A new lawsuit against Mott's over its applesauce could set the table for more legal food fights in D.C.

Mott's, a subsidiary of Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., this week filed to remove the consumer protection lawsuit against it in D.C. Superior Court to federal district court.

The lawsuit brought by D.C.-based nonprofit Beyond Pesticides claims Mott's illegally markets its applesauce as “all natural” despite having trace amounts of pesticide acetamiprid. Kim Richman, a plaintiffs lawyer representing Beyond Pesticides, said D.C. federal courts are an increasingly attractive spot for food-marketing litigation because of recent developments in the law and political climate.