When it comes to mitigating the risk of class action lawsuits, the best offense is a good defense. Companies can take many steps to reduce their exposure to class action litigation before it happens, including the tactics...more
In a deep sea of consumer fraud and deceptive packaging litigation, glimpses of reason are starting to emerge in the slack fill space, suggesting that these cases may (finally) be on the decline....more
Slack Fill Decision Cites Shook Attorneys’ Article An opinion issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri has cited Shook Partners Cary Silverman and Jennifer Artman’s Missouri Bar Journal...more
A trio of recent cases challenging disparate food and beverage labels offers a few common substantive and procedural lessons for companies. First, the back panels – when considered in light of U.S. Food and Drug...more
Federal Made in U.S.A. Rule - In June 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted its final rule for using “Made in U.S.A.” or any variation of that statement, including the U.S. flag. While this rule imposes no new...more
In the February edition of the Food & Beverage Digest, our roundup of court cases and regulations affecting the food, beverage, agribusiness, and cosmetics industries, a vanilla suit survives a motion to dismiss, a heavy...more
Bunny v. Smaug - Did Annie’s smack down a snack-box slack-fill strike suit? ...more
Accurate net weight and serving size disclosures on packaging can be a helpful defense to slack-fill claims, as one Southern District of New York court recently held. On January 24, 2022, the court in Klausner v. Annie’s...more
Over the past several years, federal courts have rarely allowed slack-fill class actions to survive beyond the motion to dismiss phase. Whether the plaintiffs allege that the packaging is misleading or that the slack-fill is...more
A New Jersey federal court dismissed slack-fill claims against the manufacturer of Junior Mints and Sugar Babies products. Plaintiff Regan Iglesia purchased Junior Mints in 2017 and claimed that the boxes of the challenged...more
Welcome to the latest edition of the Food & Beverage Digest, our roundup of court cases and settlements affecting the food, beverage, agribusiness, and cosmetics industries. This month, plaintiffs bang their heads...more
In a case regarding slack fill claims by a class of purchasers of Barilla branded pasta, the Second Circuit has issued a decision with implications for class-action cases going forward. The Court held that the District Court...more
FDA Enters New Phase Of FSVP Enforcement - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has entered a new phase of enforcement for the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) regulation, the legally required due...more
Last week, the Second Circuit issued an important published decision holding that previously injured consumers who seek to challenge product labeling lack constitutional standing to pursue claims for injunctive relief, and...more
In a victory for cosmetics companies everywhere, the Second Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of slack fill allegations claiming that L’Oréal’s pump dispense mechanism for serums, lotions, and liquid makeup prevents...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - EU Announces “Farm to Fork Strategy” The European Commission has announced the adoption of strategies to support biodiversity and “transition to a sustainable EU food system that...more
Earlier this month, in a consumer action challenging alleged slack-fill in boxes of Junior Mints and Sugar Babies, the Ninth Circuit considered the reach of the “catalyst theory” for recovering attorney’s fees under...more
FDA Issues New Rule Regarding Calorie Type Size Requirement on Vending Machine Products - On October 25, 2019, the FDA issued a final rule revising the type size requirements for calorie labeling on foods sold in vending...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 - Virginia Law Limiting Use of “Milk” Advances - Following a vote in the Virginia House Agriculture Subcommittee, the state’s House of Delegates will reportedly consider a bill that...more
In a multidistrict litigation accusing McCormick & Co. of deceptively underfilling the pepper it sells in grinders and tins, a D.C. federal judge preliminarily approved a $2.5 million class settlement last week. Consumers...more
2019 … Slack-Fill Class Actions. Last year at this time, slack-fill class actions appeared dead. But in 2019, some of the plaintiffs' bar's biggest wins came in slack-fill class actions, with several resulting in class...more
This blog has previously examined the recent spate of so-called “slack-fill” lawsuits, in which consumers claim that a food (or other) product is misleadingly packaged because it contains excess air. We noted that the...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - Senate Confirms FDA Commissioner - The U.S. Senate has voted to confirm Stephen Hahn as the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Hahn, an expert in...more
As of August 2019, overall food litigation filings are on pace with those of last year. California and New York remain the two most popular jurisdictions for food litigation matters. While California filings in 2019 are...more