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Habeas Codfish: Reflections on Food and the Law
From the McDonald’s hot coffee case to the cattle ranchers’ beef with Oprah Winfrey, from the old English "Assize of Bread" to current nutrition labeling laws, what we eat and how we eat are shaped as much by legal regulations as by personal taste. Barry M. Levenson, the curator of the world-famous (really!) Mount Horeb Mustard Museum and a self-proclaimed "recovering lawyer," offers in Habeas Codfish an entertaining and expert overview of the frustrating, frightening, and funny intersections of food and the law.
Discover how Mr. Peanut shaped the law of trademark infringement for the entire food industry. Consider the plight of the restaurant owner besmirched by a journalist’s negative review. Find out how traditional Jewish laws of kashrut ran afoul of the First Amendment. Prison meals, butter vs. margarine, definitions of organic food, undercover ABC reporters at the Food Lion, the Massachusetts Supreme Court case that saved fish chowder, even recipes—it’s all in here, so tuck in!
Discover how Mr. Peanut shaped the law of trademark infringement for the entire food industry. Consider the plight of the restaurant owner besmirched by a journalist’s negative review. Find out how traditional Jewish laws of kashrut ran afoul of the First Amendment. Prison meals, butter vs. margarine, definitions of organic food, undercover ABC reporters at the Food Lion, the Massachusetts Supreme Court case that saved fish chowder, even recipes—it’s all in here, so tuck in!
- GenresNonfictionFoodLaw
263 pages, Hardcover
First published August 17, 2001
44 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 10, 2014
The two things I most enjoyed about this book:
1. The way that all of the information was presented in anecdotal form, making it easy to process/understand/remember. Like most people, I only really care about laws (or food, actually) when they affect me. If I'm not having to consciously adhere to them or eat them, they are not exactly at the forefront of my world.
2. It gave me the opportunity to start lots of conversations with "so, I'm reading this book about food law" and watch as looks of mild engagement turned quickly to horror as people realized I was about to discuss said book.
Truly, it's an interesting book and I heartily recommend it. But you'll have to get your own copy, mine's signed and I'm not loaning it out. :)
1. The way that all of the information was presented in anecdotal form, making it easy to process/understand/remember. Like most people, I only really care about laws (or food, actually) when they affect me. If I'm not having to consciously adhere to them or eat them, they are not exactly at the forefront of my world.
2. It gave me the opportunity to start lots of conversations with "so, I'm reading this book about food law" and watch as looks of mild engagement turned quickly to horror as people realized I was about to discuss said book.
Truly, it's an interesting book and I heartily recommend it. But you'll have to get your own copy, mine's signed and I'm not loaning it out. :)
July 25, 2011
Levenson is an appellate lawyer with an unnatural fixation on mustard in particular and food in general. He has written a accessible book on food and the law which will be enjoyed by people who enjoy such things ... and not likely anybody else. This perhaps explains why it was published by a university press.
October 20, 2012
Interesting food related legal stuff.
February 1, 2013
I am a big fan of the author, who curates a mustard museum in Mt. Horeb, Wis. I was also a featured reviewer of the book (quoted on the book jacket) harking back to my Gourmet News days.
December 31, 2012
Good book. Interesting.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews