DECEPTIVE MARKETING LAWSUIT AGAINST “ALL NATURAL” CLAIMS
“some of the ingredients are man-made synthetic chemical preservatives, the suit said.”
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Baron and Budd Lawsuit Accuses Alexia Foods of Mislabeling Natural Products
(BUSINESS WIRE) — Baron and Budd has filed a class action lawsuit claiming that Alexia Foods misrepresents its products as “All Natural” when they actually contain synthetic chemicals.
…The claim states that Alexia Foods, a ConAgra brand, intentionally misleads customers by making false statements about its food that violate state and federal laws. Alexia places the “All Natural” label prominently on their products despite the fact that they contain disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, an industrial chemical additive, the suit states. Cases like this are a focal point of Baron and Budd’s mission to protect consumers from deceptive advertising.
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Last year, the Baron and Budd firm helped negotiate a $410 million settlement with Bank of America for consumers that forced BoA and many other financial institutions to change overdraft fee policies. The firm is also involved in uncovering online scams and other financial issues.
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ChemicalFreeLife.tumblr.com says: We are thrilled with this lawsuit and the possibility that Big Food may finally be held accountable for intentionally misleading consumers with their “all natural” claims. Since the FDA and the FTC choose to turn a blind eye to these practices, perhaps a little litigiousness will inspire food manufacturers to stop their deceptive practices.
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Remember: If you want to avoid synthetic food chemicals skip products that have the “all natural” claims. Look for the green and white “USDA Certified Organic” label which will be prominently displayed on the product label.
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Report: Industry decides US food ingredient safety
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of ingredients that go into food have been classified as safe by private industry alone, without any U.S. government oversight, according to a new report published Wednesday.
Since the early 1960’s, private companies and industry trade associations have determined at least 3,000 ingredients are safe, with no federal scrutiny, the study found. The ingredients include everything from artificially synthesized chemicals used in chewing gum to grape seed extract used in cheese and instant coffee.
The peer-reviewed report published in the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety journal draws on research funded by the Pew Health Group, the health and consumer safety arm of the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts.
“We don’t know the names of a lot of these chemicals because the companies have never told FDA or the public about them,” said Erik Olson, Pew Health Group’s director of food and consumer safety programs and one of the study’s authors. “Often there is not publicly available data on the potential health impacts because FDA has never evaluated them.”
The Grocery Manufacturers Association says the industry only classifies ingredients as safe after a battery of rigorous biological tests but agrees that more transparency would help build consumer confidence.
“The system is less transparent than it should be so we’re looking to open that dialogue,” said Leon Bruner, the association’s chief science officer, who agreed the study’s estimates were reasonable. “We are completely comfortable with increasing the transparency or the visibility of ingredients that go through the process.”
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act makes food manufacturers responsible for ensuring food ingredients are safe. Companies can classify an ingredient as “generally recognized as safe” for use in a specific product but aren’t required to tell the Food and Drug Administration about what they find.
Some do, through a voluntary notification program that gives the FDA a chance to review the findings.
Officials have said that if a company markets a food or beverage the agency believes is unsafe, the government can always issue warning letters or seize the product.
FDA Deputy Commissioner Michael Taylor said Wednesday the study raised important issues.
“Transparency in decision-making is a high priority for FDA, and FDA considers it timely to explore whether the statutory and regulatory framework for food additives adequately addresses today’s need for transparency,” Taylor said.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Many Additives Go Into Foods Without Federal Scrutiny, Report Finds
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Report: Industry Decides Food Ingredient Safety
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Food industry often self-polices chemicals.
(via drpampam)
Robert Strype, 29, a protester from the Poughkeepsie, N.Y., area who was wearing a T-shirt that expressed his displeasure with Monsanto, said that anger about practices like factory farming and the genetic modification of vegetables was one of the factors that had roused him and some of his fellow occupiers. “Food plays a huge part in this movement,” he said. “Because people are tired of being fed poison.
(via drpampam)
Source: notforpublicconsumption
Food companies petitioned to ban new Monsanto GMO corn
A coalition of health, food safety and environmental organizations have collected more than 264,000 signatures from consumers who do not want the corn. General Mills and Trader Joe’s have already indicated that they will not be using the Monsanto biotech sweet corn in their products.
Source: mothernaturenetwork
Who Owns Organic | Cornucopia Institute
The latest update of major corporate ownership and involvement in the organic food sector is now out. The chart graphically focuses on the organic brands with ties to the top 25 food processors in North America.
Source: thegreenrose
