Posted October 8, 2013
A proposed class action lawsuit against Safeway has
been filed alleging that the company misled consumers by describing its Open
Nature Multi-Grain and Homestyle waffles as “100% natural” because they
contained a chemical additive, sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP), according to
an article by Food Navigator-USA, available here.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of California, plaintiff Ryan Richards alleges that he bought
the waffles because they were promoted as “100% natural,” paying a premium, and
felt misled when he learned they contained SAPP. The complaint is available here.
While the complaint describes SAPP as a “synthetic
chemical preservative,” in baked goods like waffles, SAPP typically serves as a
leavening agent.
Safeway has faced several class action lawsuits over
its natural foods labeling in recent years, according to an article by San
Francisco Business Times, available here. Similar
lawsuits have been filed over mislabeling issues in the Bay Area, as the FDA
has not yet issued a legal definition for use of the term “natural” on food
labels.
Last week, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ),
introduced the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2013, which addresses
labeling issues, health claims, and would require a definition of “100 percent
natural” ingredients. A recent post from
this blog on the Food Labeling Modernization Act of 2013 is available here. The full text of the bill is available here.
For more information on food labeling, please visit the
National Agricultural Law Center’s website, here.
