Legal

Motif FoodWorks announced today it has filed four petitions with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to challenge aspects of Impossible Foods’ claim to heme-protein ingredients used in plant-based meat.

Albertsons is working to overturn a temporary restraining order (TRO) “as quickly as possible,” in order to unshackle its ability to divvy up $4 million in special cash dividend payments to shareholders, previously set to be paid on Monday, November 7.

Five years since Don Lee Farms first sued Beyond Meat, four months since it alleged “something is really wrong” at the alt-meat brand, and three days into the trial proceedings, the plant-based meat brand and its former co-manufacturer have reached a settlement.

In this roundup: KIND is cleared in ‘All-Natural” class action suit, Kashi sued for misleading consumers with pear-filled, strawberry-flavored bars, Kellogg’s served for not putting enough whole grains in crackers and Sabra sued to remove its Kosher mark.

In this courtroom roundup: Kellogg’s fight against misleading veggie claims returns, Beyond Meat and Dunkin’ sued by Philadelphia plant-based meat company over trademark infringement, Motif challenges Impossible’s heme-tech patent and more.

AtlantaFresh Artisan Creamery’s case against Whole Foods Market is moving forward after U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash denied Whole Foods’ motion to throw out a $15 million breach of contract lawsuit. The case alleges the natural grocery chain prematurely and ‘abruptly’ broke a seven-year distribution contract with grass-fed dairy producer AtlantaFresh Artisan Creamery and caused the business to go under.

PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, which makes Cheetos, accused World Peas Brand’s Peatos of trademark infringement. PepsiCo alleges that Peatos’ name and paw-print logo are “confusingly similar” to Cheetos and that Peato’s slogan, “tigers live longer than cheetahs,” unfairly denigrates the Cheetos brand.

The lawsuit claims the brand misleads consumers with its front-of-pack design, and now the suit is driving many industry leaders to question what are the most effective ways to deploy clean label marketing strategies.

Front-of-pack “clean labels” have become one of the most important ways for brands to demonstrate their whole food characteristics. But it’s also becoming a source of legal tension.

The legal saga between Snyder’s-Lance, the maker of Pretzel Crisps, and PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay, maker of Rold Gold’s Pretzel Thins, seems to be only beginning.– and the ongoing court proceedings are already serving as a cautionary tale to emerging food and beverage brands.