Legal Counsel for Food and Beverage Manufacturers and Importers

Food and beverage companies work in a competitive, thin-margin, and heavily regulated business. MDRXLaw advises manufacturers, importers, and distributors on regulatory compliance, brand protection, commercial transactions, and disputes, so legal issues are handled before they interrupt production, imports, or sales.

From FDA and USDA requirements to consumer lawsuits and regulatory enforcement, we help clients in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and other states keep products on the shelf.

FDA and USDA Regulatory Compliance

We advise on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and related rules, to name a few. Our work includes:

  • Reviewing ingredients, additives, and GRAS notification strategy, and dietary ingredient notifications.

  • Packaging and labeling requirements, including nutrition and claim statements.

  • Facility, manufacturing, and handling compliance, and preparing for government inspections.

  • Responding to FDA warning letters and USDA enforcement notices.

  • Recalls, market withdrawals, and crisis management.

  • Import and export issues for importers, including Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) obligations, prior notice, and responding to detentions and import alerts.

Consumer and Regulatory Defense

A label claim can lead to a consumer lawsuit, a class action, or an inquiry from the FDA, the FTC, or a state attorney general, sometimes all at once. We defend food and beverage manufacturers and distributors in these matters and review labels and marketing before a claim is challenged. Learn more about our Food & Beverage Consumer & Regulatory Defense practice.

Brand Protection and Intellectual Property

Your brand is often your most valuable asset. We help food and beverage manufacturers, importers, and distributors protect and enforce it:

  • Trademark clearance, registration, and licensing, and copyright protection.

  • Domestic and international trademark litigation in the food and beverage industry.

  • Grey market and parallel import disputes, including the unauthorized importing and selling of genuine branded products.

  • Advertising review and counsel.

Corporate, Real Estate, and Employment

We support the business side of food and beverage companies as well:

  • Corporate and transactions: licensing, marketing, and distribution agreements; processing, equipment, and supply contracts; mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions; joint ventures; equity and debt financings; board governance and shareholder matters; securities reporting; and bankruptcy issues.

  • Real estate and environmental: property acquisition and disposal, leasing, facility development and construction, and federal, state, and local environmental permits.

  • Employment: wage and hour, wrongful termination, equal employment and ADA compliance, workplace policies, and nondisclosure and noncompetition agreements.

Talk to Us

If you are launching a product, importing food, protecting a brand, or responding to a demand letter or regulatory notice, contact us for a confidential consultation.