[Podcast] Food for Thought and Thoughts on Food: What to Expect in 2023
[Podcast] Cellular Agriculture and the Evolving Legal/Regulatory Landscape: A Conversation with Ahmed Khan
Analyzing the Growing Complexity of Food Law, Industry Advances and the Road Ahead Under a New Administration
From Regenerative Agriculture to Transparent Processes — Organic Farming and Supply Chain Challenges and Opportunities
RCG Webinar | Where's the Beef?
Polsinelli Podcast - FDA Proposed Changes to Food Labels and What it May Mean for Manufacturers
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on June 22, 2025, signed Senate Bill 25 (SB 25), a law that, among other provisions, requires the following consumer warning labeling on foods containing any of 44 ingredients: "WARNING: This product...more
In June 2025, Texas and Louisiana each enacted legislation mandating new label disclosures for foods containing a number of food and color additives, raising federal preemption and First Amendment questions. Both states have...more
The states of Texas and Louisiana have each enacted first-of-their-kind warning or notice labeling requirements for food ingredients, both of which pose significant issues of concern related to the First Amendment and federal...more
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently announced that his office is investigating some of the country’s most ubiquitous home brands — including Colgate-Palmolive, Proctor & Gamble, and General Mills — for allegedly...more
In 2018, Congress enacted the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, referred to as the 2018 Farm Bill, legalizing the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabinoids at the federal level. Since doing so, the sale of food and...more
While it rarely rules on questions of preemption, the Ninth Circuit took an even rarer step on July 1, 2024 when it took up the question of whether private parties can seek to enforce the provisions of California’s Sherman...more
In 1990, Congress enacted the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NELA) as an amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). Among other things, NELA 1) provided for modernization and standardization of the familiar...more
Several recent cases arising under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA” or the “Act”), 21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq., highlight the usefulness of preemption as a defense against putative class actions concerning drugs,...more
On August 14, 2023, a panel of judges for the United State Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a published opinion affirming dismissal of two complaints alleging that food product labels advertising the amount of...more
On this episode of “Food for Thought and Thoughts on Food,” Ann Begley and Amaru Sanchez join to discuss regulatory and commercialization challenges facing novel foods today. The pair interview Ahmed Khan, Founder and Editor...more
The Tenth Circuit recently held that the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) gets the final word on what “Product of the U.S.A.” means for labels of beef products. Thornton v. Tyson Foods, Inc., No. 20-2124, 2022 WL 727628...more
Last week, a split-panel of the Tenth Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of a false advertising case in which plaintiffs alleged that “Product of the U.S.A.” labels on various beef products were misleading...more
In October of this year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals analyzed the issue of federal preemption in the context of poultry product labeling. The plaintiff in Cohen v. ConAgra Brands, Inc., brought a putative class action...more
A few months ago, we analyzed the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Webb v. Trader Joe’s Company, No. 19-56389 (June 4, 2021), which held that a private plaintiff’s challenge to poultry labeling claims were preempted by federal...more
"The overwhelming majority of courts have concluded that neither COVID-19 nor the governmental orders associated with it cause or constitute property loss or damage for purposes of insurance coverage." So concluded the...more
In a unanimous precedential decision, a Ninth Circuit panel recently affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action against Trader Joe’s, which alleged that the statement “Up to 5% Retained Water” on Trader Joe’s poultry...more
Earlier this month, this blog analyzed the preemption provisions of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA), which together regulate the labeling of meat and poultry products. We...more
On June 4, 2021, a panel of judges from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of consumer poultry labeling claims against Trader Joe’s on the ground that those claims were federally preempted. The consumer...more
Preemption is a familiar battlefield for litigants challenging or defending advertising claims made on the labels of federally regulated products. Plaintiffs bringing claims under state law must contend with the fact that...more
This blog previously reported on the Seventh Circuit oral argument in Bell v. Albertson Companies Inc.—a case turning on whether a reasonable consumer would understand the phrase “100% Grated Parmesan cheese” on a cheese...more
Conagra Brands recently emerged victorious when Judge William H. Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted summary judgment in its favor, tossing claims that the company disguises the...more
On September 17, the Seventh Circuit heard argument in Ann Bell v. Albertson Companies Inc. The case hinges on whether a reasonable consumer would understand the phrase “100% Grated Parmesan cheese” on a Parmesan cheese...more
Federal food-labeling laws preempt state laws that impose requirements different from or in addition to those established by federal law. In some cases, the FDA has spoken directly to a labeling issue by regulation, and if...more
A federal court in New York recently granted a motion to dismiss claims that ice cream labeled “vanilla” misleads consumers into believing the product’s flavor comes exclusively from vanilla beans or extract, when in fact...more
When America’s war on heart disease was kicked into gear by President Eisenhower’s heart attack in 1955, dietary fat was deemed the culprit. In an effort to improve health, people sought low-fat alternatives to their favorite...more