Case Law Index Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)

December 17, 1985 – June 15, 2023

This index provides a comprehensive though not necessarily exhaustive compilation of reported and unreported federal and state court decisions involving Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) that were decided between the dates listed above. The cases are listed in reverse chronological order. The “Text” link goes to the freely available Google Scholar text of the opinion.  These listings are for educational purposes only and are not a substitute for legal counsel.

FOURTH CIRCUIT

Made in the USA Foundation v. Phillips Foods, Inc., 365 F.3d 278 (4th Cir. 2004) (citizen suit for false advertising of seafood as being produced in the USA) Text

U.S. v. Shabbir, 64 F.Supp.2d 479 (D. Md. 1999) (mislabeling of food from foreign countries) Text

FIFTH CIRCUIT

Piazza’s Seafood World, LLC v. Odom, 448 F.3d 744 (5th Cir. 2006) (labeling of Chinese fish) Text

Piazza’s Seafood World, LLC v. Odom, 2004 WL 2998575 (E.D. La. 2004) (labeling of Chinese fish) Text

SIXTH CIRCUIT

McGonagle v. Sunrise Foods, Inc., No. 13-CV-010618, 2015 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 8442 (Ct. Com. Pl. Apr. 1, 2015) (violating COOL laws)

SEVENTH CIRCUIT

Minerva Dairy, Inc. v. Harsdorf, 905 F.3d 1047 (7th Cir. 2018) (butter made in the U.S.A.) Text

EIGHTH CIRCUIT

Clasing v. Hormel Corp., 993 F. Supp. 2d 960 (N.D. Iowa 2014) (terminating a contract after COOL legislation was passed) Text

NINTH CIRCUIT

Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund v. United States Department of Agriculture, 2018 WL 2708747 (E.D. Wash. 2018) (Challenge to final COOL rule involving beef and pork products) Text

Easterday Ranches, Inc. v. USDA, No. CV-08-5067-RHW, 2010 WL 457432 (E.D. Wash. Feb. 5, 2010) (challenging COOL regulations)

Easterday Ranches, Inc. v. U.S. Dep’t of Agric., No. CV-08-5067-RHW, 2008 WL 4426004 (E.D. Wash. Sept. 25, 2008) (challenge to final COOL rules)

Kennedy v. Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc., No. 08-56378 (9th Cir. 2010) (pet food from China labeled as “Made in the USA”) Text

Benson v. Kwikset Corp., 152 Cal. App. 4th 1254, 62 Cal. Rptr. 3d 284 (2007) (determining if a country of origin label was deceptive and unlawful) Text

United States ex rel. Huangyan Import & Export Corp. v. Nature’s Farm Products, Inc., 370 F.Supp.2d 993 (N.D. Cal. 2005) (country of origin and antidumping) Text

Ranchers Cattleman Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of Am. v. U.S. Dep’t of Agric., 143 F.3d 1078 (9th Cir. 2005) (meat packing industry not allowed to intervene) Text

Ranchers Cattleman Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of Am. v. U.S. Dep’t of Agric., 415 F.3d 1078 (9th Cir. 2005) (injunction barring the importation of Canadian beef) Text

Contessa Food Products, Inc. v. Lockpur Fish Processing Co., Ltd., No. CV98-8218NMSHX, 2003 WL 25778704 (C.D. Cal. Jan. 29, 2003) (unintentionally mislabeling shrimp)

TENTH CIRCUIT

Thornton v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 28 F.4th 1016 (10th Cir. 2022) (retail consumer challenging labeling of producers) Text

Thornton v. Kroger Co., CIV 20-1040 JB/JFR, 2022 WL 488932 (D.N.M. Feb. 17, 2022) (retail consumer challenging labeling of producers) Text

Thornton v. Tyson Foods Inc., 482 F.Supp.3d 1147 (D. NM 2020) (retail consumer challenging labeling of producers) Text

ELEVENTH CIRCUIT

U.S. v. Sigma International, Inc., 244 F.3d 841 (11th Cir. 2001) (Sigma II, mislabeling of shrimp) Text

U.S. v. Sigma International, Inc., 196 F.3d 1314 (11th Cir. 1999) (Sigma I, mislabeling of shrimp) Text

FEDERAL CIRCUIT

Bestfoods v. United States, 260 F.3d 1320 (Fed. Cir. 2001) (peanut butter labeling) Text

D.C. CIRCUIT

American Meat Institute v. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 760 F.3d 18 (DC Circuit 2014) (challenge to final COOL rule exempting foreign beef and pork products) Text

COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Tropicana Products, Inc. v. United States, 2008 WL 312171 (Ct. Int’l Trade 2008) (concentrated orange juice from foreign countries)

Tropicana Products, Inc. v. United States, 484 F.Supp.2d 1330 (Ct. Int’l Trade 2007) (concentrated orange juice from foreign countries) Text

CPC Int’l, Inc. v. United States, 19 Ct. Int’l Trade 978, 896 F.Supp. 1240 (Ct. Int’l Trade 1995) (imported peanut butter and COOL) Text

Am. Frozen Food Inst., Inc. v. United States, 18 Ct. Int’l Trade 565, 855 F.Supp. 388 (Ct. Int’l Trade 1994) (country of origin labeling on frozen dinners) Text

Norcal/Crosetti Foods, Inc. v. U.S. Customs Serv., 15 Ct. Int’l Trade 198, 1991 WL 83434 (Ct. Int’l Trade 1991) (country of origin labeling on frozen vegetables)

Ass’n of Food Indus., Inc. (Pistachio Group) v. Von Raab, 9 Ct. Int’l Trade 626, 624 F.Supp. 1557 (Ct. Int’l Trade 1985) (action brought to prevent country of origin labeling) Text

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel of Supreme Court, 471 U.S. 626, 105 S. Ct. 2265 (1985) (warnings or disclosures can be compelled to avoid customer confusion or deception, used as a test in many COOL cases) Text