Food
The food market is one of the most regulated in the EU. Protecting the public interest with regard to, for instance, the right to nourishment/proper nourishment and food safety requires government regulation. Despite this fact, the market is also defined by free competition, which places a lot of responsibility on the companies in this sector. Technology and food technology play a crucial role in establishing this balance. Knowledge of regulations, interpretation of the law/regulations and the implications is at least as important, if not more important than knowledge of the market and technology, making interaction between technologists and attorneys at law indispensable.
The specialists of the Dijkstra Voermans Food sector group have extensive and detailed knowledge of national and European food law, encompassing administrative, private and criminal law. Many of the regulations apply to the entire food chain and address such areas as hygiene, additives, supplements, product composition, registration, traceability, analysis methods, labelling, advertising, packaging, crisis management, recalls, product liability, private standards, constitutional law, supervision, inspection and enforcement. We closely monitor the latest developments in the food sector, ensuring that we can provide sound advice, even where Dutch and European regulations overlap.
Sector expertise
Our Food sector group operates at the interface of administrative law, competition law and contract law, enabling us to assist you with approval for food additives, new food registration, approval for the use of residual substances in production and the assessment of marketing and advertising. In addition, we provide excellent and effective counsel during disputes with the government concerning areas such as licensing, administrative fines and naming and shaming, as well as in disputes with the competition, suppliers and customers, as part of which we provide support in negotiations regarding competition/cases of unfair competition, advertising, product liability or non-compliance with agreements. While our approach is to avoid expensive proceedings where possible, for example, by pursuing mediation, we conduct legal proceedings for you where necessary.
National and international experience
The specialists of our Food sector group have extensive experience at national and international level in providing counsel and assistance to a wide range of large firms and SMEs, including food manufacturers, suppliers, packagers and carriers. We maintain close contact with Dutch government institutions such as the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the Medicines Evaluation Board and the Netherlands Competition Authority. In addition, we are also familiar with institutes at European level, such as the European Commission, EMEA and EFSA. We are also a member of the Dutch association for food law Nederlandse Vereniging voor Levensmiddelenrecht (NVLR).
Knowledge sharing
Setting great store behind sharing knowledge as we do, we regularly organise seminars and workshops on new legislation and their specific consequences for your day-to-day operations. In addition, we contribute to publications on the Consumer Goods Act and applicable legislation within national, European and international food law. We organise the annual international Food Law Academy, the Wageningen Business School Summer School in Food Regulatory Affairs. During this one-week course, all aspects of food law are reviewed.
