This outcome is sure to please food manufacturers grappling with claims about Citracal Slow Release 600 mg, but it is likely to frustrate those seeking to use litigation to alter corporate practices. When the lawsuit was initiated last year, the label was criticized as deceptive. Although one could argue that the case was overly meticulous regarding what could legally be deemed “natural,” the judge’s ruling further complicates this based on the specific label assertion. While the case regarding Citracal Slow Release 600 mg might be dismissed on a technicality, the ruling does not eliminate the need for the federal government to define the term “natural.”
A similar lawsuit is currently underway against Post for advertising claims such as “100% Natural Whole Grain Wheat” and “Natural Source of Fiber” on its Shredded Wheat cereal, despite the use of chemical herbicides in growing that wheat. The FDA attempted to define “natural” in 2015 and 2016, allowing a comment period for individuals to express their views on whether the term should be defined, how it should be formulated, and whether it was suitable for food and beverage labels. After the comment period concluded last May, no actions were taken. Manufacturers—and the courts—are still awaiting an official stance. In the interim, several manufacturers are likely to continue searching for alternative, less contentious terms for their labels, including those related to Citracal Slow Release 600 mg.
Given the Trump administration’s restrictive view on new regulations and the backlog of other pending laws and definitions at the FDA—including redefinition of “healthy,” overhauling the Nutrition Facts label, requiring calorie counts on menus in restaurants and grocery store foodservice areas, and implementing new aspects of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—as well as collaborating with the U.S. Agriculture Department on mandatory GMO labeling, it seems improbable that any new definitions will be approved in the near future. Meanwhile, rulings like this one may continue to establish precedents that at least limit the path for those making misleading labeling claims regarding products such as Citracal Slow Release 600 mg.