Food law

We will accompany you in all stages of the innovation cycle and in product development from the first idea to the final design of the label. From food regulatory compliance of individual ingredients to correct labelling and the use of claims – we will contribute our many years of experience in innovation management and regulatory compliance.

Therefore you will have to revise the labels of all your products … We will support you in the development of new labels which will comply with the requirements of the new Food Information Regulation.
We can also organise an inhouse-training on this topic for your compliance managers. Contact us for a concrete offer Button mit Link zu Kontakt

The new European Food Information Regulation requires that as of December 2014 comprehensive information incl. an ingredients list, allergens, a detailed nutrition declaration etc. has to be available to consumers already when they order products in the internet. We will support you in the adaptations of your online shop and the preparation and provision of all information legally required for your products.

The farther away the country of origin, the more difficult regulatory compliance will be, in particular for processed foods and food supplements. . We will help you with the regulatory compliance of imported products and the creation and translation of product labels.

The farther away the destination country, the more difficult regulatory compliance will be, in particular for processed foods and food supplements. We will help you with the regulatory compliance of exported products in co-operation with our international partner network.

There are many issues to consider and small details to assess when you target an acquisition: turnover, employees, costs etc. However, what is often neglected is the due diligence for the food regulatory assessment of products and their formulations, ingredients and packaging. In the course of a take-over we will analyse this area for you down to the last detail, either independently or together with your due diligence-team.

When acquiring a trademarked product including its formulation the food regulatory due diligence for its recipe, ingredients or packaging is often missed out. In the course of such an acquisition we will analyse this area for you down to the last detail, either independently or together with your due diligence-team.

Normally foodstuffs do not need an authorisation in the European Union, except novel foods. We determine if your exotic fruit from Hawaii or the product from New Zealand – to date unknown in Europe – which you want to market in the EU will need a premarket approval. If so, we will manage the authorisation procedure for you.

We will manage the authorisation procedure for you. We are well acquainted with all administrative, regulatory and scientific requirements for these proceedings through our extensive experience with European approval procedures and our co-operation with the European Commission in Brussels and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma.

We will manage the authorisation procedure for you. We are well acquainted with all administrative, regulatory and scientific requirements for these proceedings through our extensive experience with European approval procedures and our co-operation with the European Commission in Brussels and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma.

The marketing of foods with health benefits or beneficial nutritional properties has increased significantly in recent years. We determine together with you which claims you can use for your products in compliance with the European Health Claims Regulation 1924/2006. If you intend to obtain an authorisation for a health claim for a new innovative product or ingredient, we will be your partner to manage the authorisation procedure for you.

In addition to the approval of claims we also plan and execute EU approvals for food additives and flavourings. We are well acquainted with all administrative, regulatory and scientific requirements for these proceedings through our extensive experience with European approval procedures and our co-operation with the European Commission in Brussels and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Parma.

EC-Regulation 282/2008 on recycled plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foods requires that recycling processes for plastic waste need a premarket approval. We determine the required challenge tests to determine the effectiveness of your recycling technology and execute the authorisation procedure for you.

The right customs classification of foods and their raw materials, ingredients and packaging are of significant economic importance. We are perfectly familiar with the Harmonized System of the World Customs Organisation and the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union. We will determine for you the correct customs classification of your products and identify room for improvement.

For foods and agricultural products with non-EU origin customs tariff can vary widely. Whether you have to pay 0% or 30% duties will not only depend on the country of origin but also on the applied tariff heading. We support you with the customs classification of finished products, semi-manufactured goods, individual ingredients or packaging, and identify room for improvement to obtain legal certainty.

We advise you on national and European lobbying and identify potential partners such as associations and organisations. With our knowledge of European institutions and legislative procedures we will develop targeted and effective options for action.

“Also associations are the result of a make-or-buy decision” (James M. Buchanan, Nobel laureate in economic sciences 1986).
We develop together with you the criteria for a decision and support you with the formation of national and international associations.

We assess each case on its merits and prepare the next steps together with you. We carry out a full risk analysis which meets all requirements of EU food law to decide which information requirements you have to comply with and which actions you have to take.

The extortion of food business operators happens all the time and goes from amateurish attempts to the exercise of massive criminal energy. Based on our experience with such situations we carry out a realistic risk assessment which will help you and your partners to take appropriate next steps in your crisis management. In addition, we support you with the preparation of crisis-PR, in particular with a media-appropriate presentation of scientific topics.

In such situations we support you with internal and external communication and expert opinions to beat the charges against you.

We represent you competently and result-oriented in national and European administrative proceedings, for example for obtaining an authorisation.
Our ultimate goal is an out of court settlement with competitors, authorities or NGOs and the avoidance of lawsuits. However, if necessary we will represent you at court within the scope of our admission or resort to our network.