Food/Drinks Legal News Articles & Interviews

Los Angeles, CA: Several food supplements lawsuits claiming deceptive marketing and labelling have been filed against Jessica Alba’s Honest Company, arguing its products are "falsely" labeled as natural and plant-based. But what does “natural” mean? “From a liability standpoint, I don’t see the merit in these false advertising suits when there is no agreed upon definition of natural in the first place,” says attorney Ann Marie Mortimer, partner at Hunton & Williams law firm.

Washington, DC The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recalled 380,000 pounds of precooked bacon products from a Canadian company after testing in July found samples of the bacon tested positive for the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, which causes listeriosis.

Vancouver, BC For the first time anywhere, a Canadian study has revealed a potential for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) associated with the use of fertility drugs. A close cousin of CJD is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), more commonly known as "mad cow disease." Study authors stress that so far the danger is theoretical—and if there were a risk at all, the risk would likely be minor at best. There have been no reported cases.

Atlantic City, NJ:/> A man from New Jersey has filed a lawsuit against Phusion Projects, the makers of the once popular drink Four Loko alleging he suffered permanent heart damage from consuming the beverage.

Washington, DC The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that could put in place a sweeping overhaul of the national food safety system. The bill was prompted by the seemingly endless food recalls of recent memory, including tainted eggs, peanut butter and spinach.

Chicago, IL A class action lawsuit alleging deceptive business practices has been filed against Abbott Laboratories over claims that the pharmaceutical giant sold millions of tubs of infant powder formula that were contaminated with beetles and beetle larvae.

Ottawa, ON The Canadian government has officially declared the plastic-making compound known as BPA – or bisphenol-A to be toxic, making it the first country in the world to do so.

Independence, MO Chicago attorney Ken McClain says he doesn't mind at all if you refer to him as the Popcorn Lung Lawyer. "I don't mind if people say that," says McClain whose has been litigating against makers and suppliers of a butter flavoring product called diacetyl since 2002. "It's been very rewarding. We've done a lot of good and managed to get the diacetyl out of microwave popcorn."

Denver, CO A 38-year-old Longmont man was arrested earlier this week on allegations of false labeling stemming from controversial printouts that he placed on Gatorade bottles over the past several weeks.

New York, NY A new study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that many prepared foods and restaurant meals are labeled with inaccurate calorie counts. The false labeling may entice people to buy foods that are not as healthy as they appear.