Legislators in California and New York have proposed bills to ban five food additives that have purportedly been linked to health concerns such as cancer, neurodevelopmental issues, and hormone dysfunction. The five additives, brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, propylparaben, Red Dye No. 3, and titanium dioxide, are found in many food products. These substances

Kristine E. Kruger
Kristine Kruger is an experienced litigator who works closely with her clients to develop effective litigation strategies by carefully evaluating each client’s case-specific goals and business objectives. She has extensive experience representing a broad range of clients in high priority complex litigation matters, including consumer protection, product liability, environmental litigation, consumer finance, business disputes, and general commercial matters.
Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation Year in Review 2022
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce the launch of our seventh annual Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation Year in Review. Accompanying the 2022 report are infographics that highlight key litigation outcomes, filing data, and industry trends. As always, the report offers a summary of the past year’s key litigation outcomes, regulatory developments, and…
Congress Passes Major Update to Federal Cosmetics Regulation
Buried within the thousands of pages of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 is the most significant statutory expansion to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) authority over cosmetics since 1938. On December 29, 2022, President Biden signed the bill into law. Among the spending bill’s many provisions is the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation…
Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation Year in Review 2021
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce the launch of our sixth annual Food Litigation Year in Review. In recognition of the firm’s practice expansion, this year-in-review report has been broadened to the Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation Year in Review 2021. Accompanying the 2021 report are infographics that highlight key litigation outcomes, filing…
Current Trends in Cosmetics Litigation: CLE Presentation
Despite a tumultuous year, one thing stayed the same: plaintiffs’ class action attorneys continued to file plenty of lawsuits against manufacturers of consumer packaged goods (CPGs). Attorneys in Perkins Coie’s Food Litigation practice have defended false labeling cases across a broad range of products and industries. As our practice area has expanded, we have continued…
Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation Year in Review 2020
Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that its fifth annual Food Litigation Year in Review, in coordination with the expansion of the firm’s practice, has been broadened and renamed the Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Litigation Year in Review. In coordination with this rebranding, we have also launched an infographic report that highlights key litigation outcomes, filing data, and industry trends. Despite a tumultuous year, one thing stayed the same: plaintiffs’ class action attorneys continued to file plenty of lawsuits against manufacturers of consumer packaged goods (CPGs).
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Proposition 65 Settlements: Lessons from 2018 Data
California’s Attorney General (AG) releases annual summaries of Proposition 65 settlements. This settlement data provides important insight into Proposition 65 litigation trends. Here are some of the most important takeaways from the 2018 data.
First, the average settlement amount was $42,424.52. According to the state AG’s report, there were 829 settlements in calendar year 2018. Many of these settlements also entailed injunctive relief, such as the addition of new labeling or reformulation of the products.
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An Introduction to California’s Proposition 65: What is Proposition 65?
Welcome to the first in a multipart series of posts regarding California’s Proposition 65 (Prop. 65). This piece introduces readers to the law and its requirements. Future posts will dive deeper into analysis and trends regarding Prop. 65 litigation.
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Industry Insights: Proposition 65 Labeling Responsibilities Finalized for Intermediary Parties and Retail Sellers
California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issued finalized amendments on January 14, 2020, to its regulations that will become effective on April 1, 2020. Per OEHHA in its Final Statement of Reasons, the amendments “clarify how intermediate parties in the chain of distribution can satisfy their obligation to provide a warning” under Proposition…
Industry Insights: Coffee Products Exempted from Proposition 65
On Monday, June 3rd, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) approved a new regulation exempting coffee from Proposition 65 warnings. The rule states that: “Exposures to chemicals in coffee, listed on or before March 15, 2019 as known to the state to cause cancer, that are created by and inherent in the processes of roasting coffee beans or brewing coffee do not pose a significant risk of cancer.” OEHHA announced the approval of the coffee exemption regulation on Twitter and confirmed that the new rule will take effect on October 1, 2019.
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