Accused of Mislabeling Food, Butterfly Bakery Enters Deal With FDA

WASHINGTONA judge has approved a consent decree that permanently enjoins Butterfly Bakery, Inc., and its president Brenda Isaac from processing and distributing food until the company complies with federal law and regulations, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday.

Butterfly Bakery, based in Clifton, N.J., was found by FDA to be mislabeling the content of fat and sugar in its foods. 

The consent decree signed by U.S. District Court Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh gives FDA the option to assess damages against Butterfly Bakery for committing future infractions of the law or the agreement, the agency said.

This injunction demonstrates that the FDA will seek enforcement action against companies that mislead consumers on the products they purchase," said Melinda K.  Plaisier, the FDAs acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs, in a statement. Until Butterfly Bakery meets FDA regulations, it will no longer be able to process or distribute their products."

A person who answered the phone at Butterfly Bakery late Wednesday said Isaac was not immediately available to comment.

In a warning letter dated May 31, 2011, FDA advised Isaac that it discovered certain muffins at the bakery contained far more sugar and fat than were specified on the labels. Thus, the agency said the products were "misbranded" in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and relevant regulations. FDA also declared the muffins failed to disclose the presence of milk, a significant food allergen, on the labels. In the press release Wednesday, FDA further noted lab analysis showed foods labeled as "sugar free" actually contained the substance.

Butterfly Bakery's website is under construction but the company has a Facebook page with 2,469 likes.

"In 1998 founder and CEO Brenda Isaac had a dream to create sugar free baked goods that her diabetic mother could enjoy. And so Butterfly Bakery was born," the company states in the "About" section of its Facebook page.