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…
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An Illinois federal court has dismissed a complaint alleging that Kellogg Sales Co. misleads consumers by including more ingredients than just strawberries in the filling of its Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Chiappetta v. Kellogg Sales Co., No. 21-3545 (N.D. Ill., E. Div., entered March 1, 2022). The plaintiff alleged that "the Product packaging misled her and other consumers into believing that the Product’s fruit filling contained 'only strawberries and/or more strawberries than it does' because it bears the word 'Strawberry,' and it depicts half of a fresh strawberry and red fruit filling. [] In reality, though, the Product’s fruit filling contains more than just strawberries; it also contains dried pears, dried apples, and a food dye known as 'red 40,' among other ingredients." The court was unpersuaded by the plaintiff's arguments. "The essence of [the plaintiff's Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act] claim is that the word 'Strawberry,' combined with a…
A plaintiff has filed a putative class action alleging Bimbo Bakehouse LLC misleads consumers by selling The Cheesecake Factory "Our Famous 'Brown Bread' Wheat Sandwich Loaf" as a bread made with primarily whole grains despite containing higher amounts of enriched wheat flour. Hamidani v. Bimbo Bakehouse LLC, No. 22-1026 (N.D. Ill., E. Div., filed February 26, 2022). "Consumers increasingly prefer whole grains to non-whole grains," the complaint asserts. In addition to "important nutrients like fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants," the "bran also gives whole grains their distinctive brown coloring." "Despite the labeling of the Product as 'Brown Bread,' with a dark brown color, and visible pieces of grain, the Product is not made with mainly whole grains," the plaintiff argues. "The ingredient list reveals that the most predominant ingredient is not whole grain flour but 'ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR.' [] While 'WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR' is the third most predominant ingredient, this is…
A plaintiff has filed a putative class action alleging Demoulas Super Markets Inc. includes representations on its Market Basket coffee indicating that the tins hold 76 to 79 cups of coffee but only contain 37 to 39 cups when prepared according to the label's instructions. Cohen v. Demoulas Super Mkts. Inc., No. 21-10177 (D. Mass., filed February 2, 2021). "This means that consumers of the Products, including Plaintiff, were cheated out of 51% of the servings they paid for, in both cases, based on the advertising, marketing, and labeling of the Products," the complaint asserts. The plaintiff alleges claims of unjust enrichment as well as breach of express warranty and untrue and misleading advertising under Massachusetts General Laws.
A New York federal court has dismissed some claims while allowing others to continue in a lawsuit alleging Whole Foods Market Group Inc. misleads consumers by not using graham flour to produce or honey to sweeten its "honey graham crackers." Campbell v. Whole Foods Mkt. Grp. Inc., No. 20-1291 (S.D.N.Y., entered February 2, 2021). The court found that the plaintiff adequately pleaded allegations that "the references to 'honey' and 'graham' on the product’s packaging are likely to lead a reasonable consumer to wrongly believe that these graham crackers contain more whole-grain flour than non-whole grain flour, and that honey is their predominant sweetener," so claims under the New York General Business Obligation Law can continue. The court dismissed a claim of negligent misrepresentation, finding the plaintiff "failed to allege the existence of a special relationship giving rise to a duty to speak on the part of the Defendant." The plaintiff's…
A consumer has alleged that Frito-Lay Inc.'s Baked Cheddar and Sour Cream chips use diacetyl to obtain the sour cream flavor without referring to diacetyl as a characterizing flavor. Vado v. Frito-Lay Inc., No. 20-2055 (S.D. Cal., filed October 19, 2020). The complaint asserts that artificial diacetyl, which provides a butter flavor, is used to enrich the taste of sour cream that has been produced from cows raised on a feedlot rather than a pasture. The plaintiff argues that the diacetyl is thus a characterizing flavor of the chips and alleges the chips should be labeled "Cheddar and Artificial Sour Cream Flavored." The complaint also distinguishes the baked variety of the chips from the brand's conventional version, which "actually contains sour cream and unlike the Mislabeled Product, real sour cream is listed as an ingredient on the back-label ingredient list." The plaintiff alleges violations of California consumer-protection statutes as well…
