Bell v. Campbell Soup Co.

65 F. Supp. 3d 1328, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 175004, 2014 WL 6997611
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Florida
DecidedDecember 11, 2014
DocketCase No. 4:14cv291-RH/CAS
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 65 F. Supp. 3d 1328 (Bell v. Campbell Soup Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bell v. Campbell Soup Co., 65 F. Supp. 3d 1328, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 175004, 2014 WL 6997611 (N.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

ROBERT L. HINKLE, District Judge.

In this proposed class action, the plaintiffs assert that the labels on two of the defendant’s fruit-and-vegetable juices are misleading. The plaintiffs assert claims under Florida law. But the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act imposes juice-labeling requirements and explicitly preempts state juice-labeling requirements that are not “identical” to the federal requirements. The defendant’s labels comply with the federal requirements. This order grants the defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint.

I. Background

The defendant Campbell Soup Company produces “V8 V-Fusion” juices in various flavors. The two flavors at issue are pomegranate blueberry and agai mixed berry. For convenience, this order addresses the pomegranate blueberry flavored juice; the analysis for agai mixed berry is identical.

Despite the flavoring, the juice contains only a tiny amount — less than 1% — of pomegranate and blueberry juice. The juice is a blend of 8 fruit and vegetable juices, predominantly from sweet potatoes and purple carrots. The product is 100% juice, just not 100% pomegranate and blueberry juice.

The front of the bottle has a primary display panel. The back has an information panel. A thorough reading discloses that the product is 100% juice, that it is a blend of juices from 8 fruits and vegetables, that it is pomegranate and blueberry flavored, and that the largest portion of the juice comes from sweet potatoes, followed by purple carrots, then other fruits and vegetables, and finally pomegranates and blueberries. The information panel also includes nutrition data in a format familiar to consumers, listing, for example, a serving’s calories, sugars, and carbohydrates.

The plaintiffs concede that all of the information is true. But théy say the primary display panel is misleading — that it suggests that the product is 100% pomegranate and blueberry juice. Campbell disagrees but does not assert the complaint should be dismissed on this basis. For purposes of this order, I assume without deciding that a jury could find the primary display panel misleading.

This is the primary display panel:

[1330]*1330[[Image here]]

The plaintiffs seek recovery based solely on the assertion that the primary display panel is misleading. They assert claims under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (Fla.Stat. § 501.201 et seq.), under the Florida false advertising statute (Fla.Stat. § 817.44), and for breach of express and implied warranties, negligence, and unjust enrichment. Campbell has moved to dismiss, asserting that all the claims are preempted and that all but the FDUTPA claim are deficient on other grounds as well.

II. The Federal Statute

The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”), 21 U.S.C. §§ 301-399Í, took effect in 1938. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (“NLEA”) amended the FDCA in 1990. See Pub.L. 101-535 (1990). As amended, the FDCA imposes specific juice-labeling requirements and authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to adopt rules on that subject. See 21 U.S.C. § 3430).

The Act explicitly preempts state requirements that (a) are within specific categories and (b) are not identical to the federal requirements. Id. § 343-1. Among the preempted categories are requirements of the type imposed by 21 U.S.C. § 343(i)(l) or (2). Thus the Act provides that a state may not “directly or indirectly” impose “any” juice-labeling requirement “of the type required by” § 343(i)(l) or (2) “that is not identical” to the federal requirement. Id. § 343-1(2) & (3). Sections 343(i)(l) and (2), and the rules adopted under those sections, address every element of Campbell’s primary display panel that the plaintiffs challenge in this lawsuit.

III. The Challenged Features

The primary display panel on Campbell’s V8 Fusion pomegranate-blueberry flavored juice has eight separate state[1331]*1331ments, each set out in a different font or different size, and a vignette depicting pomegranates, blueberries, and perhaps other fruits or vegetables. Each statement is either unobjectionable or complies to the letter with requirements set out in § 343(i)(l) or (2) or the rules adopted under those sections. The vignette also complies with those requirements.

The first statement is “V8.” The plaintiffs do not assert this is misleading in any respect.

The second is “V-Fusion.” The plaintiffs do not assert this is misleading in any respect.

The third is “Vegetable & Fruit.” This is an accurate description of the product, which consists entirely of vegetable and fruit juices. The plaintiffs do not assert this is misleading in any respect.

The fourth is “100% Juice.” This is an accurate description of the product, which is indeed 100% juice, as the plaintiffs acknowledge. The plaintiffs take issue, though, with the size and placement of this statement; they say it is misleading because it is placed immediately above the fifth statement and is much larger than the sixth statement.

The fifth statement is “Pomegranate Blueberry.” This is an accurate description of the product’s flavor. The plaintiffs say it is misleading because of its placement after “100% Juice” and its size in relation to the sixth statement.

The sixth statement is “A pomegranate and blueberry flavored beverage blend of 8 vegetable and fruit juices from concentrate with other natural flavors and added ingredients.” This is an accurate description of the product. The plaintiffs say it is misleading because it is too small in relation to the statements “100% Juice” and “Pomegranate Blueberry.”

The seventh is “1 full serving of vegetables — 1 full serving of fruit.” The plaintiffs do not assert this is misleading in any respect.

The eighth is “Net 46 FI. Oz. (1 Qt. 14 FI. Oz.) (1.36 L).” The plaintiffs do not assert this is misleading in any way.

The vignette depicts only fruits and vegetables whose juices are included in the product. The plaintiffs say it is misleading because it prominently depicts only pomegranates and blueberries, which provide the flavor but only a miniscule portion of the juice.

IV. The Merits

So the plaintiffs’ challenge comes down to the size and placement of the fourth, fifth, and sixth statements on the primary display panel and the content of the vignette. The plaintiffs say that, because of their size and placement, the statements are misleading.

One could argue both sides of that proposition.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
65 F. Supp. 3d 1328, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 175004, 2014 WL 6997611, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bell-v-campbell-soup-co-flnd-2014.