The food chain is complex and diverse

The food chain is complex and diverse, as is the underlying law. In recent years, product safety and quality assurance have prevailed in any rules imposed by Brussels. Risk management and chain assurance are concepts on every food industry player’s mind. Despite all the assurance systems and good intentions in the chain, something may still go wrong. Adequate follow-up is important in such a case, as is a good relationship with the regulator. Labelling is another source of controversy; competitors watch each other critically and many a dispute is brought before the civil court (or the Advertising Code Committee). Regulators such as the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit, NVWA) play an important part in food law enforcement and are in frequent contact with their counterparts across the EU.

 

Expertise

HVG Law assists companies operating on all levels of the food chain. From growers to distributors and from producers to retailers: HVG Law advises and takes legal action in matters regarding:

• the General Food Law Regulation
• labelling issues
• reserved designations and designations of origin
• assistance in enforcement and sanction proceedings
• product liability and product recalls
• tracking and tracing
• nutrition and health claims
• food safety
• the CMO Regulation