Food safety and product liability

Whether you need help developing policies and procedures that protect your business from food safety and product liability issues, or to address any matters of concern, our experts can help. 

Food safety and product liability are key to every food and agribusiness, their brand reputation and the health of their customers. 

Our specialists can assist across your organisation, from setting quality policies that protect your product, through to guiding risk assessments and providing expertise on Food Safety Requirements.

We can jump into action when issues arise, advising on handling product recalls and withdrawals, defending food and drink product liability claims and trading standards prosecutions. 

Our experience covers a range of products, in particular health claims, labelling and food policies. We also deal with litigation on contract terms to recover losses.

Our lawyers

Our experience of assisting a wide range of clients in the food and beverage sector gives us an exceptional understanding of the requirements and sensitivities in investigating safety matters.

Our experience

Our clients range from fresh produce producers through to restaurants. Each case is investigated on its own facts but we are here to guide, protect and advise. Recent examples of our work include:

  • ​Supporting a major producer of chilled meals when food with unacceptable levels of ecoli was distributed to a UK supermarket chain. We helped the client understand its regulatory and contractual obligations, supported its work with the supermarket to recall the product and negotiated an overall settlement.
  • Assisting a large international food business on a product liability matter concerning raised levels of chemical contamination in a global supply chain.
  • Advising on novel foods, ingredients, production methods, authorisation processes and responsibilities for a bakery business.
  • Helping a major fast food chain with its advertising, including advising on health and nutrition claims, country of origin and product liability.
  • Supporting an importer and processor of raw ingredients on a patent infringement issue.
  • Advising on product liability and interpretation of Food Safety Requirements under Regulation 178/2002 to a number of major and trans-European food producers. This included acting as a liaison between the producers, Trading Standards officers and the Food Standards Agency.

Our clients

We have experience working with a range of companies including:

  • Smaller start-ups through to International branded food and beverage companies
  • Food and feed processors
  • Restaurants and caterers

Legal resources you may find useful

Please see our food and agribusiness blog for regular updates.

Further reading

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