Dive Brief:
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At the Food and Drug Law Institute conference Monday, a panel on labeling of plant based substitutes discussed a multitude of issues in the space, including Unilever’s lawsuit against Hampton Creek regarding its Just Mayo label that came and went. David Benzaquen, the founder and CEO of PlantBased Solutions, and Steve Armstrong, chief food law counsel at the Campbell Soup Company, offered different thoughts on the subject.
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Benzaquen noted Unilever "was not prepared" for the PR frenzy that came about regarding the lawsuit, and believes larger companies might be more prepared for a similar lawsuit, if such a suit was brought up again.
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Armstrong, who spent five years working at Unilever, said, "I understood why they went about it," and felt the company did "a good thing" by calling out the labeling.
Dive Insight:
Kristie Laurvick, senior scientific liaison of U.S. Pharmacopeia, believes class-action lawsuits are growing more rapidly than companies suing manufacturers over misleading advertising. Laurvick confirmed this with Armstrong, who remarked how "sophisticated" these lawsuits are getting, with certain actions becoming more science-based.
Different facets of the industry will have varying takes on these issues, but as more complicated ingredient lawsuits continue, more specific precedent will very likely come into play.
Hampton Creek may not be clear of legal issues just yet, considering a class action lawsuit filed last month.