Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Tag: lead

  • Kroger Targeted in Prop. 65 Lawsuit

    The Ecological Alliance has reportedly filed a lawsuit in California state court alleging The Kroger Co. failed to warn consumers about the presence of lead in several of its foods. Ecological Alliance LLC v. Kroger Co. (Cal. Super. Ct., Los Angeles Cty., no. and filing date unavailable). The complaint alleges that Kroger sells fifteen products that…

  • Report Purportedly Finds Toxic Chemicals in 95% of Baby Food

    Healthy Babies Bright Futures has released a report describing tests it commissioned on 168 varieties of baby food from 61 brands reportedly finding that 95% of the products contained traces of arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury, with 26% of products containing all four heavy metals. The organization asserts that rice puff snacks, teething biscuits, infant…

  • Plaintiff Cites Consumer Reports and Prop. 65 in Fruit Juice Arsenic Lawsuit

    A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Welch Foods Inc.’s grape juices contain excessive levels of lead and arsenic, citing a January 2019 article appearing in Consumer Reports. Labajo v. Welch Foods Inc., No. 19-1306 (C.D. Cal., filed July 16, 2019). The complaint also cites California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement…

  • Spices and Herbal Remedies Can Expose Children to High Levels of Lead, Researchers Report

    The North Carolina Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program has reportedly found that children can be exposed to elevated levels of lead through consumption of spices and herbal remedies. Angelon-Gaetz et al., “Lead in Spices, Herbal Remedies, and Ceremonial Powders Sampled from Home Investigations for Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels – North Carolina, 2011-2018,” Centers…

  • Toddler Formulas Contain Lead, CA Attorney General Alleges

    California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed a lawsuit alleging two companies’ toddler formula products contain lead levels higher than U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. California v. Nutraceutical Corp., No. RG18907841 (Cal. Super. Ct., Alameda Cty., filed June 7, 2018). The state alleges that Sammy’s Milk Free-Range Goat Milk Toddler Formula, manufactured and sold…

  • EFSA Reevaluates Silicon Dioxide Safety

    The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a scientific opinion reevaluating the safety of silicon dioxide used as a food additive, concluding that the available information is insufficient to confirm the current acceptable daily intake. The panel reportedly found no indication of adverse effects or genotoxicity, but it questioned a long-term study indicating silicon dioxide…

  • Lawsuit Claims Blue Buffalo Dog Food Contains Lead

    Blue Buffalo Pet Products faces a proposed class action alleging that three of its dog-food products contain unsafe levels of lead despite being advertised as “healthy” and “holistic.” Zakinov v. Blue Buffalo Pet Products, No. 17-1301 (S.D. Cal., filed June 26, 2017). The plaintiff, who asserts that his four-year-old dog died from kidney disease after eating…

  • OEHHA Hearing on Lead Levels In Candy Rescheduled for July 2017

    California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has announced that a public hearing on “naturally occurring” lead levels in chili or tamarind candy has been rescheduled for July 6, 2017. Comments on the petition may be submitted by email or in writing by July 20, 2017.   Issue 637