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Legislation and Regulation

Block v. Community Nutrition Institute

The parties challenging the decision in Nova Scotia Food were producers directly affected by the agency's regulation. That is, the plaintiffs were so-called "objects of the regulation." Directly regulated parties like these rarely have difficulty meeting the requirements for standing to sue. What if the agency had specified safety requirements for botulism that consumers felt were not stringent enough? Would those consumers have standing? Would those consumers have a valid cause of action for bringing suit? This next case grapples with these challenges.