The Massachusetts Bar Association's Consumer Advocacy Task
Force, chaired by MBA Vice President Christopher A. Kenney, hosted
its Second Annual Consumer Advocacy Symposium on Wednesday, Nov.
18, which featured panels of experts, who addressed the legal
issues and litigation triggered by food labeling and
mislabeling.
The first panel, moderated by task force member Jessica G. Kelly
of Sherin and Lodgen LLP, focused on recent litigation alleging
false labeling of food as containing healthy and/or natural
ingredients. Panelists Andrew Rainer (Public Health Advocacy
Institute), John Roddy (Bailey & Glasser) and Joshua Solomon
(Pollock Solomon Duffy) discussed examples of cases where
companies' branding or marketing efforts were found to be
misleading.
The symposium's second panel, moderated by task force member
Jaimeson E. Porter of Kenney & Sams PC, tackled the legal
issues surrounding the mislabeling of seafood, and the steps that
have been taken to try to rectify these issues. Panelists John
Connelly (National Fisheries Institute), Logan Gregory (National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and Richard Heller (Legal
Sea Foods) discussed examples of seafood fraud and offered their
opinions on what drives it and who is responsible.
Following the panel discussions, MBA President Robert W. Harnais
and task force member Nadine Cohen presented MBA Pinnacle Awards to
Fresh Truck and Market Basket. The Pinnacle Awards highlight
companies that take proactive steps to protect the consumer and
employ business practices, which serve as positive models to
others.
Fresh Truck, the Boston based company that uses a retrofitted
school bus to operate as a mobile food market, was honored for
identifying novel and creative ways of delivering healthy food
options to low-income households in Boston. Market Basket, owned by
DeMoulas Super Markets Inc., was honored for nearly a century of
bringing affordable groceries, dignified jobs, pro-consumer
policies and more to Massachusetts communities.
The Pinnacle Award honorees then joined panel members, MBA
officers and symposium attendees for a reception in the lobby.
Thank you to Symposium Co-Chairs Andrew Rainer and Nadine Cohen
and the rest of the Consumer Advocacy Task Force for organizing the
successful event.