A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Did a quick search to see if nutrition and ingredients were listed - they weren’t. Saw a lot of “our products are super nutritious trust me bro” in their ads.
Actually makes me thankful of all the regulations our food suppliers have to follow in the US.
IIRC - USA is a lot more arbitrary and less interested in the customer safety (and open for bribery, sorry I mean lobbying) and USA also has a good amount of stuff for sale that’s not allowed in EU.
There’s quite a few articles and videos on the subject, but it’s been a long time since I read or watched any.
I’m laughing because the EU has far stricter food regulations than the US. The way Americans think about news like this is kinda similar to how we see the US from our perspective here.
You said you view the USA’s regulatory standards as the USA views Nigeria’s but the USA enforces a full ingredient list so that’s kind of nonsensical. If a can of tomatoes went from the USA to EU there would likely be no issue. Even the more chemical sounding names like “Calcium Chloride” salt are commonplace in the EU, in fact I think it was developed there.
I think regulations are better in the EU but you chose a really shit example to use.
I think they’re really going to lose a lot of business over this lawsuit. If they had just left that lady alone hardly anyone would have seen her review lol
Only if you can get through the years of litigation, harassment, stress, and have the money to weather it out. Truth and justice are more easily attainable for those who can afford it.
No, not criminal prosecutions for what should be a minor issue, but definitely civil suits. SLAPP suits have been a problem, where the plaintiff doesn’t necessarily expect to win. They just want to punish people by making their lives miserable through drawn out litigation.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UN8bJb8biZU
Compared to other countries our risk is pretty low. Does the risk of a SLAPP keep you from reviewing a restaurant? In Portugal people that have been scammed out of money on non-existent rentals are scared to me names because of the very real risk of criminal prosecution.
In Portugal, as far as I know uniquelly in the Western World, Libel is a Criminal matter.
It’s mainly used by politicians (who have the influence to get the local version of the Public Prosecution Office to prosecute it) to go after people who accuse them of something as means to shut up less powerful people up.
(Personally I think the reason it’s Criminal rather than Civil is exactly so that the powerful or well-connected can use Justice as a tool against others for free rather than the American system were it’s the Moneyed that get to use Justice as a tool against others)
Unsurprisingly there is lots of corruption over here. Also Justice is so slow that it de facto doesn’t work for most of the time, though in this kind of situation they make sure it goes all the way.
(I actually know somebody who was convicted of Libel for accusing a politician of Corruption … and more than a decade later that guy was in jail for Corruption - first one ever in Portugal - and I can tell you lots of people inside the Public Prosecution Office from his party tried to discretelly shelve the process until the deadlines expired and had to be threatenned with being exposed in the Pressed)
It’s part of the reason why this country is such a disgrace (and I say this as somebody who lived and worked in a couple of countries in Europe so have lots of references to compare it against).
Did a quick search to see if nutrition and ingredients were listed - they weren’t. Saw a lot of “our products are super nutritious trust me bro” in their ads.
Actually makes me thankful of all the regulations our food suppliers have to follow in the US.
As a European: lol
Yeah - was about to do that
I think EU regulations for food and border-free movement between countries are the two most valuable EU advantages by far
I’m not sure what you’re loling about, only major difference between EU and USA nutrition labels are the percentage amount listings.
IIRC - USA is a lot more arbitrary and less interested in the customer safety (and open for bribery, sorry I mean lobbying) and USA also has a good amount of stuff for sale that’s not allowed in EU.
There’s quite a few articles and videos on the subject, but it’s been a long time since I read or watched any.
Is the EU better than the US in this respect? You bet.
Can the US do better? Sure.
But the US is definitely far better with food nutrition labels than many countries with unenforced laws.
They both require ingredient lists, though. This specific case could easily happen to either the EU or USA.
I’m laughing because the EU has far stricter food regulations than the US. The way Americans think about news like this is kinda similar to how we see the US from our perspective here.
The USA and EU both require a full list of ingredients, though.
Cool. But that wasn’t really what he was saying.
You said you view the USA’s regulatory standards as the USA views Nigeria’s but the USA enforces a full ingredient list so that’s kind of nonsensical. If a can of tomatoes went from the USA to EU there would likely be no issue. Even the more chemical sounding names like “Calcium Chloride” salt are commonplace in the EU, in fact I think it was developed there.
I think regulations are better in the EU but you chose a really shit example to use.
But it wasn’t just about ingredient lists but food standards and I literally did not use ANY example at all. Please stop the straw manning.
removed by mod
For now
That’s the 40 year reputation he’s worked so hard to build: oversweet tomato purée with no nutrition facts published.
This is such horseshit.
Don’t know if others reas the article but they made her stand in a cell with water on the floor, for at least twelve hours.
That’s like Abu Ghraib level indignity and prisoner abuse. Over some lost tomato purée contracts.
This should be a civil matter, but it’s being treated as a criminal matter.
Fuck this guy, and fuck the corrupt government he’s using to torment this lady.
I think they’re really going to lose a lot of business over this lawsuit. If they had just left that lady alone hardly anyone would have seen her review lol
Streisand effect hits hard
Amazing that we, as a species, are incapable of learning from history.
I mean there’s a reason there’s warning labels on everything about not doing the most obvious thing you should never do.
Not everyone reads the same stuff we do.
Which sucks. But that’s why.
I think it will eventually happen. But centuries away.
Makes me thankful that in the US the truth is a defense against libel.
Only if you can get through the years of litigation, harassment, stress, and have the money to weather it out. Truth and justice are more easily attainable for those who can afford it.
You don’t find this kind of criminal prosecution or civil actions in the US.
No, not criminal prosecutions for what should be a minor issue, but definitely civil suits. SLAPP suits have been a problem, where the plaintiff doesn’t necessarily expect to win. They just want to punish people by making their lives miserable through drawn out litigation. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UN8bJb8biZU
Compared to other countries our risk is pretty low. Does the risk of a SLAPP keep you from reviewing a restaurant? In Portugal people that have been scammed out of money on non-existent rentals are scared to me names because of the very real risk of criminal prosecution.
In Portugal, as far as I know uniquelly in the Western World, Libel is a Criminal matter.
It’s mainly used by politicians (who have the influence to get the local version of the Public Prosecution Office to prosecute it) to go after people who accuse them of something as means to shut up less powerful people up.
(Personally I think the reason it’s Criminal rather than Civil is exactly so that the powerful or well-connected can use Justice as a tool against others for free rather than the American system were it’s the Moneyed that get to use Justice as a tool against others)
Unsurprisingly there is lots of corruption over here. Also Justice is so slow that it de facto doesn’t work for most of the time, though in this kind of situation they make sure it goes all the way.
(I actually know somebody who was convicted of Libel for accusing a politician of Corruption … and more than a decade later that guy was in jail for Corruption - first one ever in Portugal - and I can tell you lots of people inside the Public Prosecution Office from his party tried to discretelly shelve the process until the deadlines expired and had to be threatenned with being exposed in the Pressed)
It’s part of the reason why this country is such a disgrace (and I say this as somebody who lived and worked in a couple of countries in Europe so have lots of references to compare it against).
Lots of local police departments in USA too frequently arrest people for bullshit charges when called out