Your inspectors left the floor this morning. Production stopped when they did, because you can’t produce meat or poultry for commerce without an inspector on site. The cost starts immediately and keeps running while you decide what to do. I’ve worked FSIS enforcement matters for meat and poultry establishments for years. The same failure, at
How to Restore Operations After an FSIS Suspension of Inspection Read More »
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 »
Your FSIS inspector just documented another noncompliance record. Your corrective actions keep getting rejected. And now you’re trying to explain to your operations team why production is on hold – again – because of compliance issues you thought were already resolved. I’ve watched meat and poultry establishments struggle with this exact pattern. They understand food
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 »
Your product launches are delayed. Your labeling team just received contradictory guidance from two different federal agencies. And now you’re facing questions from your legal department about which food labeling laws actually apply to your products. I’ve guided food manufacturers through this exact compliance maze for years – and the confusion isn’t your fault. FDA
Food Labeling Laws: FDA vs USDA Requirements and Enforcement Risks Read More »
John Dillard, OFW Law’s USDA and FSIS lead, works with meat, poultry, and egg products establishments when inspection problems can threaten production. For those plants, USDA compliance lives on the production floor. FSIS inspectors verify it while the line is running, often every shift. FSIS finds problems during production through the inspection staff assigned to
USDA and FSIS Compliance: What Meat, Poultry, and Food Manufacturers Need to Know Read More »
Your meat or poultry processing facility produces premium products with exceptional quality control and safety standards. Yet one USDA labeling violation can trigger product recalls, establishment shutdowns, and regulatory sanctions that destroy years of brand development and market positioning. With FSIS ramping up enforcement actions heading into 2026, even minor labeling errors now carry greater
USDA Labeling Requirements in 2026: Complete Guide for Meat, Poultry & Egg Products 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 significant developments from June. If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to
June Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On July 5, 2023, FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jointly sent six (6) cease and desist letters to companies marketing and selling edible products containing Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in packaging similar to snacks and candy ordinarily eaten by children On July 27, 2023, the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Health Care and
July Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap 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 »
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 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 »
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 January that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
January Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On November 16, 2021, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, through a lottery system, drew the 6th Circuit as the U.S. Court of Appeals that will hear the consolidated lawsuits against the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) published in the Federal Register on November 5, 2021. The OSHA ETS, which
On Tuesday, November 16th, 2021, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) held an informal informational meeting on the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China’s (GACC) Decrees 248 and 249 affecting U.S. agricultural exports. The Decrees, which were published in 2019, set out new
USTR/USDA Holds Open Meeting to Discuss China Decrees 248 and 249 Read More »
Federal Contractors are being given additional time and flexibility to address the vaccination mandate – Employees must be fully vaccinated by January 18, 2022. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Contracting Officers Have Enormous Discretion To Add Vaccine Mandate Clause to Product Contracts. On November
UPDATE: Federal Contractor Vaccine Mandate 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 October that we took note of. If you have any questions or would like more information, please
October Food and Agriculture Regulatory Recap Read More »
On October 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that it will be undertaking a new approach to regulating Salmonella in poultry (i.e., turkey and chicken). In the coming months, FSIS will begin a series of roundtables to gather information and recommendations on how to meet the
USDA FSIS to Chart New Path on Salmonella Control in Poultry Read More »
