Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Tag: nutrition

  • Connecticut AG to Investigate “Smart Choices” Food Products

    Connecticut Attorney General (AG) Richard Blumenthal has announced that his office will be investigating “a potentially misleading national food label program that deems mayonnaise, sugar-laden cereals and other nutritionally suspect foods ‘Smart Choices.’” Targeting Hellman’s Real mayonnaise (light and non-light), Breyer’s ice cream, processed cereals, and Lipton beverages bearing the symbol, Blumenthal is seeking information…

  • William Neuman, “For Your Health, Froot Loops,” The New York Times, September 5, 2009

    This article examines a new food-labeling campaign called the Smart Choices Program™, which uses the government dietary guidelines to identify “smarter food and beverage choices” for consumers. According to reporter William Neuman, the industry-backed system has apparently provoked the ire of some nutritionists who question the use of the green checkmark on “sugar-laden cereals like…

  • Researchers Develop Index to Evaluate Nutrient-Dense Foods

    U.S. researchers have reportedly developed a nutrient-density classification system that offers “a positive, scientific approach to inform people about what to eat rather than what not to eat.” V.L. Fulgoni 3rd, et al., “Development and validation of the nutrient-rich foods index: a tool to measure nutritional quality of foods,” Journal of Nutrition, August 2009. The researchers…

  • HHS Announces Public Meeting to Discuss Codex Session on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Agriculture and Office of the Acting Secretary for Food Safety have announced a public meeting to address an upcoming session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international food standards body established by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization. Slated…

  • Study Suggests Food Stamp Program May Play a Role in Obesity

    A recent study has reportedly claimed that the average American woman enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is 5.8 pounds heavier than someone of the same socioeconomic background who does not receive food stamps. Jay L. Zagorsky, et al., “Does the U.S. Food Stamp Program Contribute to Adult Weight Gain?”, Economics &…

  • Bijal Trivedi, “The Calorie Delusion: Why Food Labels Are Wrong,” New Scientist, July 15, 2009

    This article explores how the method of estimating the calories in food, developed in the late 19th century, may provide misleading information on the amount of energy people actually get from a food. The calorie counts are calculated by burning small samples of food, and science writer Bijal Trivedi observes, “Nutritionists are well aware that…

  • Federal Judge Denies Class Certification in Frozen Waffle Litigation

    A federal court in California has denied the request for class certification filed by plaintiffs who allege that Van’s International Foods falsely advertised its frozen waffle products by listing incorrect nutritional information in their labels. Hodes v. Van’s Int’l Foods, No. 09-1530 (C.D. Cal, decided July 23, 2009). While the court found that the claims met…

  • Waffle Fraud Plaintiffs File Motion to Certify Nationwide Class

    Consumers who sued the company that makes Van’s brand frozen waffles and a number of retailers, alleging that the calorie and nutrition information on the packaging did not accurately reflect what was in the products, have filed a motion to certify a nationwide class. Hodes v. Van’s Int’l Foods, No. 09-01530 (C.D. Cal., motion filed June…