Although Interstate NOFA’s policy agenda stretches from soil health and food system justice to GMOs and the implementation of food safety regulations with numerous issues in between, here in the dawn’s early light of a new decade the Policy Committee is dealing more than ever with multiple challenges to organic integrity.
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On Thursday, January 21st, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California will hear arguments in Center for Food Safety’s (CFS) ongoing lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) “soil-less” loophole that permits the labeling of hydroponically-grown foods as USDA Certified Organic, even though the Organic statute and regulations clearly mandate all organic crop producers foster soil fertility in order to obtain organic certification.
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Champion Petfoods USA Inc. has resolved two consumer protection lawsuits filed in 2020 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, both claiming the company provided misleading marketing and labeling claims for certain ingredients used in select pet food products.
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Several honprofit groups have filed a petition with the Federal Trade Commission against Cargill, one of the nation's largest turkey producers. The complaint alleges Cargill makes misleading labeling claims by suggesting "independent family farms" play a role in the production process.
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A consortium of advocacy groups has filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging that food production giant Cargill's turkeys, sold under the Shady Brook Farms and Honeysuckle White brands, are not raised by "independent family farmers," even though their labels say so, which misleads consumers.
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One look at the Happy Egg Co. website, and any reasonable consumer would think, wow, this company really cares about the welfare of the hens that produce the “happy eggs” it sells to consumers.
On one page, the company says:
“Freedom is key to being a happy, healthy hen. So we happily uphold the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare, globally recognized as the key elements of animal welfare humans can control.”
On another Happy Egg webpage, consumers read that “Everybody’s Happy”:
“We all make choices in life. At the Happy Egg Co, we choose to make ours maximize health and happiness. We know happy farmers make for happy hens. Happy hens lay happy, healthy eggs. And Happy Eggs make everybody happy. Not to mention healthy.”
That’s a lot of happiness. So imagine our surprise when we sued Happy Egg for false and deceptive marketing, only to learn from the company’s attorneys that Happy Egg doesn’t believe that its own animal welfare marketing claims—at least not the claims it makes on its egg cartons—should have to be verified or regulated.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 19, 2020 - Organic Consumers Association (OCA) sued D’Artagnan, the largest distributor of foie gras in the U.S., for deceptive marketing and advertising of foie gras, sold under the D’Artagnan brand.
The action was filed by Richman Law Group on behalf of OCA, in D.C. Superior Court under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act.
“Increasingly, consumers are aligning their food purchases with their personal values,” said Ronnie Cummins, OCA’s international director. “That’s especially true when it comes to the humane treatment of animals.
“Surveys consistently show that consumers place a high value on animal welfare and are willing to pay more for brands that adhere to high animal welfare standards,” Cummins said. “Consumers must be protected from false and misleading advertising and marketing claims, and corporations like D’Artagnan must be held accountable for the claims they make.”
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A recent lawsuit brought by the Organic Consumers Association on behalf of the people of Washington, D.C., accuses fish distributors Mowi Ducktrap and Mowi USA of deceptive marketing of smoked salmon sold under the brand Ducktrap River of Maine. Fish marketed as sustainable salmon from Maine was allegedly raised on fish farms outside the U.S., using antibiotics including oxytetracycline (which is also used to fight infections in humans) and a formaldehyde-based disinfectant and bleach, according to internal audit reports cited in the complaint.
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Organic Consumers Association (OCA) filed suit against Champion Petfoods USA and Champion Petfoods LP for deceptive marketing and advertising of pet foods marketed under the Orijen and Acana brand names.
The action was filed by Richman Law Group on behalf of OCA, in D.C. Superior Court under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act.
“Animal welfare concerns rank high with consumers and contribute significantly to their decisions when it comes to buying meat and poultry products,” said OCA International Director, Ronnie Cummins. “Whether that animal is destined for human consumption, or for pet food, the decision-making process is the same.
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Should the labeling and marketing claims about your smoked Atlantic salmon product match up with your reasonable expectations for what those claims mean?
We think so.
That’s why we’ve sued Mowi, the world’s largest producer of Atlantic salmon products, for making misleading labeling and marketing claims about some of the company’s smoked Atlantic salmon products, sold under Ducktrap River of Maine brand name.
TAKE ACTION: Tell Ducktrap: Stop Falsely Claiming Your Smoked Atlantic Salmon Is 'All Natural'
With so many products and brands to choose from, many consumers rely on product labels, company and brand websites and social media pages for reliable information about ingredients and production and sourcing practices.
Our “Myth of Natural” campaign strives to hold companies and brands accountable for the claims they make about their products.
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