Shawn Stevens is the founding member of Food Industry Counsel LLC, a law firm formed in 2014 to represent the food industry exclusively in regulatory and other matters involving food safety and quality. Contact Stevens at (920) 698-2561 or stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com, or visit his Web site, www.foodindustrycounsel.com.

Fight for Food Safety

Are food allergen advisory statements helpful?

'May contain' may not help

Shawn K. Stevens

January 10, 2020

No Comments

To protect consumers, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) strongly encourages meat processors to utilize label declarations for products containing any of the eight major food allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans).

Fight for Food Safety

Fewer FSIS inspectors on the horizon?

Shawn K. Stevens

November 1, 2019

No Comments

Last month, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published the final rule for the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS), a rule that requires additional pathogen sampling for swine slaughter establishments and eliminates the numbers of FSIS inspectors, with a goal toward modernizing swine slaughter safety and more efficiently utilizing agency resources.

Fight for Food Safety

Is the Cannaburger on the horizon?

Shawn K. Stevens

October 21, 2019

No Comments

First it was the veggie burger, then the Impossible Burger and eventually we may be hearing about the Cannaburger.

Fight for Food Safety

Weighing in on Tyson's inspection proposal

Shawn K. Stevens

September 6, 2019

No Comments

Numerous stories have been published in recent weeks relating to a waiver request submitted by Tyson Foods that proposes to reduce the number of inspectors in its facility.

Fight for Food Safety

The art of war, on foodborne illness

Shawn K. Stevens

August 20, 2019

No Comments

In "The Art of War," Sun Tzu admonishes us to know our enemy or be defeated by it. As a society, we have failed to heed that wisdom in our fight against foodborne illness.

Fight for Food Safety

Plant-based meats: Beyond impossible to ignore

Shawn K. Stevens

July 9, 2019

No Comments

It used to be that people said it was impossible to make a meatless burger taste like meat. Then they said it would be impossible to make a meatless burger economical.

Fight for Food Safety

Going on the offensive: Subtyping environmental and finished product positives

Shawn K. Stevens

June 3, 2019

No Comments

Over the last 25 years, modernization has overrun the food safety landscape in previously unimaginable ways. Environmental and finished-product sampling programs are undoubtedly among the most important aspects of the industry's success.

Fight for Food Safety

Lawsuit against Hormel marketing pre-empted by federal law

Shawn K. Stevens

May 2, 2019

No Comments

A 2016 lawsuit brought against Hormel Foods is once again in the headlines. The case, brought by the Animal Defense Legal Fund (ALDF), arose from allegations that Hormel's "Make the Natural Choice" advertisements violated consumer protection laws by materially misleading consumers.

Fight for Food Safety

A shift to Salmonella scrutiny

Shawn K. Stevens

April 5, 2019

No Comments

It appears increasingly likely that we are approaching another major shift in food safety regulation. The shift in this case would be the declaration of Salmonella as an adulterant in raw meat and poultry.

Fight for Food Safety

LFTB reclassification shows science can win

Shawn K. Stevens

March 1, 2019

No Comments

After a multi-month evaluation, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has ruled that LFTB meets the regulatory definition of ground beef under the law in 9 CFR 319.15(a) and thus may be labeled as ground beef.

The Meat Industry Hall of Fame Dinner and Awards Ceremony will recognize the prestigious Class of 2019, on the evening of Jan. 27, 2020, in Atlanta, GA. This Elite Networking Event is co-located with the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).

The National Provisioner

January 2020

Check out the January 2020 issue of The National Provisioner, featuring our cover story on Omaha Steaks, the 2020 Poultry Report, formulation of meat snacks, and much more.

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Independent Processor

December 2019

Check out the December 2019 issue of Independent Processor, featuring our cover story on the family-run Dayton Meat Products, an exciting culinary trend showcased at CAB's annual conference, and much more.

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