{"id":1703,"date":"2019-11-12T21:41:50","date_gmt":"2019-11-12T21:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farmstand.chee.studio\/case\/animal-legal-defense-fund-v-hormel\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T23:53:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T23:53:26","slug":"animal-legal-defense-fund-v-hormel","status":"publish","type":"case","link":"https:\/\/farmstand.org\/es\/case\/animal-legal-defense-fund-v-hormel\/","title":{"rendered":"Animal Legal Defense Fund v. Hormel"},"content":{"rendered":"

FarmSTAND (formerly the Food Project at Public Justice), the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the Richman Law Group filed a joint lawsuit in the District of Columbia Superior Court against Hormel Foods, alleging the company was misleading consumers through the advertising of its Natural Choice\u00ae brand of lunch meats and bacon. The suit resulted in a settlement that satisfied both parties. Explore documents made public through the suit in our Hormel Deep Dive<\/a> and read more about the case in Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to Hormel\u2019s branding campaign, the suit alleged, meats that the company advertised as \u201cnatural\u201d actually came from animals raised in factory farms that employ additives, hormones and antibiotics, and contain ingredients that constitute artificial preservatives \u2013 and in fact, were the same animals raised in the same conditions as those used for products like Spam. With the slogan \u201cMake the Natural Choice\u00ae\u201d and repeated claims that its Natural Choice\u00ae products were \u201c100% Natural\u201d and \u201cAll-Natural,\u201d Hormel Foods ran a wide-ranging advertising campaign that took advantage of consumers\u2019 beliefs that \u201cnatural\u201d meat came from animals raised in a specific, sustainable way. According to a 2015 Consumer Reports survey, half of consumers believed the \u201cnatural\u201d designation meant animals were raised outdoors. Hormel\u2019s Natural Choice\u00ae products, in contrast, were not from more humane or more natural farms, but came from the same industrialized factory farms as any of Hormel\u2019s other products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case went to the D.C. Court of Appeals, the highest court in the district, and established for the first time that consumer-oriented non-profits have standing to protect consumers under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act.<\/a> Following remand, the parties reached a settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alegatos de bienhecho<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Complaint (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiff’s Opposition to Hormel’s Motion to Dismiss (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Order Denying Hormel’s Motion to Dismiss (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supplemental Authority in Support of Opposition to Hormel’s Motion to Dismiss (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiff’s Opposed Motion to Compel Discovery (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Order Granting Motion to Compel Discovery (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiff’s Redacted Motion for Summary Judgment (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redacted Motion for Spoliation Sanctions (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiff’s Redacted Opposition to Hormel’s Opposed Motion for Summary Judgment (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiff’s Redacted Reply in Support of its Motion for Spoliation Sanctions (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiff’s Reply in Support of its Motion for Summary Judgment (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Order Granting Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Alegatos de apelaci\u00f3n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Appellant Opening Brief (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reply Brief for Appellant (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

D.C. Court of Appeals opinion reversing and remanding (Hormel)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FarmSTAND (formerly the Food Project at Public Justice), the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the Richman Law Group filed a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"issue":[19],"class_list":["post-1703","case","type-case","status-publish","hentry","issue-consumer-rights"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAnimal Legal Defense Fund v. 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