Tag Archives: LABELING

Plant-Based Plaintiffs Drop Mississippi Lawsuit After Favorable Resolution, but US House Reps Introduce Real MEAT Act

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On November 7, the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and Upton’s Naturals dropped their federal lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s legislation that banned plant-based foods sold in Mississippi from using meat-related terms on labels, after Mississippi proposed new regulations. As our readers may recall, in early September, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce proposed new regulations … Continue Reading

Federal Court’s Refusal to Issue Injunction is Appealed as Plaintiffs Continue First Amendment Challenge Against Missouri’s Meat Labeling Laws

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  Missouri was the first among many states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming, to enact laws restricting plant-based and cell-cultured products from being labeled as “meat.”  As reported here, Turtle Island Foods (Tofurkey brand), in conjunction with non-profit advocacy groups, filed a lawsuit on August 28, 2018, which … Continue Reading

Mexico’s Lower House Passes Front-of-Pack Labeling Bill

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On October 11, Mexico’s lower legislative house passed a bill that would require manufacturers to place front-of-pack (FOP) warning labels on food high in sugar, sodium, or saturated fat.  The bill was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (Mexico’s equivalent of the Federal Register) and consists of a draft amendment to the General Labelling Specifications for … Continue Reading

California Chamber of Commerce Challenges Proposition 65 Warnings for Acrylamide

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On October 7, 2019, the California Chamber of Commerce (“CalChamber”) filed suit in federal court against the California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, to block the state from enforcing Proposition 65 warning requirements on foods containing acrylamide.  Acrylamide is a naturally occurring compound that develops when starches and sugars are cooked at high temperatures.  According to … Continue Reading

USDA Releases Additional FAQs on Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard

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USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which promulgated the National Bioengineered (BE) Food Disclosure Standard, has announced additional responses to its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).   A total of five new FAQs have been published, one of which confirms that BE labeling information need not be provided online or in catalogs (i.e., disclosure on the label itself is … Continue Reading

Mississippi Reverses Stance on Plant-Based Meat Labeling

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As previously reported on this blog, Upton’s Naturals Co. and the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) filed a lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s law prohibiting cell-based, plant-based, or insect-based foods from being labeled as “meat” or a “meat food product” (i.e., “hamburgers,” “hotdogs,” etc.). The lawsuit was filed on July 1, 2019, the same day that the … Continue Reading

Injunction to Stop Enforcement of Meat Labeling Law Not Needed, Says AR

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As our readers are aware, a number of states have enacted laws to prohibit marketing a product as “meat” if it is not derived from livestock or poultry and that several of these laws—including ones in Mississippi, Missouri, and Arkansas—have been challenged in court. (Other states that have enacted similar laws include Louisiana, North Dakota, … Continue Reading

Hazelnut Crème Coffee False Advertising Lawsuit Revived

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1st Circuit Gives Coffee Buyers 2nd Shot at False Ad Suit (subscription to Law360 required) On August 8, 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed a district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit charging that the label on New England Coffee’s Hazelnut Crème coffee violates Massachusetts’ consumer protection laws because the product … Continue Reading

Congress Continues Efforts to Combat Food Waste

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As previously reported on this blog, food waste is a major issue in the United States. We also have reported on previous attempts by Congress to curb food waste through legislation (see here and here). The most recent effort to reduce food waste was made by Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) when … Continue Reading

As War Over Plant-Based Food Labeling Wages On In The US, UK Sub-Committee Concludes Consumers Not Misled By Vegetarian “Burgers”

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On July 25, 2019, a United Kingdom parliamentary sub-committee found that words like “burger,” “sausage,” and “steak” to describe plant-based foods are not misleading to consumers. Indeed, the House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee have raised concerns that a ban on the use of such descriptors for plant-based foods would actually reduce consumer … Continue Reading

Tofurkey and Others Challenge Arkansas Plant-Based and Insect-Based Meat Labeling Law

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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Good Food Institute, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the ACLU of Arkansas recently filed a complaint on behalf of Turtle Island Foods (Tofurkey brand), challenging an Arkansas law that prohibits the representation of plant-based and insect-based products as “meat” or related terms (e.g., “beef,” “roast,” and “sausage”). … Continue Reading

Mississippi Sued Over Plant-Based, Cell-Based, and Insect-Based Meat Labeling Law

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Like countless other states, earlier this year, Mississippi passed SB 2922, which stipulates that cell-based, plant-based, or insect-based foods cannot be labeled as “meat” or “a meat food product” (e.g., “hamburgers,” “hot dogs,” “sausages,” “jerky”, etc.). Specifically, SB 2922 amended Section 75-35-15(4) of the Mississippi Code to state “[a] food product that contains cultured animal … Continue Reading

Louisiana Laws to Limit Use of Terms “Meat,” “Rice,” “Sugar” and “Milk” on Food Product Labels

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On June 11, Louisiana joined a growing number of states, including Missouri and Arkansas, that have enacted legislation aimed at protecting traditional agricultural products from the growing popularity of plant-based and cell-based meat products or riced vegetables. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed two bills into law aimed at prohibiting the use of common labeling … Continue Reading

OEHHA Confirms Final Carcinogen/Coffee Rule on Twitter

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In a tweet published on June 3, 2019 California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) announced that its draft Proposition 65 regulation regarding listed carcinogens in coffee had been finalized and will become effective on October 1, 2019.  The regulation states that exposures to Proposition 65 carcinogens listed on or before March 15, 2019, … Continue Reading

USDA Updates FAQs Regarding BE Labeling

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As previously reported on this blog earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) posted Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and responses for manufacturers concerning its bioengineered (BE) food labeling rule (formally known as the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS)). We pointed out in that blog that the FAQs were not … Continue Reading

FDA Endorses “Best If Used By” Label for Food

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Packaged food and beverage products for retail sale contain an array of date labels, such as “Use by,” “Best If Used By,” “Expires On,” etc. Ultimately, with few exceptions, such as labels for infant formula, data labels are not required on packaged foods. While manufacturers are prohibited from placing false or misleading information on a … Continue Reading

USDA Posts FAQ regarding BE Labeling and Promises Future Guidance

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued an FAQ for manufacturers concerning its bioengineered (BE) food labeling rule (formally known as the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS)).  The final rule was issued in December 2018 and does not come into effect for several years, but questions are being raised by industry regarding … Continue Reading

FDA Encourages Participation in Voluntary Plant Biotechnology Consultation Program and Revises Guidance on Voluntary Labeling of Foods Derived Plant Biotechnology

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Given the increased prevalence of plant biotechnology to develop innovative foods, FDA is reminding industry of its voluntary consultation program to ensure the safety of and public confidence in plant biotechnology-derived foods.  FDA describes “plant biotechnology” as “certain methods scientists can use to introduce new traits or characteristics to a plant.” FDA has assisted in … Continue Reading

KIND Petitions FDA to Update Nutrient Content Claim Regulations

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On March 12, 2019, snack bar producer, KIND, submitted a Citizen Petition to the FDA asking the agency to update the framework for regulating nutrient content claims (NCCs). In sum, the petition requests that FDA consider the overall quality of the food, rather than just the quantity of a certain nutrient when regulating nutritional claims … Continue Reading

Arizona Legislators Join Cell-Cultured Meat Labeling Debate

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As previously reported on this blog, there has been considerable discussion around the regulation of cell-cultured meat both at the federal and state levels. Earlier this month, USDA and FDA published a formal agreement regarding federal agency oversight of human food produced using cell technology. Under the formal agreement, FDA will oversee cell collection and … Continue Reading
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