Perez v. Kroger Co.

336 F. Supp. 3d 1137
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedSeptember 28, 2018
DocketCase No. 2:17-cv-02448-ODW (AGR)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 336 F. Supp. 3d 1137 (Perez v. Kroger Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Perez v. Kroger Co., 336 F. Supp. 3d 1137 (C.D. Cal. 2018).

Opinion

OTIS D. WRIGHT, II, UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff Sonia Perez ("Perez"), on behalf of herself and the putative class members she seeks to represent, alleges that Defendant The Kroger Co.'s ("Kroger") use of the statement "No Sugar Added" on Kroger Apple Juice1 violates the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") regulations, specifically 21 C.F.R. § 101.60(c)(2)(iv). (Second Am. Compl. ("SAC") ¶¶ 1-2, 5-7, ECF. No. 35.) In particular, the FDA regulation sets forth five provisions in which *1140the terms "no sugar added," "without added sugar," or "no added sugar" may be used. 21 C.F.R. § 101.60(c)(2). One of the five provisions requires that "[t]he food that it resembles and for which it substitutes normally contains added sugar." 21 C.F.R. § 101.60(c)(2)(iv). Plaintiff alleges that Kroger Apple Juice violates this provision because Kroger Apple Juice "does not resemble and substitute for a food that normally contains added sugars." (SAC ¶ 7.) Plaintiff further claims that the "no sugar added" label is "not appropriate to describe foods that do not normally contain added sugars," like Kroger Apple Juice, which contains 100% apple juice. (SAC ¶ 31.)

Accordingly, Perez alleges that Kroger's failure to comply with the FDA regulation violates (1) the Unfair Competition Law ("UCL") pursuant to California Business and Professions Code section 17200 et seq. ; (2) the False Advertising Law ("FAL") pursuant to California Business and Professions Code section 17500 et seq. ; and (3) the Consumer's Legal Remedies Act ("CLRA") pursuant to California Civil Code section 1750 et seq. (SAC ¶¶ 53, 60, 66-74, 75-88.)

Kroger moves for summary judgment on all of Perez's causes of action on the basis that there is no violation of the FDA regulation, specifically 21 C.F.R. § 101.60(c)(2)(iv), which is the underlying violation supporting all of Perez's causes of action. (Mot. Summ. J. ("Mot."), ECF No. 63.) As state law labeling requirements cannot be more restrictive or burdensome than the federal requirements, a state law making the claim unlawful would be preempted if there is no violation of 21 C.F.R. § 101.60(c)(2). See 21 U.S.C. §§ 343-1(a)(5), 343(r), 343(q) ; 21 C.F.R. § 101.60(c)(2)(iv).

In support of Kroger's Motion, Kroger argues that the FDA has explicitly rejected Perez's allegations, and the FDA allows the "No Sugar Added" labeling on 100% fruit juices where the label is truthful and otherwise conforms with the FDA requirements. Kroger urges the Court to defer to the FDA's interpretation of section 101.60(c)(2)(iv).

For the following reasons, the Court GRANTS Kroger's Motion for Summary Judgment. (ECF No. 63.)

II. FACTUAL BACKGRUOND

Perez alleges that in January 2017, she purchased Kroger Apple Juice after reading and relying on the product's "No Sugar Added" label. Perez alleges that sugar level is important to her, and she believed that Kroger Apple Juice was healthier than other brands of apple juice because of the "No Sugar Added" label. (SAC ¶¶ 16-18.) Perez claims that she would not have bought Kroger Apple Juice if she had known that similar products contained the same level of sugar. (SAC ¶ 17.) Perez further claims that without the "No Sugar Added" label, she would have either not purchased the product or paid less for it. (SAC ¶ 20.)

Kroger now moves for summary judgment on the basis that the FDA's interpretation of its own regulation, 21 C.F.R. § 101.60(c) -that 100% juices can include "No Sugar Added" on their labels-is entitled to deference. Kroger further argues that if the correct interpretation of section 101.60(c) allows the "No Sugar Added" claim on the label of Kroger Apple Juice, then a state law making the claim unlawful would be preempted. (Mot. 1.)

III. REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL NOTICE

In support of her Opposition, Plaintiff filed a Request for Judicial Notice requesting that the Court take judicial notice of two items. (Req. for Judicial Notice, ECF No. 68-2.) Specifically, Plaintiff requested *1141that the Court take judicial notice of (1) the decision in Sahjigian v. Sun-Maid Growers of California , 17-cv-05013-AB-PJW (C.D. Cal. Dec. 14, 2017) and (2) that a letter from the Center for Science in the Public Interest dated May 14, 2017 was publicly published on the FDA's website. However, Plaintiff failed to attach the exhibits to the request until one business day before hearing. (See Notice of Errata, ECF No. 78.)

The party requesting judicial notice must supply the court with the source material needed to determine whether the request is justified. In re Tyrone F. Conner Corp., Inc. , 140 B.R. 771, 781 (Bankr. E.D. Cal. 1992). "[T]he Court will not rummage through the Court files and take notice of those documents requested absent those documents being supplied to the Court." Id. at 782.

Although the Request for Judicial Notice failed to properly attach the requested documents as exhibits, Defendant did not oppose or otherwise object to the request. Courts regularly take judicial notice of proceedings in other courts and facts that "can be accurately and readily determined from sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned." Fed. R.

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Bluebook (online)
336 F. Supp. 3d 1137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perez-v-kroger-co-cacd-2018.