Suit Challenging Hebrew National Hot Dog Advertising Is Back In State Court

American Jewish World reports at length on the July 31 Minnesota state trial court hearing on a motion to dismiss in a long-running lawsuit against the manufacturer of Hebrew National hot dogs.  The suit, which alleges that ConAgra Food's advertising was deceptive because some of the meat in the hot dogs did not meet the proper standards for kosher slaughter, was remanded to state court by the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals last April. (See prior posting.) Prior decisions in the case have focused on whether the 1st Amendment bars the court from determining proper standards of kosher slaughter, and on whether any particular consumer can prove that the hot dogs he or she ate contained non-kosher meat.  At the conclusion of the hearing, the court asked the lawyers to file briefs on the issue of standing to bring the suit under consumer protection laws.