended that a district court deny Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.’s motion for $1.5 million in attorney’s fees and costs after the company was granted summary judgment against claims that its advertising misled consumers into believing its food products only contained ingredients free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Reilly v. Chipotle Mexican…
-
Anti-GMO Campaign Called “Anti-Science” and “Immoral”
Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University and former Indiana governor, argues in a Washington Post op-ed that the anti-GMO campaign is “cruel,” “heartless,” “inhumane” and “immoral.” With no credible scientific evidence and no record of adverse effects on human health or the environment to support it, Daniels asserts, the anti-GMO lobby is blocking “lifesaving” advances made by…
-
Eleventh Circuit Denies Rehearing in Chipotle GMO Lawsuit
The Eleventh Circuit has denied a petition for rehearing in a putative class action against Chipotle Mexican Grill alleging false advertising related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Reilly v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., No, 16-17461 (11th Cir., entered November 14, 2017). The appeals court previously denied the plaintiff’s appeal from the trial court’s entry of…
-
“Real Butter” in Simply Potatoes Contains GMO Margarine, Plaintiff Alleges
A putative class action filed in New York has alleged that although the marketing for Simply Potatoes Mashed Potatoes features claims such as “Made with REAL Butter,” the product contains margarine made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Berger v. MFI Holdings Corp., 17-6728 (E.D.N.Y., filed November 17, 2017). “Despite the centrality of butter to [the…