Food for Thought is a review of significant court decisions affecting the food, beverage, dietary supplements and personal care products industry. Although many cases in this edition focus on class certification, others...more
A recent decision from the Ninth Circuit has highlighted the uncertainty that exists in the food product market about the use and definition of “All Natural” in labeling and advertising. In Brazil v. Dole Packaged Foods,...more
Does a food label advertising a product as “all natural fruit” mislead consumers when that product contains artificial preservatives? That is the question presented in Brazil v. Dole Food Co. Inc., which the Court of Appeals...more
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed in part and affirmed in part a Northern District of California ruling concerning the “All Natural Fruit” labeling on Dole’s packaged fruit products. Brazil v. Dole Packaged...more
Key Points - - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit found that Dole’s “All Natural” food labels on products containing synthetic ingredients could be misleading to a reasonable consumer. - The 9th...more
The summer of 2016 saw continued trends in class action filings. Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) cases continued to be rampant, with multiple cases being filed daily on a national scale. Most were generally directed...more
On September 30, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed in part a district court decision granting summary judgment to Dole Packaged Foods, LLC (“Dole”), finding that a reasonable fact finder could conclude that Dole’s...more
We’ve recently reported on numerous district court—and even Ninth Circuit—stays in false advertising actions. Many of these stays have been based on FDA’s consideration of food labeling issues, such as those involving...more
Food for Thought reports on significant court decisions affecting the food industry. The focus of this edition is on several food-related cases pertaining to class certification; particularly, on district court decisions...more
On December 8, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted defendant Dole’s motion for summary judgment of the plaintiff’s false labeling claims in...more
In This Issue: - RECENT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS AND RULINGS ..Court Grants Summary Judgment Based on Reasonable Consumer Standard ..Class Partly Decertified in Dole "All Natural" Case ...more