⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Ninth Circuit hears a dispute over Hain Celestial's baby-food labels. Buyers sued over promotional statements about nutrient levels on the company's food packages. They say those statements violate an FDA rule generally restricting such claims on food intended specifically for children under two. They also say the claims inflated prices. Hain points to age-two-and-up notices and argues the products are intended for a wider group. The district court granted Hain summary judgment, resolving the claims without trial, and denied class certification, which would let the buyers pursue the case for other purchasers. On appeal, the buyers challenge both rulings. One question is what intended specifically means, and whether the company's marketing evidence creates a factual dispute for a jury. The other concerns California's Unfair Competition Law. May buyers seek a shared price-overcharge recovery without showing that the class relied on the allegedly unlawful parts of the labels? The company says the proposed class wrongly includes people buying for older children or themselves. The buyers answer that everyone paid a price increased by the allegedly unlawful labels.

Howard, et al. v. The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (No. 25-1919) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued October 19, 2026.