Food Law
THE FOOD industry is beleaguered. Media, consumer groups and regulators keep issues like costs, safety, nutrition and obesity under close, often critical observation.
No matter how closely food laws are monitored, new developments which impact upon the operations of manufacturers, retailers and caterers can be easy to miss.
"There is an understandable tendency to look at the law from a narrow perspective", Hilary Ross, food law expert and Bond Pearce partner, says.
"But they may miss the wider legal context. We don't. We understand the most complex food issues and how these can be impacted upon by other areas of legislation such as the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive or developments in medicines legislation."
Hilary and her team have built a peerless reputation in the area of food law.
Its base is their understanding of food products and procedures throughout the manufacture and supply chain from pasture to plate. Their grasp of how regulators enforce and the courts apply the law means they deliver practical legal advice.
"Some legislation, especially European, can be inconsistent and at times incoherent" Ross says. "Words and phrases that make sense when applied to a particular product can be nonsensical when applied to foods generally. One typical example is the dense Regulation (EC) 1924/2006 which regulates nutrition and health claims.
"Enforcement issues are by no means clear cut further along the food chain. We monitor what is happening amongst the regulators - no easy task given 27 EU member states plus more than 200 UK local authorities responsible for bringing enforcement action."
Ross and her team cover the range of food law issues, including highly-regulated products such as food supplements, nutraceuticals, novel food and infant- and follow-on formulas.
"We work with clients through the various stages of this complex business, assisting them with launching and selling their products across the EU as well as defending them in relation to enforcement issues".
