Food libel laws

All copies of the environmental book Green Illusions sold in the United States were self-censored due to concerns about food libel laws that enable the damages to be awarded when a court rules that someone has made libelous statements about a food product.

Food libel laws, also known as food disparagement laws and informally as veggie libel laws, are laws passed in thirteen U.S. states that make it easier for food producers to sue their critics for libel. These thirteen states are the following: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas.[1][needs update?] Many of the food-disparagement laws establish a lower standard for civil liability and allow for punitive damages and attorney's fees for plaintiffs alone, regardless of the case's outcome.[2]

These laws vary significantly from state to state, but food libel laws typically allow a food manufacturer or processor to sue a person or group who makes disparaging comments about their food products. In some states these laws also establish different standards of proof than are used in traditional American libel lawsuits, including the practice of placing the burden of proof on the party being sued.[2]

An example of the situation is the New York Times reporting about "facts from a study showing the amounts of lead found in over-the-counter calcium supplements" being censored.[3]

  1. ^ "Food-Disparagement Laws: State Civil & Criminal Statutes". FoodSpeak. 19 March 1998. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2003.
  2. ^ a b Collins, Ronald (23 March 1998). "Veggie-Libel Law Still Poses a Threat". Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  3. ^ "Farmers' Right to Sue Grows, Raising Debate on Food Safety". The New York Times.