Ronald K.L. Collins

About the author: Ronald K.L. Collins is the director of the Foodspeak Project, a coalition organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest to fight fooddisparagement laws.

Food-disparagement laws pose a considerable threat to food safety by limiting the ability of activists and reporters to speak about potentially dangerous foods. These laws limit First Amendment rights while benefiting special business interests. The possibility of litigation means that food critics must either prepare for costly lawsuits when they choose to speak out or remain quiet about food safety threats. The scientific evidence standard in the laws—which requires that the food critics' claims be based on reliable scientific facts and data—further discourages open discussion because that evidence is frequently impossible to ascertain or is owned by the...