With the FDA's food-label crackdown, some lawyers see opportunity...

Last week we learned that several food companies got their wrists smacked by the FDA for making overarching medical claims about their wares. Now it appears the lawyers are ramping up for business.

Try Google-searching POM Wonderful, one of the companies the FDA chastised. When I did that, a little ad popped up on the right. From the law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, it describes the FDA action and then says: "If you purchased POM Wonder 100% Pomegranate Juice, POMx Pills or POMx Liquid Products based on health claims made by POM Wonderful, please submit your complaint. There is no charge or obligation for our review of your complaint."

Ambulance chasers, oh my!

Ridiculous health claims for food are ridiculous, of course -- and POM's are pretty over-the-top. But are people so dumb as to truly believe that pomegranate juice can cure their sicknesses?

OK, OK. I know the answer to that.

-- Rosie Mestel

Comments

[Sal Monella]

Overarching claims? Don't you mean overreaching claims?
Still saving money on the editing?

[Boysmom]

The legal community should be ashamed. These kinds of suits are only advantageous to the attorneys who bring them. THEY make millions of dollars in fees. People who used the products, bought the stocks etc. get checks for $.57. (Yes, I literally have received checks that small). Just a big money making scam by the attorneys. Ought to be against the law. Oh, wait, many of our elected officials ARE attorneys. Nothing will be done...

[Rosie Mestel]

Sal, over-reaching would have been the better word, though I meant all-encompassing, one of the definitions of overarching —the POM claims are all over the map. But that wasn’t the case for the other companies the FDA contacted, so the word choice was careless. Hey, appreciate your vigilance!