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Subscribe to RSSA New Jersey bakery that put sugar in its sugar-free baked goods and turned out chocolate chip and blueberry muffins with nearly twice the fat printed on the labels has been shuttered at the urging of federal health officials.
A federal judge issued a consent decree against the Butterfly Bakery of Clifton, N.J., after Food and Drug Administration officials said the firm had mislabeled its sweets for years – despite warnings to stop.
“This injunction demonstrates that the FDA will seek enforcement action against companies that mislead consumers on the products they purchase,” said Melinda K. Plaisier, the FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “Until Butterfly Bakery meets FDA regulations, it will no longer be able to process or distribute their products.”
The FDA warned Butterfly Bakery chief executive Brenda Issac in 2011 to stop mislabeling the company’s treats.
In a letter, agency officials said tests showed the firm’s No-Sugar Added Blueberry Muffins contained more than twice the fat listed on nutrition labels. For instance, the label states that one serving – half of a muffin – contained 3.5 grams of fat. But the portion actually contained 9.4 grams of fat per half-muffin serving, about 170 percent beyond what the label said.
Another treat, Sugar-Free Double Chocolate Chip Muffins, contained about 444 percent more saturated fat than listed on the product label, the FDA said.
“Laboratory analysis showed that foods labeled as ‘sugar free’ contained sugar, and that certain products contained as much as three times the amount of labeled/declared sugar, two times the amount of labeled/declared fat and two times the amount of labeled/declared saturated fat,” FDA officials said in a press release.
The agency collected samples of the sweets in December 2010.
U.S. District Court Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh of the district of New Jersey signed the consent decree on March 5.
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“This injunction demonstrates that the FDA will seek enforcement action against companies that mislead consumers on the products they purchase,” said Melinda K. Plaisier, the FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs.
Why don't they go after all the companies that put GMO's and garbage in all of our food?
People have been eating GMO food since Mendel figured out how to grow his peas.
Corn is a GMO. Herp derp.
There is a difference however in natural techniques that have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years, and things like sticking scorpian DNA in tomatoes...
This story is so sweet, it's a cream puff piece. Donut juwanna know more ? Legally speaking, the FDA case is a piece of cake. They'll print anything to fatten the website.
Could you explain what the difference is, please? Not in general, like sticking scorpion DNA into tomatoes, but gene changes that actually happened?
Then you'll have to go back to the beginning of farming and animal husbandry. Cross fertilization of crops, selective breeding of animals, all have been going on for the known past. Most of the crops and farm animals have been selectively altered for better product since the beginning of agriculture. The only difference is that now it's done in the lab. and your fear of what you're unwilling to learn the facts about is making you look the fools.
This seems to be on the scale of a criminal violation. Surely, customers who bought the products in an effort to follow their medical doctor's health advise, should be able to sue.
Nice misleading folks who are diabetic.....as if it isn't hard enough already but to have incorrect information on top of it....
Geez, they could have killed a diabetic.
What took so long? This demonstrates that the federal government will let you cheat for years.
No, it demonstrates that the regulators have to follow all the steps. Because it's a fine balance between "Shut them down until they comply" and "Regulations? We don't need no steenkin' regulations!" So it takes time.
#4 - yeah - I was thinking that the action was CRIMINAL for a DIABETIC.
READ EVERY LABEL (specifically for the NON-INSULIN takers)
In no case is a food label written by the Hand Of God.
Didn't I see something like this on 'Seinfeld' once? Except it was froyo rather than baked goods. As they say, life imitates art!
A frozen yogurt place in my neighborhood got caught doing this. It explained why their sugar free, fat free froyo was so popular!
FDA approves the sale of cigarettes to white trash - smoking must be healthy!
What a waste of time...the rest of the major manufactuing plants are killing people with their lack of FDA oversight, but yet they can nail this little baker. After seeing Food Inc, I lost all faith in food regulation... the owner of this bakery must have pissed off someone, 'cause if the FDA can't be bothered to do inspections on dirty meat packing plants and others, why would they have any clue about this place?
Simple. Those dirty meat packing plants and so forth are large manufacturers with lots of money, not to mention the same "procedure" issues that allowed this bakery to stay open for so long. Gone are the days when our food supply was actually somewhat nutritious. Now it is all added fillers, preservatives, and many man-made chemicals not digestible in our bodies. The "fat" epidemic is one side effect but for two reasons. A) Some people don't give a crap what they eat---and believe if the FDA says it is safe, it has to be. B) Someone who eats food lacking in nutrition is going to remain hungry because the body was never given the nutrients it needs to survive---so the body wants more in search of nutrients. Hence why many overweight people say they can't help it and they shame skinny people for being "lucky". They can help it. They just have no idea how...and their bodies are honestly addicted to the crap they eat. As if all that isn't bad enough...
The end result of poor eating/processed foods/GMOs and everything I'm skipping is a very sick population and that affects every area of our lives. And the most ironic part? The healthy stuff is the cheapest---even more so when you buy locally/grow your own. Ten-fold if you factor the cost of healthcare in there too...but if we were a healthy nation, big pharm wouldn't have people to sell their crazy pills to. End rant.
Glad to see the place shut down but it really won't change much. The only thing that will is if many people start preparing their own fresh foods versus buying that frozen pizza or prepared dinner.
A good example of why there needs to be more regulators and more oversight. This kind of illegal activity should be made impossible. Hire as many regulators as it takes, and tax businesses to pay for it. Maybe if they pay enough taxes they will get the message. Anyone whining about government oversight, is likely someone like this bakery owner. Or someone who wants to be like them. A liar and a cheat.
Hopefully the customers they cheated and abused will sue them bankrupt.
How many diabetics did this woman kill? She should have been arrested too.
How many would be "ok" with you?
Yes, there do need to be more regulators and more oversight but more importantly, people need to take personal responsibility. Just because something is labled "sugar free" or "fat free" doesn't mean you can eat as much as you want of it. Everyone needs to read labels but everyone also needs to understand that the primary role of food is to provide us with the nutrients our body's need to stay healthy. Eating 5 "sugar free" treats can be just as bad as eating 5 full sugar treats. Treats should be an occasional indulgence, not a regular part of our diet.
That said, I'm glad they shut this place down.
But in this case, reading the labels wouldn't have mattered because they intentionally mislabeled their products.
i say fine them and actually put these pond scum in jail
they defrauded consumers and actually had to be forced to either comply or shut down
arrest those who flaunt the law
dont just give these miscrents a slap on the wrist
bring them to court and take all their ill gotten gains
do not allow the to just walk away