Regulatory

Stay informed on the latest beverage industry regulatory updates involving the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or United States Department of Agriculture(USDA), as well as news regarding lawsuits, labeling and class-actions. Understand the evolving beverage regulatory and legal environment which can directly impact your product claims, intellectual property, packaging and ingredients.

Featured Regulatory Content

Additional Content

PepsiCo Agrees to Change Naked Label in Settlement

As a result of a settlement with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer watchdog group, PepsiCo agreed last week to make several changes in the labeling and marketing of its Naked juices and smoothies. In October CSPI alleged that the labelling of Naked products misled consumers about their nutritional value and ingredients.

In the Courtroom: Class Action Against Odwalla Can Move Ahead

In the courtroom this month: A class action against Odwalla can move ahead after a judge declined a request to toss the case, Pennsylvania's state Supreme Court declines to hear the "soda tax" case, and POM Wonderful accuses Wonder Fuel of "forum shopping" in trademark infringement allegations.

Ripple Takes Aim at Legislation, Nut Milks in New Campaign

Not willing to sit idly as U.S. legislators seek to create and enforce tight, dairy-based definitions for the word “milk,” Ripple Foods launched a new digital media campaign this week that offers its take on the drink’s standard of identity.

KombuchaKon 2017 Recap

Category growth, testing methodology and distribution strategies were just a few of the topics bubbling inside the Long Beach Convention Center over the weekend at the fourth annual KombuchaKon.

POM Sues Bai Over “Super Tea” Trademark

A cursory search of U.S. trademark registration records indicates that both companies may indeed have reasonable arguments to present with regard to their ownership of the term.

Healthy Growth: Craft Soda Continues to Evolve

Craft soda brands showed that they’re still innovating and reinventing themselves at the 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Even as the category faces challenges from institutions seeking to limit consumer intake of sugar and calories, smaller entrepreneurs are stepping up to the challenge to bring new, better-for-you beverages to store shelves.

In the Courtroom: Hint and Zico Face Class Actions

A pair of class action lawsuits filed in California last week accuse two well-known beverage companies of making false and misleading claims on their packaging and in marketing materials.

Press Clips: Blue Diamond To Pay $9 Million in Settlement

Blue Diamond reported to be settling class action lawsuit for about $9 million, Justin Timberlake is set to star in Bai's upcoming Super Bowl commercial, and the FDA cracks down on alleged camel milk "miracle cure."

In the Courtroom: Health Watchdog Groups Sue Coke, Wonder Fuel Seeks Relief

In a move that some experts have described as similar in strategy to the legal actions taken against the tobacco industry in the 1990s, a new lawsuit accuses Coke and CSD-friendly trade group American Beverage Association (ABA) of engaging in a 40-year “elaborate campaign of disinformation” to minimize the health risks associated with soft drink consumption.

Identity Crisis Brews For Alt-Milks As Congress Pushes FDA Scrutiny

As the last year ended, a group of 32 U.S. congressmen threw those drinks a holiday-season curveball in the form of a letter that argued so-called “alt-milks” aren’t “milk” at all, and pressured the FDA to take action to reserve that descriptor for dairy products only.

FDA Issues Draft Guidance on New Nutrition Facts Label

The draft guidance, a series of recommendations addressing issues ranging from manufacturer compliance and the declaration of added sugars to appropriate spacing between lines on the label itself, is an in-progress version of guidelines that will represent the current thinking of the FDA when finalized.