The global pandemic has affected not only how individuals work but also the way
companies supply food, how consumers shop, and how regulators try to alleviate
food shortages during the pandemic. Here are some of the biggest developments
thus far.
MASSIVE DISRUPTIONS IN THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
During the pandemic, demand for food products in
On October 27, 2020, the New York State Department of Health issued proposed regulations regarding cannabinoid hemp products. These proposed regulations (available here) are open for public commentary until January 11, 2021. They would change how products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), are manufactured and sold in New York State. While the industry
The Food & Drug Law Institute (FDLI) continued its annual conference on October 7, 2020. The conference set out to explore advanced topics in Food & Drug Law. In this blog series, Perkins Coie reports on the three-day conference and meaningful takeaways for food litigation.
Continue Reading View from the FDLI Annual Conference – Day Two
The Food & Drug Law Institute (FDLI) started its annual conference on October 6, 2020. The conference set out to explore advanced topics in Food & Drug Law. In this blog series, Perkins Coie reports on the three-day conference and meaningful takeaways for food litigation.
Continue Reading View from the FDLI Annual Conference – Day One
On July 22, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submitted draft enforcement guidance for cannabidiol (CBD) industry for review by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The draft guidance is not yet available. No date or proposed deadline for producing a final policy, but this submission indicates that the FDA is making some progress towards long-awaited guidelines for the industry.
Continue Reading Industry Insights: FDA Submits CBD Enforcement Policy to OMB
Consumers’ response to COVID-19 has led to increased demand for personal protective equipment and other much-needed supplies to aid consumers and healthcare professionals in the fight against the disease. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is one such product, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available.
On March 3, 2020, CLE International held the second day of Food Law: Navigating the Intersection Between Regulation of Litigation. Now in its fifth year, the conference convenes individuals from the plaintiffs’ bar, academia, industry, and large law firms.
Perkins Coie’s David T. Biderman presented alongside attorneys from the plaintiff and defense bar on the panel “The Reasonable Consumer: An Interactive Debate.” Panelists discussed recent trends in reasonable consumer decisions from the Second and Ninth Circuits and how these developments may affect the reasonable consumer doctrine moving forward.
Continue Reading Industry Insights: Day Two of the 5th Annual Food Law CLE Conference
On March 2, 2020, CLE International held the first day of Food Law: Navigating the Intersection Between Regulation of Litigation. Now in its fifth year, the conference convenes individuals from the plaintiffs’ bar, academia, industry, and large law firms.
Today’s presentations included discussions of litigation case studies and regulatory issues facing food companies in today’s marketplace. For example, in-house counsel detailed their perspectives on the FDA’s standards of identity, the agency’s definition of “healthy,” and other regulatory developments in the context of advances of food and nutritional science. Specifically, general counsel for several food companies discussed issues with compliance with regulations finalized decades ago and ongoing efforts to update regulations using citizen petitions and other means to adapt to changes in food technology. Other panels focused on advocacy strategies of non-governmental organizations through both regulation and litigation. Panelists from the Animal Legal Defense Fund and other public interest organizations discussed allegations of “humane-washing,” and an increase in lawsuits targeting animal welfare claims on consumer packaged goods (CPG) labeling.
Continue Reading Industry Insights: Day One of the 5th Annual Food Law CLE Conference
Perkins Coie is pleased to present its fourth annual Food Litigation Year in Review 2019, offering a summary of the past year’s key litigation outcomes, 
regulatory developments, and filing data. Using metrics from our proprietary database, developed by our food litigation team in order to track and understand trends in this area, 2019’s Year in Review again reports an increase in class action litigation, with a record-breaking 173 new lawsuits filed. The upward filing trends in the class action landscape are mirrored in other industries and in the prosecution of related claims: putative class actions against the pet food and dietary supplement industries were on the rise in 2019, as were Proposition 65 warning notices.
Continue Reading Food Litigation Year in Review 2019
As we reported in July 2019, many states have enacted laws related to the labeling of meat alternative products and limiting their use of meat-like descriptors like burgers or hot dogs. One such law recently took effect in Mississippi.
Mississippi’s law, S.B. 2922, provided that a plant-based, insect-based, or cell-cultured food product “shall not be labeled as meat or a meat food product” and even imposed potential criminal sanctions for doing so. Just a few weeks after it went into effect, the state has promulgated draft regulations that appear to create a substantial carve-out for plant-based foods. The draft regulations are notable for what is included and omitted from this significant carve out.
Continue Reading Industry Insight: Mississippi Reverses Course on Plant-Based Meat Alternative Labeling