A federal court refused to block Oklahoma’s new law requiring disclaimers on plant-based meat products, prompting an appeal to the Tenth Circuit and continuing the fight between the meat industry and plant-based food companies. READ MORE

Last month, the District of New Mexico dismissed two proposed class action lawsuits accusing four food industry giants of falsely labeling beef products as “Product(s) of the USA.” Food industry companies must be vigilant in monitoring food labeling regulations to avoid litigation and regulatory scrutiny. READ MORE

The rising tide of state laws restricting meat substitute companies from labeling their products as “meat” has ignited responses from several businesses in the industry. Meat substitute producers are fighting the labeling laws in court, often challenging the constitutionality of “meat” labeling bans. READ MORE

On November 16, 2018, the USDA and FDA announced their intention to “jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry.” In this framework, the FDA would oversee cell collection, cell banks, cell growth and cell differentiation. The USDA would then oversee the production and labeling of the food products. READ MORE

The guidance also provides specific examples of documentation necessary to substantiate certain claims related to (1) animal age, (2) animal welfare and environmental stewardship, (3) breed, (4) diet, (5) living/raising conditions, (6) raised without antibiotics, (7) raised without hormones, (8) source/traceability, and (9) third-party certification. READ MORE