Kind “All Natural” Litigation Stay Lifted

Consolidated litigation to determine whether Kind LLC misleads consumers by marketing its products as “all natural” and made without genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will continue after a two-year delay. In re Kind LLC “Healthy and All Natural” Litig., No. 15-2645 (S.D.N.Y., entered February 11, 2019). The court previously stayed the litigation in anticipation of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance documents on when the uses of “natural” and “non-GMO” are appropriate on food labeling.

“Given that there is no reason to continue the stay on the ‘non-GMO’ claims and that neither party wishes to litigate the claims in piecemeal fashion, it makes sense to begin discovery,” the court held. “Moreover, this Court explained that the case for lifting the ‘all natural’ stay would be ‘substantially stronger’ if the FDA failed to provide guidance by August 2018. Six months later, guidance is still awaited. It is time for this multi-district litigation to move forward.”