Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a settlement via Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with Albertsons Safeway LLC, prohibiting the company from misting organic produce with synthetic pesticides like ProduceMaxx in all Texas stores. The settlement requires Albertsons-owned grocery chains to stop using synthetic antimicrobial pesticides in misting systems on organic produce and implement potable water rinses for organic produce after any prior treatments. The action follows an investigation launched in January 2026 into undisclosed pesticide use on USDA-certified organic produce.
Albertsons-owned grocery stores in Texas must immediately stop using ProduceMaxx or any other synthetic antimicrobial pesticide in misting systems on organic produce. Stores must also require employees to perform a potable water rinse on all organic produce after any ProduceMaxx treatment. The settlement is formalized via a legally binding Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (AVC).
In-house legal teams at grocery retail chains should review produce supplier agreements to add explicit prohibitions on synthetic pesticide use, including in misting systems, for USDA-certified organic produce, and require suppliers to provide written certification of compliance with organic labeling standards. Vendor agreements with misting system providers should be updated to ban the use of unapproved antimicrobial pesticides like ProduceMaxx on organic produce. Additionally, customer-facing marketing and labeling clauses should be reviewed to ensure accurate disclosures of all chemical treatments applied to organic produce, and employee training agreements should include requirements for proper rinsing of organic produce post-treatment.
Entity
Albertsons Safeway LLC
Industry
RetailOfficial Press Release
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-secures-historic-settlement-grocery-store-chains-across-texas-stopping
AVC A
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/AVC%20A.pdf
Texas Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/privacy
"Albertsons Safeway LLC (“Albertsons”), the parent company of over ten different grocery stores chains"
"May 19, 2026 | Press Release"
"across the entire state of Texas"
"Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a settlement with Albertsons Safeway LLC"
"stop using ProduceMaxx or any other synthetic antimicrobial pesticide in misting systems on organic produce"
"signed an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance (“AVC”)"
$7.5M
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a $7.5 million settlement with Tris Pharmaceuticals over alleged misrepresentations about the efficacy of Dyanavel XR, an ADHD drug marketed for children. The release says the company overstated the drug’s efficacy and directed sales representatives to make misleading claims to doctors, including Medicaid providers.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an agreement with Plum Organics requiring stronger testing and limits for heavy metals in covered baby food products, along with publicly accessible testing results. The release does not state a monetary penalty; the agreement follows an ongoing investigation into baby food manufacturers.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, its parent Health Care Service Corporation, and related entities over alleged denials or delays of urgent and medically necessary care and potentially burdensome prior authorization requirements. The investigation is ongoing; the Attorney General issued a Civil Investigative Demand to obtain information and assess potential violations of Texas law.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a consumer alert warning Texas businesses and nonprofits about a surge of demand letters alleging California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) violations based on common website technologies such as cookies, pixels, and analytics tools. The AG cautions that some letters may exaggerate or misrepresent violations and may be fraudulent, noting serial CIPA plaintiff Vivek Shah has been declared a vexatious litigant. Recipients are advised not to pay or respond directly, to consult privacy counsel, and to report suspected fraud to the Consumer Protection Division.
A Texas state district court (Judge Cory Liu) has found TikTok liable for lying to parents about the safety of its platform and for exposing children to inappropriate and explicit content, making Texas the first state in the nation to hold TikTok liable on these claims. The court found that although TikTok claimed it would remove graphic videos depicting drugs, nudity, alcohol, injuries, and profanity, such videos remained accessible to minors, even under 'Restricted Mode.' No penalty has been imposed yet; Attorney General Paxton will proceed to trial, expected next month, where relief and penalties will be determined.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp., the U.S. government contractor that administers the VA Community Care Network and the Defense Health Agency's TRICARE West Region, over reports that it wrongfully denied health care claims by falsely treating insureds as having other health insurance (OHI). The OAG has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) and plans to interview consumers and employees to determine whether TriWest violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. No findings or penalties have been imposed yet.