Food Law Weekly News Round Up 3/22

Skippy Peanut Butter Producers Beat JIF Producers Peanut Butter Label Lawsuit 

An Ohio federal judge dismissed J.M. Smucker Co.’s (JIF peanut butter producer) request for a declaratory ruling that it would not be infringing on the similarly colored labeling used by Hormel Foods (Skippy peanut butter producer). Smucker announced its intent to use a light blue color , similar to the blue on Skippy labels, for its JIF No Added Sugar product. Hormel responded that this would be an infringement. The Judge found that Hormel’s cease and desist letters sent to Smucker to enforce its trade dress rights are protected and the court cannot conclude as a matter of law that this infringement claim is baseless. 

The mayor of Lyon, France has faced backlash after cutting meat from school lunches

Last month, Grégory Doucet, the Green party mayor of Lyon, France announced meat will be cut from school lunches until the Covid-19 health crisis has come to an end. Doucet claimed the decision was not ideological and instead is “purely pragmatic,” to accommodate a faster, socially distanced lunch by offering one menu rather than a meat and meat free option. Backlash has come from government officials, including the interior minister and agriculture minister, and interested, meat-eating civilians. The minister of agriculture has asked the prefect in Lyon to look into the legality of dropping meat and a group of  parents, agricultural unions, and local conservative politicians recently attempted to overturn the mayor’s decision in court, but the judge rejected the challenge. 

EmailTwitterFacebook

SophieDebode

Food Law Weekly News Round Up 4/5

Starbucks reached an agreement with EEOC to settle allegations of bias in promotions Starbucks recently announced that it brokered an agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier to settle allegations of bias against minority workers in its...

read more

Food Law Weekly News Round Up 3/29

Federal Court Rules Hydroponic Produce can be Certified Organic On March 23rd the US District court for Northern California ruled the USDA can continue certifying hydroponic farming operations as organic under the National Organic Program. The Judge found the “USDA...

read more

Food Law Weekly News Roundup 3/15

Kellogg reaches $13 million settlement  On March 10th Kellogg reached a $13 million settlement over class action claims that the company had misleadingly advertised sugary cereals (including Raisin Bran, Frosted Mini-Wheats, and Smart Start) as healthy. A CA...

read more

Join Our Cause

We welcome others who share our mission to join us. Together, let’s change the law, make the food we eat healthier and improve the quality of life of all Americans.