MIYOKO'S KITCHEN v. KAREN ROSS, et al.
A federal judge has granted summary judgment to Miyoko’s Kitchen in the company’s challenge to a California state law restricting the use of terms and phrases such as “butter,” “cruelty-free,” and “lactose free” on plant-based products. The court relied heavily on a 2018 empirical study by Silke and Adam Feltz demonstrating that the vast majority of consumers were not misled by such labels. The court, however, granted summary judgment to the State regarding Miyoko’s use of “hormone free” on its vegan butter given that the product contains “naturally occurring plant hormones.”
[To accompany Federal Case Law Update "Miyoko’s Kitchen Wins Summary Judgment on Use of “Butter,” “Cruelty-Free” on Plant-Based Packaging" from Brooks Animal Law Digest Issue No. 98.]