Your agribusiness operates under a compliance framework that most general attorneys do not fully understand – and that most farms still underestimate. FSMA compliance is not a checklist you complete once and file away. It is a legal and operational obligation that has shifted the food safety model in this country from reaction to prevention,
Meat and poultry companies usually call legal counsel when FSIS has already acted. A Notice of Intended Enforcement lands. A HACCP verification issue triggers a same-day response. A labeling question turns into a hold, a recall discussion, or a noncompliance record. What I see less often is a government relations lawyer at the table while
Meat and Poultry Government Relations Lawyer: FSIS, Congress, and USDA Policy Read More »
Animal health policy gets harder to manage when a company treats USDA as one regulator with one set of tools. I would not advise a client to do that. APHIS and FSIS share a cabinet department; after that, the similarities fade quickly. For livestock, poultry, and veterinary product companies, that split often decides whether a
Crop insurance doesn’t sit still while everyone waits on the next Farm Bill. Every year, appropriators decide how much room the federal crop insurance program has for RMA staffing, product review, report language, and operating instructions from Congress. If your company watches only the Farm Bill, you miss the annual decisions that shape how crop
California’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) packaging law, Senate Bill 54 (SB 54), formally known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act is at the center of a significant federal lawsuit that could shape the future of EPR and packaging regulation nationwide. On June 22, 2026, a coalition of 17 states led by Nebraska
Your FSIS inspector flags a sanitation issue during routine review. FDA issues a warning letter citing preventive controls violations. USDA questions your animal-raising label claims. Any of these compliance failures can trigger enforcement escalation – from warning letters to civil penalties, suspension of operations, or mandatory recalls. The regulatory framework governing food and agriculture operations
Government Compliance and Risk Management in Food & Agriculture Read More »
Meat and poultry processors face labeling rejections from FSIS that delay product launches and waste printing costs. Label approval specialists cite obscure policy memos and technical violations that weren’t apparent from reading the core regulations. I know this because USDA labeling laws and requirements represent one of the most detailed regulatory frameworks in food production
Meat, Poultry & Egg Labeling Laws: USDA Labeling Requirements Read More »
Agricultural businesses operating under USDA regulations face policy shifts every five years when Congress passes the Farm Bill. These massive legislative packages – sometimes exceeding 1,000 pages – reshape USDA programs, enforcement priorities, and compliance requirements across every regulated sector. I know this because the Farm Bill determines which USDA programs receive funding and enforcement
The Farm Bill and What It Means for USDA-Regulated Industries Read More »
Despite the Senate’s passage of a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through January 30, 2026, and the House’s likely passage of a similar bill later this week, the Trump Administration is continuing the legal fight over November’s SNAP benefits. To recap recent events: Last Thursday afternoon, the Rhode Island federal judge issued a
Oh, SNAP! USDA Is Continuing to Fight Against Payment of Full November SNAP Benefits Read More »
The ongoing federal government shutdown is placing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in a precarious position. As the shutdown stretches into its third week, uncertainty looms over whether approximately 42 million Americans will receive their November 2025 SNAP benefits. SNAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food & Nutrition Service (FNS).
Oh, SNAP! Impacts of the Federal Government Shutdown on SNAP Beneficiaries Read More »
USDA is currently open and fully operational. If you are searching whether the USDA is shut down right now, the short answer is no. The FY2026 government shutdown ended on November 12, 2025 — 43 days after it began on October 1, 2025 — when Congress passed and President Trump signed appropriations legislation providing full
USDA Government Shutdown: Agency Operations Guide [Updated March 2026] Read More »
The following was published in Agri-Pulse on March 20, 2025. Within the backdrop of Congressional budget reconciliation, there will be no easy decisions for an eventual savings target imposed on the Ag Committees to hit (a target they didn’t ask to receive). When considering how they’ll hit their required cost-cutting number, among the range of
A SNAP Cost-share Would Cost States Double Read More »
The food, agriculture, and trade sectors are aware the Trump Administration could bring myriad policy changes that could have a significant impact on business. OFW Law provides an initial outlook at the new administration’s approach to food, agriculture, and trade, which will be influenced by individual cabinet and other executive branch appointments who will help
Food, Ag, & Trade Outlook in the Incoming Trump Administration Read More »
Background On June 29, 2023, the EU’s Regulation on deforestation-free products entered into force, with an 18-month transition period until enforcement begins on December 30, 2024. The rationale for the regulations is to limit the expansion of agricultural land that is linked to the production of specific products, currently defined as cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm
Six Months and Counting – EU’s Deforestation-Free Supply Chain Regulation Read More »
FSIS currently has two other rulemakings under review at OMB. Both are slated to be finalized in early 2024: Salmonella in Not-Ready-to-Eat Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims Other This month, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) noted that a proposed rule addressing Salmonella in poultry is
November Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On October 17, 2023, Arkansas became the first state to enforce a state law banning certain foreign entities from owning agricultural land (doing so under Act 636, which blocks “prohibited foreign-party-controlled business” from owning public or private land directly or through affiliation). Arkansas Attorney General, Tim Griffin ordered Syngenta Seeds LLC. to sell 160 acres
Arkansas Becomes the First State to Enforce Foreign-Ownership Land Restrictions Read More »
OFW Law’s USDA Practice Head, John Dillard, will be providing a free webinar on USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) regulatory requirements for labeling meat and poultry products on July 12th (Wednesday) at Noon Eastern. The webinar is hosted by the National Agricultural Law Center and is open to the public — CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. John’s
Dillard to Provide Webinar on USDA Meat and Poultry Labeling Requirements Read More »
On June 21, 2023, USDA issued Grants of Inspection (GOI) to two companies that intend to manufacture cell-cultured chicken products, Upside Foods and Good Meat Company (as well as a Good Meat co-packer, Joinn Biologics). Along with the GOI, FSIS released FSIS Directive 7800.1, “FSIS Responsibilities in Establishments Producing Cell-Cultured Meat and Poultry Food Products,”
June Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On Friday, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its first draft guidance on the conduct of clinical trials for psychedelic drugs. The Draft Guidance for Industry, Psychedelic Drugs: Considerations for Clinical Investigations, if finalized, will guide researchers investigating psychedelics as potential treatments for medical conditions. There has been significant media, marketing, and legislative interest
FDA Issues First Draft Guidance on Clinical Trials with Psychedelic Drugs Read More »
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will include ‘Hemp’ in the title of one of the six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees (ATACs) – noting a significant evolution in both agriculture and cannabis policy. Specifically, ‘Hemp’ has now earned a place within the ATAC titled ‘Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts, and Hemp.’ The ATACs were established under
Hemp Now Included in Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) Read More »
On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court published its opinion in National Pork Producers Council v. Ross. In a 5-4 decision, the justices agreed to uphold provisions of California’s ballot initiative, Proposition 12, that require whole, uncooked cuts of pork sold at retail in California to be produced in accordance with California’s farm animal
May Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On January 4, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Semiannual Regulatory Agendas for Fall 2022. All Federal Agency Regulatory Agendas can be found here. On December 20, 2023, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a regulatory review; request for public comment on “Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims
January Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
OFW Law Principal John Dillard has received the 2022 Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics Apex Award. The Apex Award is given to individuals associated with Purdue’s Agricultural Economics Department who have made outstanding accomplishments in their fields. The Apex Award is the highest honor bestowed by Purdue’s Agricultural Economics Department. In connection with the
Dillard Receives Purdue University Apex Award Read More »
OFW Law’s Ken Ackerman was featured in an Agri-Pulse article discussing the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA). In the article, “While Foreign Purchases of US Land Surge, USDA’s Reporting Penalties Plunge,” Mr. Ackerman discussed his experience in representing clients on AFIDA matters. AFIDA is a law administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). Under
OFW Law’s Ackerman Discusses AFIDA in Agri-Pulse Read More »
On November 1, 2022, the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Janet Woodcock had a virtual meeting on “Regulatory Pathways for Hemp Products, including Cannabidiol (CBD)” with representatives of the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of the Secretary and the Executive Office of the President. This meeting was announced
FDA’s Woodcock Holds Meeting on Regulatory Pathways for Hemp and CBD Read More »
Today, September 21, 2022, at the United Nations General Assembly, President Biden announced $2.9 billion in assistance to address global food insecurity and urged other countries to follow suit. President Biden stressed: “If parents cannot feed their children, nothing else matters.” This announcement comes as the Biden administration is taking serious steps to combat the
Food Security a Priority at UN Read More »
OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the developments from August that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
August Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
The State of Massachusetts will delay enforcement of its Question 3 regulations that would restrict pork sales in the state
Massachusetts Delays Enforcement of Question 3 Pork Restrictions Read More »
OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the developments from June that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
June Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On June 6, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it released an online page providing both federal and state resources and contacts available for human and animal food producers who may be “harvesting, mixing, storing, or distributing grains and other foods” prior to and after experiencing a severe or inclement weather event
Resources for Human and Animal Food Producers Affected by Severe Weather Incidents Read More »
OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the developments from May that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
May Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On May 18, 2022, the White House Office of Public Engagement held its first biweekly stakeholder call providing updates on the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health planned for September 2022. The purpose of the session was to provide preliminary information about upcoming virtual regional public listening sessions to hear ideas and learn
White House Updates Plans for Nutrition Conference Read More »
OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the developments from April that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
April Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On April 4, 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the new Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP). The first phase of ELRP (i.e., Phase 1) will provide payments to producers who faced increased supplemental feed costs as a result of forage losses
OFW’s Food & Agriculture team regularly monitors announcements and policy issuances from FDA, USDA, and other agencies to keep our clients apprised of regulatory developments that may impact their business. Here are a few of the developments from March that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
March Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
