(Reuters) - A California couple sued a Pasadena-based fertility clinic on Wednesday, saying it allegedly implanted an embryo carrying a rare gene that causes deadly stomach cancer and then falsifying records to cover up its mistake. Beyond Meat has been hit with two lawsuits this week alleging it grossly overstates the protein in its products: one consumer class action complaint, and another from former co-packer Don Lee Farms, which has been embroiled in an ugly legal dispute* with Beyond Meat since 2017 in a separate case scheduled to go to trial in September. Beyond Meat and its founder, Ethan Brown, continue to fight lawsuits on multiple fronts in defense of their product line. And from the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, This is the first report of the impact of carrageenan on glucose tolerance and indicates that carrageenan impairs glucose tolerance, increases insulin resistance and inhibits insulin signaling in vivo in mouse liver and human HepG2 cells. By some estimates, 30% of the calories consumed globally by humans come from meat products, including beef, chicken, and pork. One source also noted that it is not uncommon for a company planning on suing a rival to tip off a plaintiff consumer class action lawyer to apply further pressure, pointing out that it would be a pretty crazy coincidence that two suits on this issue were filed in the same week without the parties working with at least some kind of background knowledge of each other given that the lab testing in the cases took place a couple of months ago. I have been practicing in the field of clinical nutrition for over 20 years and I wanted to share some of the top 10 secrets that Ive learned while.. Are you addicted to sugar? Impossible Foods reportedly submitted an animal study about its products that the lawsuit says "did not meet the minimum standards for such studies" and that "should have triggered additional, long-term testing" which didn't occur. A recent Bloomberg News feature called plant-based meat alternatives "a flop," quoting one analyst as saying regular meat-eating consumers are just not that into it.". and this week announced it would cut its workforce by 20%. The lawsuit filed on May 31, 2022 alleges that the company's products provide about 7% of the . The suit, filed in the Central District of California on behalf of Don Lee Farms, claimed that "Beyond Meat overstates the protein value of its products by up to 30% and has falsely represented that . Get the best food tips and diet When this happens, farmers can grow plenty of nutrient-rich produce. A series of class-action lawsuits alleging deceptive practices by Beyond Meat will be heard as a single case in Chicago, a court ruled Wednesday. According to tests of Beyond Meat products sold at leading retailers by an independent and internationally accredited food-testing laboratory following AOAC International official methods of analysis, however, the average PDCAAS scores of Beyond Beefy Crumbles and the Beyond Burger were 0.645 and 0.8875 respectively, claims Don Lee Farms. If youre not familiar with glyphosate, it is a known cancer-causing chemical. As such, Defendant knows or should have known that the claims are false and misleading on the Products.. Despite concerns, the company continued to sell it to the public. But this settlement is just a small step. Johnson & Johnson Will Soon Face Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuits in the U.K. As Well as In U.S. (11/14/22) Show More. Recently a California couple was awarded $2 billion in damages after it was proven their exposure to glyphosate in Roundup caused their cancer. ET, five facilities for making and processing, $92 million in net revenues in its most recent quarter, Beyond Meat Stock Is in Big Trouble as Fake Meat CFO Faces Fraud Suit. The accusations in Don Lee's lawsuit are not insignificant, and could shake up the plant-based meat company's C-suite and manufacturing operations. The lawsuit names several former and current board members as well as Beyond Meat's Senior Vice President of . These levels of glyphosate are substantially lower than the LOWEST of the EPAs recommended safe limits for foods with glyphosate (100 parts per billion to 400 parts per million), and lower than amounts found in plenty of plants. Meat is expected to grow at 3.1%, compared to 18% . Its also in paint. In a separate matter, a judge allowed Don Lee Farms to name. If you want to eat less meat, there are plenty of natural alternatives we can help you discover. Chocolate Academy by Barry Callebaut presents their first Chocolate confectionery report for 2023 and beyond, H&F pectin optimizes starch based applications, H&F Innovative Solutions for your Product Developments, Plant-based, alt proteins, precision fermentation, Carbohydrates and fibers (sugar, starches). Our product is entirely legal everywhere we sell it. A judgment of more than $600,000 isn't likely to do much lasting financial harm to a company that had $92 million in net revenues in its most recent quarter,especially because Beyond Meat is posting a profit a milestone reported for the first time in its most recent earnings. Beyond Meat is facing a class-action lawsuit filed by six Illinois residents, states The Beet. . lye. Twenty-four pages of test . These phytates prevent the absorption of minerals like iron and calcium (among others). A September 2019 study revealed a 46% increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes in children up to 18 months with a diet rich in gluten Hormones are messengers that act within your brain as well as between your brain and your body. Ethan Brown founded the company in 2009 with the stated mission of combating climate change. Allegations against Beyond Meat include misleading consumers with "unsupported marketing claims," touting inaccurate nutrition labels that violate FDA regulation, creating unfair . We submit that MSG treatment of mice induces obesity and diabetes with steatosis and steatohepatitis resembling human NAFLD and NASH with pre-neoplastic lesions. The ingredient is made by chemically treating material in plant cells. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); Proteins All Rights Reserved. When the Impossible Burger was recently compared to the Beyond Meat burger (a non-GMO product), it was found to have over 11 times the amount of glyphosate, 11.3 parts per billion to be precise. Its nearest rival, Impossible Foods, has also struggled, and this week announced it would cut its workforce by 20%. Why would someone inhale an ingredient in these plant-based burgers? Methyl cellulose It turns out they dont need the FDAs approval. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is an anti-GMO, anti-science organization that has been spreading lies about Impossible Foods for years, with a track record that includes issuing patently false claims in a malicious attempt to defame Impossible Foods and its products. Twenty-four pages of test results are filed with the lawsuit. UPDATE: August 31, 2021: A California judge threw out counts of misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition in Don Lee Farms' sprawling lawsuit against Beyond Meat and some of its company officials. As manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, distributors, and/or retailers, Defendant tested, or should have tested, the Products prior to sale, the lawsuit asserted. A similar federal lawsuit was filed June 2 in California. This complaint states Beyond Meat made false or misleading statements about the termination of its agreement with Don Lee Farms and by having "doctored and omitted material information" on a food safety report. Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How will the CPG space change in the next 10 years. 02.03.2023. The allegations include a dispute over Beyond Meats use of the phrase all natural when the company uses methylcellulose, which the case argued is synthetic. Please log in again. That's a lot of omega-6, which causes inflammation. ), However, it's not something consumers have in their kitchen cupboards at home and is sometimes cited as evidence of the 'highly processed' nature of some plant-based meat products, prompting firms to seek out more consumer-friendly alternatives., * The legal dispute between Don Lee Farms and Beyond Meat began in May 2017 - three years after the two parties entered into a five-year supply agreement - with Don Lee Farms alleging that Beyond Meat wrongfully terminated the parties fixed term contractunder the guise of purported health & safety concerns.". You can find caramel color in soft drinks like Coke or Pepsi. Know where your food comes from. A food safety audit ordered by Beyond Meat showed "more than adequate" conditions, Bloomberg reported, but in a countersuit from Beyond Meat, the company says that Don Lee left a temperature stick, glove, wood fragments and parchment paper in its burgers. Copyright 2023. Net revenues were down $20.7 million, or 20.6%, in the quarter to December 31 year-over . Eric Barker, 07/06/2022. But they're also leading some who watch the market to be cautious. Not a huge amount, said one industry source. Elaine Watson. Get the best food tips and diet advice every single day, Now, you'll have the best and latest food and healthy eating news right in your inboxevery Monsanto cleverly sold their company to Bayer in 2016 for $65 billion, a purchase Bayer might be rethinking. According to the complaint, proteins are not equal in their ability to meet human nutritional needs. Dismissing that charge also resulted in tossing out the unfair competition charge, which was based on the same facts as the trade secrets claim, the minute order states. single That's why we're backing The American Cancer Society , the leading authority in cancer-based facts and figures, to advance research understanding the . February 6, 2023 | Open Lawsuits Read More 12 . } else { If they have an interest in it, it means its very cheap and therefore low quality. Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts. In the field of clinical nutrition, we often address what to eat with our patients more than how much to eat, at least.. Power over Genetics: You CAN Change Your Genes. Key Facts. When your food is being genetically modified or manipulated in a lab, trouble is around the corner. The end product is a white odorless powder with attractive gelling and emulsifying capabilities that is soluble in cold water, forms a gel at higher temperatures and holds plant-based meat products such as burgers together as they cook, as well as boosting succulence and juiciness. For more details about the CFS' tired campaign against Impossible Foods, please check out this blog.". If the nutrient analysis numbers submitted in the case are accurate, it could change the way FDA looks at plant-based products, which could have a negative impact on many products nutritional claims. 2:2 2-cv-03751 filed June 2, 2022, in the US district court, central district of California. In particular, the murine steatohepatitis at 12 months was virtually indistinguishable from human NASH. Plant-based Beyond Meat is facing major headwinds - despite curiosity from some people looking for an alternative to beef and pork amid the Covid pandemic's meat packing plant shutdowns. Why you should try to kick the habit, Does Fat Make You Fat? We are pleased with where we are today but it is just the beginning," Don Lee Farms President Donald Goodman, Webinar In this new report from ADM, you will discover how you can deliver exciting, delicious international dishes with the authentic flavors consumers crave. Hiatal Hernia Syndrome and Gluten: Connecting the Dots, How Gluten Can Contribute to Seasonal Allergies, Study shows link between Vitamin D3 Levels and COVID-19 Severity, Nutritionists Reveal How Much You Should Eat to Be Healthy, What Nutritionists Say About Changing Your Genes, Craving Sweets? It also says Beyond Meat provided unusable and unsafe raw materials to Don Lee Farms, did not compensate Don Lee for products it manufactured and did not ensure Don Lee had operational equipment and personnel to make its products. Beyond Meat officials in claims dealing with food safety. Don Lee responded with a press release touting the counts that still stand in the case and asking the court to appoint an independent forensic examiner to assess potential deletion of relevant text messages by Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown. To get all the latest grocery store and food news delivered right to your email inbox every day, sign up for our newsletter! The omega-3s found in canola oil are ALA, alpha lipoic acid. This can block normal estrogen, wich leads not just to hormonal imbalance, but even breast cancer. According to the proposed class action, a number of claims made by the company concerning both protein and nutritional benefits are "false and misleading.". While it's getting to be more accepted in the mainstream with wide availability and a variety of brands at grocery stores and foodservice, its former meteoric growth is slowing. Number 8860726. Carrageenan is a harmful additive that all but says its going to f*ck you up. The suit, filed in California, is just the latest development in a four-year-long legal standoff between the companies, and Don Lee Farms once supplied the raw materials to Beyond, but later sued the giant for breach of contract. The first case a 46-page complaint dated May 31, originating in Illinoisclaimed Beyond Meat overstates the protein content of its products. A California court ruled Beyond Meat is likely to be liable for $628,689 worth of unpaid invoices for breaching its manufacturing agreement with former co-packer Don Lee Farms, according to a tentative ruling filed last week. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220602006027/en/, Beyond Meat "No Synthetic Ingredients." protein claims As plant proteins such as pea (the main protein in Beyond Meat products) have a lower PDCAAS score than animal proteins such as whey, casein, and egg (which with a PDCAAS of 1.0 are considered the gold standard in terms of quality and digestibility), they are often combined with other plant proteins with a different amino acid profile such as rice, in order to increase the overall PDCAAS score. As long as you are ready to make some dietary and lifestyle changes, we can help you. According to the complaint, this testing shows that Beyond Meat has inflated its protein claims by upwards of 30% and has "caused misbranded goods to be sold throughout the supply chain.". Protein content is a particularly hot topic when it comes to labeling for plant-based products, partly due to the way percentage daily values are calculated. It uses soy and wheat that are GMO, meaning loaded with glyphosate as these are the highest GMO crops America produces (sugar beet is on the list too). Less Zs Equals More LBs. That was on top of a 4% reduction in its workforce it announced in August. Beyond Meat products on a grocery store shelf in Miami last year. Christopher Kane 6/3/2022. Both the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger have comparable amounts, the former deriving protein mainly from soy and the later from peas. The consumer class action, filed on May 31 in Illinois by Adam Sorkin** et al., alleges that Beyond Meat misstates both the total and percentage daily value (%DV) of protein on multiple products. A new federal lawsuit was filed June 2 against Beyond Meat and its CEO Ethan Brown alleging false advertising and unfair competition. "The Center for Food Safety is suing the FDA; as a matter of policy, we wouldn't comment on a lawsuit between independent entities," an Impossible Foods spokesperson said in a statement to Eat This, Not That!. That might seem like nothing compared to the . Buy food that is in season. Beyond's website claims that animal-based meats lead to a 16% increased risk of cancer and 21% . For the quarter ending July 31, 2021, Hormel recorded revenues amounting to $2.864 billion, representing a 20.25 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Don Lee Farms' corporate parent Goodman Food Products sent several samples of Beyond Meat's Beefy Crumbles and Burgers to third-party testing lab Element Materials Technology for a detailed analysis. It's not clear which category the novel additive falls under. The former co-manufacturer of the plant-based leader are already due to meet at trial in September, with Beyond accused of breach of contract, fraud and unpaid monies, amongst other allegations. An ugly fight in the plant-based meat sector just got a lot uglier. Dr. Vikki Petersen shares some highlights of patient success stories. IE 11 is not supported. Patients with depression are often told they have a chemical imbalance. All of the previous litigation, even though it was rather pointed, only concerned the contractual relationship between Don Lee Farms and Beyond Meat. Amarillo TX, 79114, tcr@cattlerange.com Major alleges that "several company insiders and certain private equity finds tied to Board members" made more than $30 million in profits by selling shares using non-public financial information. The complaint quotes Ethan Brown as stating that Beyond Meats "commitment to all natural" is at the very "core of [their] company," but goes on to allege that "Beyond Meats Beyond Burgers contain methylcellulose" an ingredient that the scientific literature recognizes "does not occur naturally and is synthetically produced. Don Lee Farms declined to comment on the above speculation, but issued a short press release about the casein which it referenced its ongoing litigation with its former partner, featuring the headline, 'Something is really wrong at Beyond Meat.'. Buy your food locally, from farmers. I didnt know that, did you? The officials who will be named include Beyond Meat Chief Financial Officer Mark Nelson, Senior Quality Assurance Manager Jessica Quetsch and Director of Operations Anthony Miller. Additionally, soy is high in phytoestrogen (source). Beyond Meat couldn't estimate how much that might be in its annual report, but it could be significant making right now a very good time to settle the investor litigation. The additive, soy leghemoglobin, creates the "bleeding" effect in the plant-based meat alternative but is made of genetically engineered yeast. So for a product like [Beyond Meats products], the case insisted, the protein contentmaybe calculated using the nitrogen method, but itmustbe stated as a percentage of the Daily Reference Value (DRV) using the corrected amount of protein., Per Bloomberg Law, Beyond Meat responded to the Illinois suit through a company spokesperson who stated,The allegations in the filing are unfounded and not representative of Beyond Meats products. Let Food Dive's free newsletter keep you informed, straight from your inbox. The suit claims that Beyond Meat has become "unjustly enriched" by the misrepresentation of their products and their failure to follow federal regulations for testing protein content. Topics covered: manufacturing, packaging, new products, R&D, and much more. Meat, ADM | 23-Feb-2023 Is it actually sustainable? Is anyone "safe" from the sugar's dark side? In its most recent press release addressing the ongoing legal battle with Don Lee Farms, Beyond Meat stated it will vigorously defend against Don Lee Farms remaining claims against Beyond Meat.. , farmers can grow plenty of natural alternatives we can help you the! Why you should try to kick the habit, Does Fat Make you?., states the Beet to grow at 3.1 %, in the Meat! Just got a lot uglier eat less Meat, ADM | 23-Feb-2023 is actually! 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