An Ohio appeals court has dismissed negligence, product liability, fraudulent concealment, and civil conspiracy claims filed against companies that supplied diacetyl to a flavoring company that employed two workers who allegedly contracted bronchiolitis obliterans, a debilitating lung disease, from exposure to the butter-flavoring chemical. Doane v. Givaudan Flavors Corp., No. C-080928 (Ohio Ct. App., decided September 25, 2009). Affirming the trial court’s grant of defendants’ motions for summary judgment, the appeals court found, among other matters, that the claims were barred by the statute of limitations and because the employer was a sophisticated purchaser with greater knowledge about the “dangers of diacetyl” than its suppliers.

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For decades, manufacturers, distributors and retailers at every link in the food chain have come to Shook, Hardy & Bacon to partner with a legal team that understands the issues they face in today's evolving food production industry. Shook attorneys work with some of the world's largest food, beverage and agribusiness companies to establish preventative measures, conduct internal audits, develop public relations strategies, and advance tort reform initiatives.

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