Ravioli Trees and Tortellini Bushes: What Should Courts Expect from the Reasonable Consumer When it Comes to ​“Natural” Claims?

Partner John Villafranco co-authored the Food and Drug Policy Forum article ​“Ravioli Trees and Tortellini Bushes: What Should Courts Expect from the Reasonable Consumer When it Comes to ​“Natural” Claims?” The article discusses how in recent years there have been many consumer class action cases alleging that advertisers are deceptively labeling their products as natural when the products include ingredients that are synthesized or genetically modified. As both the FDA and FTC have acknowledged that ​“natural” has a different meaning when used in regards to mass manufactured goods, John concludes that future courts should reject these types of false advertising claims when the consumers have no objective understanding of what natural means in the context of these products.