Today the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) pointed to a recent ruling by the New Jersey state appeals court that threw out yet another frivolous lawsuit filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). CSPI, a self-described “food police” group with a long history of filing media stunt lawsuits, alleged in July 2009 that the amount of sodium in Denny’s items violates New Jersey’s consumer protection statutes. The second New Jersey court upheld the dismissal of the case.
The baseless lawsuit against Denny’s restaurant is not the first time CSPI has been smacked down by the courts. For years, the group has filed frivolous lawsuits in an effort to legitimize their view that consumers are too stupid to make informed food choices on their own. Despite the media attention these lawsuits create, CSPI has never once won a major courtroom victory. In fact, CSPI’s litigators rarely ever see the inside of a courtroom. CSPI’s suits against companies like KFC and Burger King have ended in defeat, with one federal judge describing CSPI’s legal efforts as “futile.”
“This lawsuit, like so many others filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, was little more than a glorified press release based on their paternalistic need to regulate our food choices and shakedown companies,” said J. Justin Wilson, CCF’s Senior Research Analyst. “It’s high time consumers and reporters turn a deaf ear to CSPI’s attention-seeking litigation.”
CSPI, it seems, fundamentally disagrees with the concept of personal responsibility in food choices. Instead, the group has advocated for a host of draconian taxes, bans, and lawsuits aimed at restricting American’s food and drink choices. Despite having the word “science” in their name, CSPI’s lawsuits are far more about scare tactics and PR than they are about science.
