Episode 139 -- DOJ Resolves Two Food Safety Criminal Cases -- Blue Bell Creameries and Chipotle Mexican Grills
On April 21, 2020, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (Chipotle) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with norovirus and Clostridium perfringens...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On January 15, 2020, in Guzman v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., No. 17-CV-02606-HSG, 2020 WL 227567 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 15, 2020), Judge Haywood Gilliam of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - FDA Seeks Input on Plant-Based Milks - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has solicited public input on questions related to plant-based substitutes for dairy products...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - INTERIOR DEPT. TO ALLOW GMO CULTIVATION ON NATIONAL LANDS - The U.S. Department of the Interior has reportedly withdrawn a 2014 memorandum prohibiting the cultivation of genetically...more
Facebook’s disappointing Q2 earnings (and, presumably, some pent-up scandal-fueled anti-‘Book sentiment) sent its stock into freefall yesterday, erasing more than $120 billion from the company’s market value as shares dove...more
In a speech at the National Food Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb reportedly summarized the agency’s plans, including (i) defining “healthy” for use...more
Cooke Aquaculture Fined $332,000 For Puget Sound Salmon Pen Collapse - The Washington Department of Ecology has reportedly fined Cooke Aquaculture $332,000 for violations of state water quality laws related to a net pen...more
Bitcoin surged to over $11,000 yesterday before falling 20% later in the day, prompting this look from the Journal at the widespread lure of Bitcoin mania....more
EU to Issue Guidelines on Discriminatory Food Distribution - European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has reportedly indicated the EU will issue guidelines discouraging companies from selling apparently identical...more
Wednesday a group of Chipotle employees brought suit in New Jersey federal court alleging FLSA violations stemming from Chipotle’s failure to follow the Obama-era salary-basis regulations. As you will recall, these...more
The Court’s opinion in Scott v. Chipotle Mexican Grill demonstrates how employers can successfully combat class action claims that employees were misclassified as exempt. The successful defense of the class certification...more
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
Turns out that running the show at Valeant has given Pershing Square’s Bill Ackman quite the appetite. He’s looking to satisfy that hunger (and get back to the business of maximizing returns by pushing companies to make...more
Drafting a social media policy in compliance with Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA” or “the Act”) has become increasingly challenging for employers, as the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “the...more