A consumer has filed a lawsuit alleging that the packaging for Chicago Bar Co.'s RXBAR misleads consumers about the ingredients of the product. Pizzirusso v. Chicago Bar Co., No. 18-3529 (E.D.N.Y., filed June 15, 2018). RXBAR and RXBAR Kids products feature a list of ingredients on the front of the package—for example, the blueberry flavor's packaging reads, "3 Egg Whites, 6 Almonds, 4 Cashews, 2 Dates, No B.S."—with an additional ingredient list on the back of the package. According to the complaint, both lists obscure the actual ingredients; rather than egg whites, the plaintiff argues, RXBARs contain egg white protein powder, which a previous version of the packaging allegedly named. "[P]arents correctly wouldn't want to buy their young children foods which contained concentrated protein powders, for a variety of reasons related to normal adolescent and child development," the plaintiff argues. Further, the "fruit pieces incorporated into the Products are 'infused' (flavored)…
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The U.S. Supreme Court has denied certiorari in a six-state coalition's attempt to block enforcement of a California law requiring egg-production facilities to provide hens enough space to extend their limbs and turn around. Missouri v. Becerra, No. 16-1015 (U.S., denial of certiorari entered May 30, 2017). The rule affects private egg producers within each state, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that this interest did not convey standing upon the states. Additional details on the circuit court's decision appear in Issue 623 of this Update. The high court also denied certiorari to Austin "Jack" DeCoster and his son Peter, who sought to appeal the prison sentences they received for their roles in a 2010 Salmonella outbreak that sickened thousands across the United States. DeCoster v. United States, No. 16-877 (U.S., denial of certiorari entered May 18, 2017). The men, former executives of Quality Egg…
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the attorneys general of six states—Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and Iowa—do not have standing to sue California AG Kamala Harris in an attempt to block enforcement of a law requiring egg-production facilities to provide hens enough space to fully extend their limbs and turn around freely in the confinement in which they spend the majority of the day. Missouri v. Harris, No. 14-17111 (9th Cir., order entered November 17, 2016). The court found that the plaintiff states did not have parens patriae standing, the standing provided to a governmental entity as the legal protector of its citizens. The states could not “articulate an interest apart from the interests of private egg producers, who could have filed an action on their own behalf,” the court held. Further, the states’ allegations about potential economic damages were speculative, and “the allegations of discrimination were…
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has reportedly filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging the agency to investigate Natural Pasteurized Eggs, producer of Davidson’s eggs, because the company allegedly keeps its “birds permanently locked in cages so tightly they can’t even spread their wings.” HSUS argues the packaging of Davidson’s eggs misleads consumers by featuring “lush open pastures, a red barn and free-roaming hens” even though those hens “never feel sunlight nor touch a blade of grass.” Further, HSUS asserts that the company “claims its process ‘eliminates the risk of Salmonella' from eggs even though caged hens are more likely to spread infection and disease.” According to the Chicago Tribune, FTC has not taken action on a complaint related to egg marketing since 1996. See HSUS Press Release and Chicago Tribune, October 14, 2016. Issue 620
A California federal court has dismissed a lawsuit alleging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allowed the American Egg Board to unduly influence the government’s nutrition advice on dietary cholesterol. Physicians Comm. for Responsible Med. v. Vilsack, No. 16-0069 (N.D. Cal., San Francisco Div., order entered October 12, 2016). Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) filed the lawsuit following a change to the 2015 Dietary Guidelines that removed the recommended limit of 300 milligrams per day of dietary cholesterol; instead, the guidelines recommended consuming “as little dietary cholesterol as possible while consuming a healthy eating pattern.” PCRM alleged that the advisory body’s analysis and recommendations were compromised by the presence of scientists who had received funding from the American Egg Board or Egg Nutrition Center. The court assessed whether it had subject matter jurisdiction to consider PCRM’s claim by examining the underlying statutes…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has completed a report reviewing nine allegations of misconduct asserted by Josh Tetrick, head of Just Mayo producer Hampton Creek, against the American Egg Board (AEB). The report concludes that AEB staff and board members engaged in inappropriate conduct, including failing to adhere to USDA guidelines, targeting a specific company and sending inappropriate emails. The report found substantiation for five of Tetrick’s nine allegations: (i) AEB employees exchanged inappropriate emails about Tetrick, including references such as, “Can we pool our money and put a hit on him?” and “old buddies from Brooklyn pay him a visit”; (ii) an AEB executive accepted a consultant’s offer to contact Whole Foods Market Inc. in an effort to persuade the company to stop stocking Just Mayo, although the consultant never actually contacted the company; (iii) a public relations expert conducted market research on egg-replacement products,…
Hampton Creek founder Josh Tetrick reportedly directed his employees to purchase Just Mayo, an eggless mayonnaise, at grocery stores while it pursued funding from investors, according to a Bloomberg report. Five former workers provided Bloomberg with receipts, expense reports, cash advances and emails telling employees, “We need you in Safeway buying Just Mayo and our new flavored mayos . . . And we’re going to pay you for this exciting new project! Below is a list of stores that have been assigned to you.” Tetrick told Bloomberg that the purchases were part of a quality-control program to assess Just Mayo from a customer’s perspective, but the survey database of that program did not account for hundreds of purchases, the report indicates. Additional emails also suggest the “Buyouts” project’s purpose was related to sales inflation, including one message that said, “The most important next step with Safeway is huge sales out…
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the legality of three-month prison sentences handed down to former Quality Egg, LLC executives Austin “Jack” DeCoster and his son Peter, former officials of the company deemed responsible for a 2010 Salmonella outbreak traced to its Iowa egg farms. United States v. Quality Egg, LLC, No. 15-1890 (8th Cir., order entered July 6, 2016). Convicted of misdemeanor violations of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), the DeCosters argued their sentences were unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause and the Eighth Amendment because incarceration for their offenses is either altogether inappropriate or disproportionate to the crimes. Upon a de novo review of the case, the appeals court confirmed that “the DeCosters are liable for negligently failing to prevent the salmonella outbreak.” Further, the men’s sentences did not violate the Due Process Clause because the sentences were “relatively short” and the “convictions…
The nonprofit advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has brought suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to prevent the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) from adopting a recommendation of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). The DGAC is a joint committee formed by USDA and HHS that recommended the agencies drop from the newly issued 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans the advice that healthy individuals limit their daily dietary cholesterol consumption to 300 milligrams per day. PCRM seeks to permanently enjoin the agencies from incorporating the recommendation into the guidelines and to instead maintain current recommended daily limits. The complaint alleges the data underlying the DGAC’s recommendation is not “fairly balanced” within the meaning of the Federal Advisory Committee Act because it omits evidence unfavorable to the egg industry. Rather, PCRM contends that the DGAC…
A new Cornucopia Institute report examines four methods of organic egg production—pasture-based with mobile housing, “pasture raised” using fixed housing with access to adjacent pastures, fixed housing with minimum outdoor access and industrial scale. Titled “Scrambled Eggs: Separating Factory Farm Egg Production from Authentic Organic Agriculture,” the analysis also discusses animal welfare standards and evaluates animal welfare labels. An accompanying “scorecard” rates various brands of eggs based on 28 criteria, showcasing the “true heroes, including national and local producers that are supplying ethically-produced organic eggs and are worthy of consumer support.” See Cornucopia News Release, December 15, 2015.
