The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a proposed update to guidance on how the term "healthy" can be used in marketing and labeling food products. The announcement notes that current limitations on usage of the term are out of step with the dietary guidelines—for example, salmon is excluded from permitted use due to fat levels despite being considered part of the "key elements of a healthy dietary pattern." "The existing 'healthy' claim has become inconsistent with the longstanding purpose of this type of implied claim to indicate that the nutrient levels in a food may help consumers maintain healthy dietary practices," the document notes. "The proposed framework for the updated definition of 'healthy' uses a food group-based approach in addition to nutrients to limit (based on the understanding that each food group contributes an array of important nutrients to the diet). The proposed, updated 'healthy' criteria would…
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The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a regulatory petition asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "to require on the principal display panel of a food an easy-to-understand, standardized system that is 1) mandatory, 2) nutrient-specific, 3) includes calories, and is 4) interpretative with respect to the levels of added sugars, sodium, and saturated fat per serving." The petition argues that current food labeling requirements and voluntary industry initiatives are "insufficient to promote healthy diets" because the Nutrition Facts label "has low utilization." "Dozens of countries have implemented [front-of-package nutrition labeling (FOPNL)], and over one hundred experimental and real-world studies have tested the effects of different FOPNL systems," the petition asserts. "These studies find that well-designed interpretive FOPNL can significantly improve the healthfulness of foods selected by consumers and prompt product reformulation. The U.S. should learn from experiences abroad and follow the science to…
Clif Bar & Co. has submitted a settlement agreement to a California federal court seeking approval to settle a class action alleging that Clif Bars are misleadingly marketed as healthy despite containing levels of sugar beyond what consumers would expect healthy foods to contain. Milan v. Clif Bar & Co., No. 18-2354 (N.D. Cal., filed June 23, 2022). In addition to establishing a $10.5-million fund, Clif will "make significant changes to the labeling and packaging of its original Clif Bars and Kid ZBars," according to the agreement. The changes include refraining from use of "nutrition," "nutritious" and "nourishing kids in motion" on Clif Bar packaging "so long as 10% or more of [a bar's] calories come from added sugars." The class includes customers who purchased Clif Bars between April 19, 2014, and June 23, 2022, and claimants will be divided into quintiles with varying levels of awards depending on degrees of…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will conduct quantitative consumer research on the use of "voluntary symbols that could be used in the future to convey the nutrient content claim 'healthy.'" The agency is simultaneously "developing a proposed rule that would update when manufacturers may use the 'healthy' nutrient content claim on food packages." "Updating labeling and making it more accessible helps empower consumers," the constituent update states. "In particular, claims and symbols can help consumers better understand nutrition information and identify foods that contribute to a healthy eating pattern. Manufacturers may also reformulate products to improve their nutritional value so they can use the claim."
A California federal court has rejected a settlement in a lawsuit that alleged Kellogg Sales Co. misled consumers by marketing its products as "healthy." Hadley v. Kellogg Sales Co., No. 16-4955 (N.D. Cal., San Jose Div., entered February 20, 2020). The court found the settlement agreement to be invalid for several reasons: (i) "the release of the claims is overbroad"; (ii) the parties did not show that certification was appropriate; (iii) the parties failed "to provide sufficient information to justify a proposed reversion to Kellogg"; (iv) several forms associated with class participation contained errors; and (v) the "settlement structure is currently inconsistent with the fact that the voucher portion of the settlement constitutes a coupon settlement under the Class Action Fairness Act." Shook Partner Lindsey Heinz and Associate Elizabeth Fessler wrote an article for Law360 on the settlement when it was announced in late 2019, focusing on the lessons companies…
Several 2019 putative class actions targeted food products that purportedly misled consumers because they were marketed as "healthy" despite containing ingredients with debated health benefits. Coconut and coconut-derived products were a popular target for plaintiffs, who asserted that they were misled about the benefits associated with cooking with coconut oil or drinking coconut milk because coconut products frequently carry high levels of saturated fat. The same plaintiff sued Hain Celestial Group Inc. and Danone U.S. Inc., though the court found that Danone's marketing touting So Delicious Coconut Milk's "Maximum Calcium Absorption" benefit was "a permissible structure/function claim." "Healthy" confusion also extended to TGI Friday's Inc. potato skins—the "labeling deceives consumers into believing that they are receiving a healthier snack" because the potato skin is high in several nutrients, the plaintiffs allege—and sprouted grains, which Food for Life Baking Co. Inc. apparently marketed as nutritionally superior to comparable cereal products. Kellogg Sales…
The parties in a lawsuit alleging Kellogg Sales Co. misrepresented its cereals as healthy have reached an agreement that would require the company to pay $20 million in payments and make marketing changes valued at more than $11 million. Hadley v. Kellogg Sales Co., No. 16-4955 (N.D. Cal., filed October 21, 2019). The lawsuit alleged that Kellogg's Smart Start, Raisin Bran, Krave, Crunchy Nut and Frosted Mini-Wheats cereals, along with its Nutri-Grain bars, were misleadingly marketed as healthy despite containing high levels of sugar. Under the settlement agreement, Kellogg will (i) remove or limit the use of "Heart Health" claims on Smart Start and Raisin Bran; (ii) use "healthy" as an implied nutrient content claim only; (iii) remove "lightly sweetened" from Frosted Mini-Wheats and Smart Start; (iv) refrain from using "No High Fructose Corn Syrup" or an equivalent phrase; and (v) use "wholesome," "nutritious" and "benefits" or equivalent words only…
Four consumers have filed a putative class action alleging that Kellogg Sales Co. misleadingly markets its products as promoting health and wellness despite containing added sugars. DiGregorio v. Kellogg Sales Co., No. 19-0632 (N.D.N.Y., filed May 28, 2019). The complaint details studies about the health effects of sugars on the human body and argues that the "high amounts of added sugar" in Kellogg's cereals and bars render regular consumption of the products as "likely to contribute to excess added sugar consumption, and, thereby, increased risk for and contraction of chronic disease." "Although Plaintiffs were the victims of Kellogg's longtime and general policy and practice with respect to the cereals and snack bars they purchased and the labels they saw, this Complaint and their claims are not so limited; rather, plaintiffs seek through this lawsuit to enjoin Kellogg's policy and practice generally, including but not necessarily limited to the products, labels,…
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that Danone US Inc. markets its So Delicious Coconut Milk to health-conscious consumers using health and wellness claims despite coconut milk’s level of saturated fat. Heymsfield v. Danone US Inc., No. 19-0589 (S.D. Cal., filed March 29, 2019). The plaintiff alleges that coconut milk “is unhealthy” because it “is essentially just coconut oil in water,” and coconut oil “is mainly saturated fat.” The complaint cites studies purportedly linking saturated fat consumption and elevated risks of cardiovascular disease. Danone allegedly markets itself as “a company ‘making food that’s good for you’ and products ‘that you can feel good about sipping, biting, pouring, scooping licking and chugging throughout your day,’” the complaint argues. In addition, “the Product was expressly promoted as being able to help consumers maintain healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis.” The complaint provides screenshots of the So Delicious website, which compares…
A consumer has filed a putative class action alleging that The Hain Celestial Group's Coconut Dream, "a coconut 'milk' style drink that is primarily coconut oil (or coconut oil and added sugar) in water," is marketed to appeal to health-conscious consumers despite being "basically saturated fat (or saturated fat and added sugar)." Andrade-Heymsfield v. Hain Celestial Grp. Inc., No. 19-0433 (S.D. Cal., filed March 5, 2019). The complaint alleges that Hain Celestial misleads consumers by representing Coconut Dream as healthful despite studies purportedly linking coconut-oil consumption and increased risks of cardiovascular heart disease. The plaintiff also alleges a link between sugar consumption and obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. She seeks class certification, damages, corrective advertising, destruction of misleading materials and attorney's fees for alleged violations of California consumer-protection statutes.
