2012-08-01 | permalink

Defense lawyers say Californian GE food labeling law will bring bumper crop of litigation

[Legal critics] point to an enforcement provision authorizing private consumer lawsuits, something defense lawyers compare less than flatteringly to Prop 65, the 1986 law that requires businesses to warn consumers about chemicals they use. ”When I used to go and talk about Prop 65 when it was on the ballot, I would say the biggest beneficiaries would be lawyers. I think that goes double for Prop 37,” said Michele Corash, a environmental defense partner with Morrison & Foerster. James Wheaton, the Oakland attorney who helped draft Prop 37, said such claims amount to scare tactics. Comparing Propositions 65 and 37 ”is like comparing apples and hot dogs,” Wheaton said. ”Both food, but [then] no resemblance.” The Prop 37 campaign is shaping up into a multimillion-dollar battle between a team of grocers and food science companies like Monsanto and DuPont and a coalition of organic growers and natural food activists.

• STOP the Costly Food Labeling Proposition, USA: Defense lawyers say Prop 37 will bring bumper crop of litigation