The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has issued guidelines on the 2018 Farm Bill and its removal of hemp from the list of controlled substances. "As of April 2019, hemp and hemp products may not be used in animal feed or pet food in the United States," the guidelines state. "In 2015 AAFCO asked the hemp industry to come forward and present information for the scientific review to establish definitions for animal foods made from the industrial hemp plant. We expected information on hemp seed oil, hemp seed meal, and whole hemp seeds. Although there are private companies and organizations working on applications, to date, the industry has not submitted any data showing that ingredients derived from the hemp plant are safe and useful in animal food. AAFCO is encouraging the industry to submit their data promptly." The guidelines also advise that feed with cannabidiol (CBD) is not…
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Nature's Path Foods USA Inc. misleads consumers by marketing the filling of its Wildberry Acai Toaster Pastries as containing high levels of acai berries despite containing more apples, raspberries, blueberries and other fruits. Louis v. Nature's Path Foods USA Inc., No. 19-2584 (E.D.N.Y., filed May 1, 2019). The complaint features an image of the front and back labels, alleging that acai berries account for 45 percent of the berries shown in packaging images, and the plaintiff asserts that the "use of the term 'acai' in the Product name and the numerical superiority of the acai berries depicted relative to other berries cause a reasonable consumer to expect the Products contain more acai berries than other identified and named fruit ingredients." The plaintiff also alleges that the ingredient list includes a number of fruits—apples, blueberries, strawberries and others—in whole form but…
Following the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety's opinion suspending the sale of food products containing titanium dioxide—a food additive appearing in chewing gum, sauces and baked goods—the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a statement asserting that no further research has been published that would cause the agency to amend its previous opinion that the substance "did not raise concern with respect to genotoxicity and that it was not carcinogenic after oral administration." EFSA notes that its earlier opinion "identified data gaps and uncertainties that required follow-up by the European Commission by means of a subsequent call for additional data" but that the French opinion did not fill those gaps. The statement also follows the submission of a letter to the European Commission from several civil society organizations based in France, Italy and other member countries calling on the entity to "put forward a…
Anchor Brewing Co. has filed an opposition against D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc.'s application to register "James River Steam Brewery" as a trademark, arguing that the proposed mark will confuse consumers familiar with its product Anchor Steam. Anchor Brewing Co. v. D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc., No. 91247967 (U.S.P.T.O., opposition filed May 3, 2019). Anchor asserts that it owns the rights to use "Steam Beer," which describes "an indigenous style of beer known as California common beer." The use of "James River Steam Brewery," Anchor argues, "is likely to create the false impression that Applicant's goods are provided by, related to, endorsed by, or associated with Opposer."
National Public Radio (NPR) has published a piece on BlueNalu, a company aiming to market and sell fish cultivated in a laboratory. "[U]nlike today's wild-caught or farmed fish options, BlueNalu's version of seafood will have no head, no tail, no bones, no blood. It's finfish, just without the swimming and breathing part," the article explains. "It's seafood without the sea." BlueNalu is one of six companies working on lab-grown seafood, NPR reports, and all are "likely five to 10 years away from having actual product on the market." A BlueNalu executive told NPR that he is confident the products will not "end up languishing within the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] for years, the way AquaBounty's genetically modified salmon did," partly because lab-grown fish is "not using any genetic modification" such as CRISPR. "We aren't introducing new molecules into the diet. We're not introducing a new entity that doesn't exist…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a June 21, 2019, public meeting to discuss several general Codex Alimentarius Commission issues, including the adoption and revocation of Codex Texts, amendments to Codex Standards, the Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and matters arising from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The meeting will also feature a discussion of budgetary and financial matters, including a 2018-2019 progress report and a proposal for 2020-2021.
Post Consumer Brands LLC allegedly misleads consumers by marketing its Cocoa Pebbles and related products as made with "real cocoa" despite listing only "cocoa (processed with alkali)" in the ingredients panel, according to a consumer's putative class action. Copeland v. Post Consumer Brands LLC, No. 19-2488 (E.D.N.Y., filed April 26, 2019). The complaint asserts that alkali in cocoa affects "the taste and color of the cocoa powder to such an extent that they are a characterizing feature"; further, consumers believing the product to contain "real cocoa" expect "the cocoa powder component to be nutritionally and organoleptically superior than it actually is." For alleged violations of California's consumer-protection statutes as well as negligent misrepresentation, breach of warranties, fraud and unjust enrichment, the plaintiff seeks class certification, injunctive relief, restitution, damages and attorney's fees.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has settled its lawsuit alleging that Gerber Products Co. made false claims about the anti-allergy benefits of Good Start Gentle infant formula, according to an order terminating the action. FTC v. Gerber Prods. Co., No. 14-6771 (D.N.J., entered April 30, 2019). FTC filed the action in response to Gerber's claims that its formula was "the first and only infant formula" that could claim to reduce the risk of developing allergies. Following FTC's lawsuit, consumers made similar claims in a putative class action. The court's order terminates the action but does not provide details about the settlement.
The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has issued an industry circular stating that it "will return for correction any applications for formulas containing 'hemp' ingredients (other than ingredients derived from hemp seeds or hemp seed oil)" until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that the ingredients' use would not violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The circular, addressed to wineries, breweries, distilleries and importers, states that TTB consults with FDA on ingredients' safety and notes that, despite the change in the definition for "marijuana" in the 2018 Farm Bill, "FDA stressed that food companies that wish to use cannabis or cannabis-derived ingredients in their foods are subject to the relevant laws and regulations that govern all food products, including those that relate to the requirements for food additive approval and substantiation of evidence for Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has affirmed its previous opinions finding that "there are no risks to public health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label and that glyphosate is not a carcinogen." “EPA has found no risks to public health from the current registered uses of glyphosate,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a press release. “Today’s proposed action includes new management measures that will help farmers use glyphosate in the most effective and efficient way possible, including pollinator protections. We look forward to input from farmers and other stakeholders to ensure that the draft management measures are workable, realistic, and effective.” Meanwhile, the New York legislature has passed a ban on chlorpyrifos that would take effect January 1, 2020. After that date, aerial application of the pesticide would be prohibited; after January 1, 2021, all use of the pesticide would be prohibited except for…
