Court Opinion

ID: 9743988
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:51:37.308011+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:46.022166
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE HEIPLE, dissenting: The majority decision overturns the long-standing doctrine in Illinois regarding the sale, purchase and consumption of food products. Since 1944, Illinois has followed the so-called foreign-natural doctrine. (Goodwin v. Country Club of Peoria (1944), 323 Ill. App. 1.) Stated in its simplest terms, the foreign-natural doctrine provides that the vendor of food is not liable for injuries due to unremoved but naturally occurring ingredients such as nut shells, fruit pits, fish bones and so forth but is liable for foreign objects in the food such as glass shards or pieces of metal. The majority opinion in the instant case discards the foreign-natural doctrine and substitutes the reasonable expectation test. In its essence, that test provides that the vendor of a food product is liable for injuries caused by an ingredient in the food whether natural or foreign whenever the consumer of the product would not reasonably have expected to find the substance in the product. In truth, the reasonable expectation test is what gave rise to the foreign-natural doctrine. That is to say, since it would be reasonable to expect to find a nut shell in a product containing nuts, there would be no liability. Rather than approach each broken tooth or other injury on a case-by-case basis, it was deemed more expeditious and efficient to crystallize the matter into the foreign-natural doctrine. That doctrine both did justice and promoted judicial economy. A reversion to the reasonable expectation test simply means that each food-related injury in this State will be subject to a lawsuit to determine whether the consumer’s reasonable expectation was violated. The costs will be significant, first to the manufacturers and second to the consuming public. It is axiomatic that all production costs eventually end up in the price of the product. Additionally, if the costs exceed profitability, the product leaves the market place altogether and the consumers lose choice, selection and availability of products. The effects of this decision will go far beyond the defendant Nestle-Beich Company, whose candy caused a broken tooth. It extends to all manufacturers and purveyors of food products including the neighborhood baker, the hot dog vendor and the popcorn man. Watch out Orville Redenbacher! The continued march towards strict and absolute liability for others (others meaning anyone not injured who has assets) and the absence of any responsibility by the injured for their own welfare takes yet another step with this majority ruling. Accordingly, I dissent.