December 20, 2020
7th Circuit Rules on “100% Grated Parmesan Cheese” Claim
A panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against plaintiffs alleging that a label with the claim “100% Grated Parmesan Cheese” was misleading.
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October 18, 2020
Mexican Cheese Crackdown
The Mexican government has declared a war on . . . dairy. Or more accurately dairy products with potentially problematic labels.
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September 15, 2020
Generic Gruyere
Last month, the TTAB ruled in favor of the U.S. Dairy Export Council in finding “gruyere” a generic type of cheese. U.S. Dairy Export Council v. Interprofession du Gruyère, No. 91232442 (T.T.A.B. Aug. 5, 2020). The experts at IP Watchdog have posted a hot take analysis here.
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May 18, 2020
$220 Mil Dairy Class Action Settlement
Food Engineering Magazine offers some quality legal reporting on the recent $220 million dollar class action settlement stemming from “Herd Retirement Program operated under Cooperatives Working Together . . . [that] offered dairy farmers financial incentives to market their milking herds for beef.”
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March 3, 2020
Make Stilton Great Again
Did you know cheese made in and around the city of Stilton cannot be called stilton?
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December 23, 2018
Oregon Proposes Strict Dairy Regulations
The Statesmen Journal reports that local lawmakers have proposed a number of vast new regulatory restrictions on large dairies in response to the regulatory disaster at Lost Valley Farm” that resulted in “more than 200 environmental violations.”
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November 30, 2018
Does “Taste” Qualify for Copyright Protection?
Apparently not, at least according to a recent EU decision in Levola Hengelo BV v Smilde Foods BV, Case C-310/17. In this spat between two rival cheesemakers, the Court of Justice of the European Union held that the taste of a food product is not eligible for copyright protection because it cannot be classified as a ‘work’ within the meaning of the relevant Copyright Directive.
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September 29, 2018
FDA to Review Plant-Based Food Labels
This blog has long covered global (and decidedly local) efforts to address the use of animal- and dairy-based terms like “milk” and “cheese” to describe plant-based foods like “Almond Milk” and “Soy Cheese.” Recent reports suggest that the FDA is now taking a fresh look at the issue, seeking industry input and comments. Obviously it is still early in the process, but the invigorated effort is one worth watching.
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September 15, 2018
Canada, NAFTA, and the Dairy Question
An insightful video report from Al Jazeera highlights the critical role the dairy industry plays in the ongoing US-Canada trade negotiations. It’s worth a watch as the powers that be negotiate an acceptable middle ground.
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August 24, 2018
First Straws, Now Soda
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