Michael Best’s Agribusiness, Food & Beverage practice represents more than 130 clients in every part of the industry. We serve clients at every link in the food production and distribution chain: growers, processors, makers, distributors, and retailers of food, feed products, and ingredients; as well as trade associations, equipment manufacturers, packagers, restaurant management companies, and other industry service providers. Our work involves M&A, real estate, environmental and other regulatory compliance, food safety, recalls, labeling/claims, intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, commodity contracting and logistics, and more. Legal Bites is a quarterly newsletter designed to keep our clients current on legal happenings affecting the industry.
Insights from Our Attorneys
Danone's abandonment of "Nutri-Score" is further evidence of the chaos in food and beverage labeling.
A major manufacturer, Danone, recently announced it will remove Nutri-Score from its dairy and plant-based drinkable products. The reason is a change in the way Nutri-Score classifies dairy beverages...Read more
"Zebra striping." A modern phrase for good judgment.
It seems like every time I read a new article, I learn there is another modern phrase I am supposed to incorporate into my food and beverage vernacular. The latest is “zebra striping,” the practice of alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages during the same occasion...Read more
Both predictable and predicted. Lawsuit filed against state of Florida over lab-grown meat ban.
On August 12, a Berkley, California-based company called Upside Foods brought suit against officials from the Florida Agriculture Commission alleging the prohibition is unconstitutional because it violates the company's right to sell its products through interstate commerce..Read more
I had no idea that I am an "open-omnivore." Are you one too?
It is hard for an old guy like me to keep up with all the new lingo. A couple months ago, I learned what FOMO means, which everyone tells me I should be embarrassed about. Just yesterday I learned what an “open-omnivore” is and that I probably identify as one. From what I can tell, I don't have to be embarrassed about that...Read more
Regulators Seek to Test Raw Milk for H5N1 in National Study
Last week, FDA, USDA and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments sent a joint letter to leadership of state Departments of Agriculture and Health alerting those state agencies of their collaboration on a study design for the sampling of raw milk from dairy processing intake silos for the presence of H5N1 (HPAI)...Read more
New Study Finds Ultra-Processed Plant-Based Food Can Increase Health Risks
For years, health advocates have urged a move away from meat-based proteins to plant-based alternatives. But a new study out concludes that even plant-based foods can be harmful for your health – if they are ultra-processed into a finished food product...Read more
PFAS is everywhere. What are we going to do about it?
Iwas recently quoted in an article by the legal publication, Law360, sharing my opinion that PFAS may be the “next asbestos” in toxic tort litigation. That was before a study came out in July that found PFAS throughout the food supply chain in white rice, eggs, red meat, seafood, and coffee...Read more