Legal Definitions - food-disparagement law

A food-disparagement law, also known as an agricultural-disparagement law, is a statute that aims to protect food producers from false and malicious reports of food contamination. It provides remedies for pecuniary harm resulting from such reports.

For instance, a typical statute applies to false and disparaging public statements that imply or claim that a perishable food product is unsafe for human consumption. It applies when the speaker or writer knows that the statements are false because the claim or implication has no basis in reliable scientific inquiry, facts, or data.

One example of a food-disparagement law is the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) of 1930. This law protects farmers and other sellers of perishable agricultural commodities from unfair business practices, such as non-payment or underpayment for their products.

Another example is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011. This law aims to ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply by shifting the focus from responding to food contamination to preventing it.

These examples illustrate how food-disparagement laws protect food producers from false and malicious reports of food contamination, ensuring the safety and integrity of the U.S. food supply.