Case Law Index
Food Labeling
January 1, 1995 - March 1, 2011
This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving Food Labeling that were decided on or after January 1, 1995. For those cases that have been summarized by the National Agricultural Law Center, a link is provided to the summary. The index will be regularly updated to reflect new judicial developments. The cases are listed in reverse chronological order.
The "Text" link goes to the freely available Google Scholar text of the opinion; the "Summary" link goes to a summary of the opinion written by the National Agricultural Law Center staff.
SUPREME COURT
Hillside Dairy Inc. v. Lyons, 539 U.S. 59, (2003) (state labeling of fluid milk)
Rubin v. Coors Brewing Co., 514 U.S. 476 (1995) (First Amendment challenge to FAAA banning disclosure of the alcohol content of beer)
FIRST CIRCUIT
Aliki Foods, LLC v. Otter Valley Foods, Inc., 726 F.Supp.2d 159 (D. Conn. 2010) (listeria contamination due to mislabeling for USDA testing purposes)
Vermont Pure Holdings, Ltd. v. Nestle Waters N. Am., Inc., 2006 WL 839486 (D. Mass. 2006) (mislabeling of bottled water)
Harvey v. Veneman, 396 F.3d 28 (1st Cir. 2005) (adjusting the organic standards)
United States v. Cintron-Fernandez, 356 F.3d 340 (1st Cir. 2004) (adulteration and misbranding of frozen food products)
United Egg Producers v. Dep't of Agric. of P.R., 77 F.3d 567 (1st Cir. 1996) (requirement that imported eggs must be marked with the state of origin is discriminatory)
United States v. Randazzo, 80 F.3d 623 (1st Cir. 1996) (adulteration and mislabeling of shrimp)
SECOND CIRCUIT
Pelman v. McDonald's Corp., No. 02 Civ. 07821(DCP), 2010 WL 4261390 (S.D. N.Y. Oct. 27, 2010) (deceptive marketing claim)
Ackerman v. Coca-Cola Co., No. CV-09-0395, 2010 WL 2925955 (E.D. N.Y. July 21, 2010) (class action regarding vitamin water)
Waldman v. New Chapter, Inc., --- F.Supp.2d ----, 2010 WL 2076024 (E.D. N.Y. 2010) (misleading packaging claim)
Verzani v. Costco Wholesale Corp., 641 F.Supp.2d 291 (S.D.N.Y. 2009) (claim that shrimp tray's label was misleading)
N.Y. State Rest. Ass'n v. N.Y. City Bd of Health, 556 F.3d 114 (2d Cir. 2009) (challenging city requirement to post calorie content on menus)
In re Pepsico, Inc., 588 F.Supp.2d 527 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (claim bottle water label is misleading)
N.Y. State Rest. Ass'n v. N.Y. City Bd. of Health, 545 F.Supp.2d 363 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (requirement that chain restaurants that sell standardized meals to post caloric content information)
N.Y. State Rest. Ass'n v. N.Y. City Bd. of Health, 2008 WL 1752455 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (challenging the constitutionality of the statute requiring the posting of health information)
N.Y. State Rest. Ass'n v. N.Y. City Bd. of Health, 509 F.Supp.2d 351 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (motion for summary judgment on the statute requiring the posting of health information)
Kennedy v. Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc., 2007 WL 2300746 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) (alleged mislabeling of petfood)
Prince of Peace Enter., Inc. v. Top Quality Food Mkt., LLC, 2007 WL 704171 (S.D.N.Y. 2007) (confiscation of alleged counterfeit dietary supplements)
Pelman ex rel. Pelman v. McDonald's Corp., 396 F.Supp.2d 439 (S.D.N.Y. 2005) (claim of advertisements about fast food causing obesity)
Pelman ex rel. Pelman v. McDonald's Corp., 396 F.3d 508 (2d Cir. 2005) (duty to warn about obesity cause by fast food)
Pillsbury Co. v. Upper Crust Prod. Co., Inc., 2004 WL 63980 (W.D.N.Y. 2004) (inaccurately labeled food products)
Baur v. Veneman, 352 F.3d 625 (2nd Cir 2003) (labeling downed livestock as adulterated)
Kraft Foods N. Am., Inc. v. Rockland County Dep't of Weights & Measures, 2003 WL 554796 (S.D.N.Y. 2003) (alleging the misrepresentation of package weights)
Pelman v. McDonald's Corp., 237 F.Supp.2d 512 (S.D.N.Y. 2003) (duty to warn about obesity cause by fast food)
Commack Self-Service Kosher Meats v. Rubin, 106 F. Supp. 2d 445 (E.D. N.Y. 2000), aff'd, 294 F.3d 415 (2d Cir. N.Y. 2002) (challenge to state laws on kosher foods labeling)
Int'l Dairy Foods Ass'n v. Amestoy, 92 F.3d 67 (2nd Cir. 1996) (constitutionality of statute requiring labeling of milk products produced using BST)
United States v. Eight Unlabeled Cases, More or Less, of an Article of Food, 909 F.Supp. 129 (E.D. N.Y., 1995) (mislabeling and misbranding of imported mushrooms and fish)
THIRD CIRCUIT
Pernod Ricard USA LLC v. Bacardi U.S.A., 702 F.Supp.2d 238 (D. Del. April 6, 2010) (misleading statements regarding geographic origin of rum)
Mason v. Coca-Cola Co., CIV.A. 09-0220-NLH, 2010 WL 2674445 (D. N.J. June 30, 2010) (misleading label claim)
Coyle v. Hornell Brewing Co., CIV.08-02797 (JBS), 2010 WL 2539386 (D.N.J. June 15, 2010) ("100% Natural" claim and high fructose corn syrup)
Holk v. Snapple Beverage Corp., 575 F.3d 329 (3d Cir. 2009) (waiver of preemption claims; fraud claims by consumers in use of phrase "all natural")
Levy v. Keystone Food Prod., Nos. 07-5502, 08-1277, 08-1554, 2008 WL 4115856 (E.D. Pa. Aug. 28, 2008) (mislabeling of low-fat snack)
Holk v. Snapple Beverage Corp., 2008 WL 2446844 (D.N.J. 2008) (deceptive advertising action)
McNeil Nutritionals, LLC v. Heartland Sweeteners, LLC, 511 F.3d 350 (3d Cir. 2007) (similar packaging and labeling as a national brand)
Merisant Co. v. McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, 242 F.R.D. 303 (E.D. Pa. 2007) (alleged mislabeling of artificial sweetener)
Drayton v. Pilgrim's Pride Corp., 2004 WL 765123 (E.D. Pa. 2004) (tainted food and labeling)
FOURTH CIRCUIT
In re Tyson Foods, Inc., No. RDB-08-1982, 2010 WL 1924012 (D. Md. May 11, 2010) (misleading advertising)
Physicians Comm. for Responsible Medicine v. Gen. Mills, Inc., 2008 WL 2463880 (4th Cir. 2008) (an appeal alleging false advertising and labeling about dairy products being used to lose weight)
Sanderson Farms, Inc. v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 547 F.Supp.2d 491 (D. Md. 2008) (claim of false advertising on label about being "raised without antibiotics")
Sanderson Farms, Inc. v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 2008 WL 1733607 (D. Md. 2008) (motion to dismiss because USDA approved a label with an allegedly false claim)
Physicians Comm. for Responsible Medicine v. Gen. Mills, Inc., 2006 WL 3487651 (E.D. Va. 2006) (suit alleging false advertising and labeling about dairy products being used to lose weight)
Made in the USA Found. v. Phillips Foods, Inc., 365 F.3d 278 (4th Cir. 2004) (citizen suit for false advertising of seafood as being produced in the USA)
FIFTH CIRCUIT
Piazza's Seafood World, LLC v. Odom, 448 F.3d 744 (5th Cir. 2006) (state statute labeling only U.S. raised catfish as catfish)
Piazza's Seafood World, LLC v. Odom, 2004 WL 2998575 (E.D. La. 2004) (labeling of Chinese fish)
SIXTH CIRCUIT
Int'l Dairy Foods Ass'n v. Boggs, 622 F.3d 628 (6th Cir. 2010) (state regulation of dairy labeling)
Int'l Dairy Foods Ass'n v. Boggs, Nos. 2:08-CV-628, 2:08-CV-629, 2009 WL 937045 (S.D. Ohio Apr. 2, 2009) (First Amendment challenge to state dairy labeling requirements; rbGH Free claims misleading)
St. Clair v. Kroger Co., 581 F.Supp.2d 896 (N.D. Ohio 2008) (mislabeling of "aged" beef)
SEVENTH CIRCUIT
Turek v. General Mills, Inc., No. 09 C 7038, 2010 WL 3527553 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 1, 2010) (federal labeling law preempts state claims for mislabeling of food)
Turek v. General Mills, No. 09 C 7038, 2010 WL 3527553 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 1, 2010) (inclusion of non-natural and non-digestible fiber in labeling and advertising of snacks)
Nieto v. Perdue Farms, Inc., No. 08-07399, 2010 WL 1031691 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 17, 2010) (adding giblets to whole chickens to increase weight)
Gershengorin v. Vienna Beef, Ltd., 2007 WL 2840476 (N.D. Ill. 2007) (advertising as all beef hotdogs when some pork was included)
Reyes v. McDonald's Corp., 2006 WL 3253579 (N.D. Ill. 2006) (alleged false advertising and publishing of nutritional value)
Rogers v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 308 F.3d 785 (7th Cir. 2002) (claim of artificially altering weight of meat by injecting water)
In re StarLink Corn Prods. Liab. Litig., 212 F.Supp.2d 828 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (failure to label GM corn as being unfit for food use)
In re StarLink Corn Prods. Liab. Litig., 211 F.Supp.2d 1060 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (unapproved GM corn in the food supply)
Tylka v. Gerber Prods. Co., No. 96 C 1647, 1999 WL 495126 (N.D. Ill. July 1, 1999) (fraudulent advertising of baby food products)
Stauber v. Shalala, 895 F. Supp. 1178 (W.D. Wis. 1995) (challenge to the FDA's approval of application for BGH)
EIGHTH CIRCUIT
In re Aurora Dairy Corp. Organic Milk Mktg. & Sales Practices Litig., Nos. 4:08MD01907 ERW et al., 2009 WL 1576928 (E.D. Mo. June 3, 2009) (dismissal of claims that milk labeled as organic did not meet organic standards)
United States v. Jorgensen, 144 F.3d 550 (8th Cir.1998) (misbranding of meat; violations of the Meat Inspection Act)
Truth in Labeling Campaign v. Shalala, 999 F.Supp. 1289 (E.D. Mo. 1998) (dispute about labeling requirements for monosodium glutamate "MSG")
NINTH CIRCUIT
Carrea v. Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Inc. No C. 10-01044 JSW, 2011 WL 159380 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 10, 2011) (nutrient content claims)
Hildreth v. Unilever U.S., No. CV 10-07936 MMM, 2010 WL 5174385 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 15, 2010) (liability for mislabeling regarding fat reduction content)
Red. v. Kraft Foods., Inc., No. CV 10-1028-GW, 2010 WL 50000717 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 18, 2010) (state law claims for misleading advertisements not preempted by federal law)
Peviani v. Hostess Brands, No. CV 10-2303 CBM (VBKx), 2010 WL 4553510 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 3, 2010) (false advertising claims regarding 100-calorie dessert packs)
Chacanaca v. Quaker Oats Co., No. C 10-0502 RS, 2010 WL 4055954 (N.D. Cal. Oct. 14, 2010) (deceptive marketing claim involving trans fats)
Red v. The Kroger Co., No. CV 10-01025 DMG (MANx), 2010 WL 4262037 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 2, 2010) (deceptive marketing claim involving trans fats in margarine)
Ries v. Hornell Brewing Co., No. 100-1139, 2010 WL 2943860 (N.D. Cal. July 23, 2010) (class action claiming misleading labeling against producer of product containing HFCS and citric acid)
Yumul v. Smart Balance, No. CV 10-00927 MMM (AJWx), 2010 WL 3359663 (C.D. Cal. May 24, 2010) (misleading claims regarding cholesterol by margarine manufacturer)
POM Wonderful v. Coca Cola Co., No. CV 08-06237, 2010 WL 2836269 (C.D. Cal. May 5, 2010) (advertising and unfair competition laws)
King Tuna, Inc. v. Anova Food, Inc., CV07-07451ODWAJWX, 2010 WL 2674470 (C.D. Cal. June 30, 2010) (false advertising claim)
Chavez v. Blue Sky Natural Beverage Co., --- F.R.D. ----, 2010 WL 2528525 (N.D. Cal. 2010) (FDCA does not preempt state law claims for false labeling)
Von Koenig v. Snapple Beverage Corp., --- F.Supp.2d ----, 2010 WL 1980208 (E.D. Cal. 2010) (deceptive labeling)
Meaunrit v. The Pinnacle Foods Group, LLC, No. C 09-04555 CW, 2010 WL 1838715 (N.D. Cal. May 05, 2010) (misrepresentation and adulteration of frozen dinners)
Premier Nutrition, Inc. v. Organic Food Bar, Inc., No. 08-55656, 2009 WL 1353756 (9th Cir. May 15, 2009) ("Organic Food Bar" is generic term and not protected by trademark law)
Lockwood v. Conagra Foods, Inc., No. C 08-04151 CRB, 2009 WL 250459 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 3, 2009) (state law claim that label is misleading)
Pom Wonderful LLC v. Purely Juice, Inc., 2008 WL 2019560 (9th Cir. 2008) (claim of false advertising on the label)
Williams ex rel. Tabiu v. Gerber Prods. Co., 523 F.3d 934 (9th Cir. 2008) (claim of false advertising on the label)
McKinniss v. Sunny Delight Beverages Co., 2007 WL 4766525 (C.D. Cal. 2007) (alleged deceptive labeling)
McKinnis v. Kellogg USA, 2007 WL 4766060, (C.D. Cal. 2007) (suit alleging false labeling because cereal did not contain real fruit)
McKinniss v. Gen. Mills, Inc., 2007 WL 4762172 (C.D. Cal. 2007) (suit alleging false labeling because cereal did not contain real fruit)
Kennedy v. Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc., 2007 WL 2300746 (S.D. Cal. 2007) (pet food from China labeled as "Made in the USA")
Earth Island Inst. v. Hogarth, 494 F.3d 757 (9th Cir. 2007) (challenge over dolphin-safe label standard)
Fraker v. KFC Corp., 2007 WL 1296571 (S.D. Cal. 2007) (labels warning of trans fats in restaurant food)
CreAgri, Inc. v. USANA Health Sciences, Inc., 474 F.3d 626 (9th Cir. 2008) (labeling requirements and defects)
Ranchers Cattleman Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of Am. v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., 143 F.App'x 751 (9th Cir. 2005) (meat packing industry not allowed to intervene)
Ranchers Cattleman Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of Am. v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., 415 F.3d 1078 (9th Cir. 2005) (injunction barring the importation of Canadian beef)
Creagri, Inc. v. USANA Health Sciences, 2005 WL 181886 (N.D. Cal. 2005) (dietary supplement's ingredients were mislabeled and the product name was misleading)
Jarrow Formulas, Inc. v. Nutrition Now, Inc., 304 F.3d 829 (9th Cir. 2002) (false advertising claim)
TENTH CIRCUIT
Gonzalez v. Pepsico, Inc., 489 F.Supp.2d 1233 (D. Kan. 2007) (benzene formed in food products)
Nutraceutical Corp. v. Von Eschenbach, 477 F.Supp.2d 1161 (D. Utah 2007) (challenging validity of FDA regulation banning ephedrine-alkaloid dietary supplements)
Nutraceutical Corp. v. Von Eschenbach, 459 F.3d 1033 (10th Cir. 2006) (challenging validity of regulation banning ephedrine-alkaloid dietary supplements)
ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
United States v. Sigma Int'l, Inc., 300 F.3d 1278 (11th Cir. 2002) (mislabeling of shrimp)
United States v. Sigma Int'l, Inc. 291 F.3d 765 (11th Cir. 2002) (mislabeling of shrimp)
D.C. CIRCUIT
Silvious v. Ungar's Food Products Inc., No. 10-0639 (JDB), 2010 WL 3324747 (D. D.C. Aug. 24, 2010) (individual seeks damages on behalf of public for mislabeling of potato cakes)
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, L.L.C. v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., 539 F.3d 492 (D.C. Cir. 2008) (denial of access to mad cow testing kit)
Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, L.L.C. v. U.S. Dep't of Agric., 517 F.Supp.2d 8 (D.D.C. 2007) (self-testing and labeling for raising BSE-free beef)
Hoyte v. Yum! Brands, Inc., 489 F.Supp.2d 24 (D.D.C. 2007) (labels warning of trans fats in restaurant food)
Mills v. Giant of Md., LLC, 441 F.Supp.2d 104 (D.D.C. 2006) (no duty for milk producers to label dairy products as containing lactose)
Ctr. for Science in the Public Interest v. Food & Drug Admin., 2004 WL 2011467 (D.D.C. 2004) (suit alleging that new FDA regulation will allow unsubstantiated health claims to be made about foods)
Whitaker v. Thompson, 239 F.Supp.2d 43 (D.D.C. 2003) (denial of a health claim on a label)
Pearson v. Shalala, 164 F.3d 650 (D.C. Cir. 1999) (disclaimers on health claims)
Alliance for Bio-Integrity v. Shalala, 116 F.Supp.2d 166 (D. D.C 2000) (challenged to FDA's decision to not require labeling for GM foods)
Goya de Puerto Rico Inc. v. Santiago, 59 F.Supp.2d 274 (D. P.R. 1999) (constitutionality of regulations for labeling of canned peas from Puerto Rico)
Public Citizen v. Shalala, 932 F. Supp. 13 (D. D.C. 1996) (FDA exemption of restaurant menus from the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act)
Arent v. Shalala, 70 F.3d 610 (C.A. D.C. 1995) (raw fish labeling regulations were permissible under the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act)
FEDERAL CIRCUIT
In re Northland Organic Foods Corp., No. 2009-1139, 2009 WL 1951353 (Fed. Cir. July 8, 2009) (denial of trademark for organic dairy because of likelihood of confusion)
North Am. Processing Co. v. United States, 56 F.Supp.2d 1174 (Ct. Int'l Trade 1999), aff'd, 236 F.3d 695 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (labeling of bovine fat trimmings containing chemical lean and fat)
COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Tropicana Prods., Inc. v. United States, 2008 WL 312171 (Ct. Int'l Trade 2008) (concentrated orange juice from foreign countries)
Tropicana Prods., Inc. v. United States, 484 F.Supp.2d 1330 (Ct. Int'l Trade 2007) (concentrated orange juice from foreign countries)
Tropicana Prods., Inc. v. United States, 2007 WL 2717874 (Ct. Int'l Trade 2007) (concentrated orange juice from foreign countries)
Bestfoods v. United States, 342 F.Supp.2d 1312 (Ct. Int'l Trade 2004) (claim that peanut paste was correctly labeled as peanut butter)
Bestfoods v. United States, 24 C.I.T. 552 (Ct. Int'l Trade 2000) rev'd, 260 F.3d 1320 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (labeling of peanut butter incorporating Canadian peanut slurry)
CALIFORNIA
Physicians Comm. For Responsible Medicine v. McDonald's, 114 Cal. Rptr.3d 414 (Cal. Ct. App. 2010) (safety and health warnings regarding fast food)
In re Farm Raised Salmon Cases, 175 P.3d 1170 (Cal. 2008) (claim that artificially colored, farm raised salmon should be labeled)
People ex rel. Lockyer v. Tri-Union Seafoods, LLC, 2006 WL 1544384 (Cal. Super. Ct. 2006) (disclosing the level of methylmercury in tuna)
Bronco Wine Co. v. Jolly, 129 Cal.App.4th 988, 29 Cal.Rptr.3d 462 (Cal. Ct. App. 2005) (state restricting the use of geographic labels on wine is appropriate)
Bronco Wine Co. v. Jolly, 95 P.3d 422 (Cal. 2004) (federal law did not preempt state requirements on wine labeling)
Ralph's Grocery Co. v. Cal. Dep't of Food & Agriculture, 110 Cal.App.4th 694, 1 Cal.Rptr.3d 869 (Cal. Ct. App. 2003) (fines for inaccurate labeling of product's weight)
Consumer Justice Center v. Olympian Labs, Inc., 121 Cal.Rptr.2d 749 (Cal. Ct. App. 2002) (no preemption of state suit against dietary supplement manufacturers)
COLORADO
Brown v. Peckman (In re Title), 3 P.3d 1210 (Colo. 2000) (labeling of GM foods)
CONNECTICUT
Leonard v. State Dep't of Consumer Protection, CV-94-540747, 1995 WL 584198 (Conn. Super. Ct. Sept. 29, 1995) (failure to declare a quantity of weight and count on packaged food products)
FLORIDA
Boca Burger, Inc. v. Forum, 912 So.2d 561 (Fla. 2005) (alleged mislabeling of food)
GEORGIA
Bland Farms, LLC v. Ga. Dep't of Agric., 637 S.E.2d 37 (Ga. 2006) (claim that Vidalia onion growers were permitted to label onions as sweet)
ILLINOIS
Cohen v. McDonald's Corp., 808 N.E.2d 1 (Ill. App. Ct. 2004) (alleged misrepresentation of nutritional information)
MICHIGAN
Alfresh Beverages Can. Corp. v. Garden Foods, Inc., 2006 WL 709327 (Mich. Ct. App. 2006) (suit against manufacturer of labels for not complying with FDA regulations)
NEW YORK
Berkman v. Robert's Am. Gourmet Food, Inc., 841 N.Y.S.2d 825 (Table) (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2007) (claim that snack foods had more fat and calories than as labeled)
Gentile v. Stay Slim, Inc., 819 N.Y.S.2d 848 (Table) (N.Y. Super. Ct. 2006) (mislabeling of food)
Klein v. Robert's Am. Gourmet Food, Inc., 28 A.D.3d 63, (N.Y. App. Div. 2006) (claim that snack foods had more fat and calories than as labeled)
Morelli v. Weider Nutrition Group, Inc., 275 A.D.2d 607 (N.Y. App. Div. 2000) (misrepresentation of nutritional contents)
WISCONSIN
Gallego v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 707 N.W.2d 539 (Wis. Ct. App. 2005) (challenge to mislabeling as to the origin of salmon)