Mass Torts vs. Class Actions: A Tale of Two Strategies
Eighth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Putative Class Claims
Class Action | Eleventh Circuit Reinstates No Hire Antitrust Claims Against Burger King
John Lewis of BakerHostetler Discusses Use of Social Media in Gawker Class Action
Wearables and the Future of Intellectual Property Law
Our weekly roundup aims to keep our readers up to date on recent notable rulings in the food & consumer packaged goods space. - Felix Bermudez et al. v. Colgate-Palmolive Company, No. 1:21-cv-10988-JLR (S.D.N.Y. – March...more
FDA Warning Letters Provide Opportunity for Food-Safety Reminders During Viral and Bacterial Outbreaks - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to Jimmy John’s Franchise, LLC and its supplier...more
Perkins Coie is pleased to present its fourth annual Food Litigation Year in Review, summarizing important developments in consumer litigation affecting the food and beverage industry. Filings against the food and beverage...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - FDA Issues Warning Letters, Consumer Update On CBD, Sparking Litigation Against CBD Cos. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a consumer update on cannabidiol...more
A California federal court dismissed a false advertising lawsuit against the makers of Clif Bars and Luna Bars that challenged their packaging for white chocolate macadamia bars....more
Last month, a judge in the Southern District of California partially dismissed a putative class action against beverage company Bai Brands, LLC (“Bai”) and related defendants. Branca v. Bai Brands, LLC, No. 18-00757 (S.D....more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - USDA, FDA Announce Joint Regulation of Cell-Cultured Livestock and Poultry Products - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have...more
Silverman Publishes “In Search of the Reasonable Consumer: When Courts Find Food Class Action Litigation Goes Too Far” - Shook Partner Cary Silverman has authored an article for the University of Cincinnati Law Review...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - Codex Office to Finalize Strategic Plan - The U.S. Codex Office has scheduled a meeting for November 2, 2018, to brief the public and receive comments on its 2019-2023 strategic...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 - FDA Commissioner Questions Milk Standards Enforcement - At a speaking engagement, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb reportedly expressed that the...more
FDA Issues Supplemental Guidance for Menu Nutrition Labels - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the availability of “Menu Labeling: Supplemental Guidance for Industry,” which includes an advisory of...more
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has announced new food safety recommendations for managing the risk of arsenic in rice and efforts to reduce pathogens in meat and poultry products. Following a request to...more
US, EU Near Agreement on Shellfish Trade - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed to allow the import of raw bivalve molluscan shellfish—including clams, mussels, oysters and scallops—harvested in the...more
NOSB Votes to Continue Allowing Hydroponics - The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has reportedly voted to continue allowing food grown in water-based nutrient solutions to be labeled “organic,” rejecting a...more
Furans in Baby Food May Pose Health Risk, EFSA Reports - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued an assessment of the risks of furans and related compounds 2- and 3-methylfurans, concluding that they pose a...more
As plant-based beverages appear on more store shelves, the definition of “milk” has become the center of a dispute involving legislatures, regulators, litigators and industry groups. Shook Partners Katie Gates Calderon and...more
The Ninth Circuit has revived a proposed class action against Gerber, saying the mother who sued it for labeling its sugar-laden baby food as “natural” only had to prove the labels were misleading, not necessarily false....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
The Ninth Circuit affirmed certification of putative class actions brought against ConAgra Foods, Inc. (“ConAgra”) by consumers who claimed that ConAgra’s “100% Natural” labels on Wesson cooking oils were false or misleading....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 Ninth Circuit held that a consumer’s definition of “natural” as alleged in the complaint is sufficient for the court’s determination of the sufficiency of the pleading with respect to a motion to dismiss. In Balser,...more
In December 2015, the California Supreme Court issued a ruling in Quesada v. Herb Thyme Farms, Inc., which may affect many companies subject to FDA regulation, but particularly those that advertise and sell products as...more
RECENT SIGNIFICANT RULINGS - Subway Settles Footlong Complaints - In re: Subway Footlong Sandwich Mark’g & Sales Practices Litig., No. 3:13-md-2439 (E.D. Wis.): The Court granted preliminary approval to a nationwide...more