In an order issued on July 20, Judge Raag Singhal of the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed a class action lawsuit that claimed Burger King Corporation’s advertising deceived customers by making a “presumption” that its plant-based “Impossible Whopper” patties would be cooked on different grills than those used to cook meats. Williams v. Burger King Corp., Case No. 1:19-cv-24755 (S.D. Fla. July 20, 2020).

As the public health emergency caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) continuously evolves, the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are actively releasing new, and updating existing, policy statements and temporary guidance providing flexibility on certain regulatory requirements during the pendency of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As readers are undoubtedly aware, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a Food Safety Alert (Alert) on November 20 due to a multistate outbreak of E. coli-related infections linked to romaine lettuce. The CDC alert associated the product with 32 illnesses and 13 hospitalizations.

On October 29, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced that FDA is considering whether sesame should be disclosed on food labels as an allergen. Because sesame is not identified as a “major food allergen” under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA), the ingredient is not always required to be stated on the food label.

On November 6, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that its final guidance on Questions and Answers Regarding Mandatory Food Recalls: Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff (Mandatory Recall Guidance) is now available.

Sonic Drive-In reached a $4.3 million settlement on October 10 with its customers over the chain’s data security breach in 2017 that exposed customer credit and debit card information at 325 Sonic Drive-In locations.

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a draft guidance document on September 6 stating it will allow use of the colony forming units (CFUs) unit of measure in the Supplement Facts panel. The draft guidance applies to what are colloquially known as “probiotics,” or dietary supplement products that contain a live microbial dietary ingredient.

Three years after FDA’s final rule on menu labeling was published, the compliance date for the rule finally went into effect on May 7. The federal menu labeling rule requires that calorie information—which is already included on most packaged foods—must be posted on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants.

An appellate court recently upheld the convictions of former employees of the now defunct Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), affirming what is the longest criminal sentence in a food safety case.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened a public comment period on November 12, 2015, seeking information and comments on use of the term “natural” on food labeling. The comment period was open until May 10, 2016. FDA received over 7,600 comments but has not yet issued any “natural” definition.