Fight for Food Safety

A single QA failure could cost you millions

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

In food safety, there is no such thing as small mistakes – just expensive ones.

Last year was an honorable year for the meat and poultry industry

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 13:00:00 -0400

Meat and poultry processors did a fabulous job producing safe products in 2024.

USDA steps up the fight against Listeria in ready-to-eat foods

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 09:39:27 -0500

Food safety technologies and new interventions have come a long way, and FSIS is doubling down on working to protect the public.

What’s in store for Salmonella in 2025?

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 13:59:54 -0500

USDA’s new proposed Salmonella rule could survive the change in presidential leadership.

The war on pathogens continues

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Events underscore need to invest additional resources into pathogen elimination and control in food facilities.

The surge in USDA Public Health Alerts: A new focus in food safety

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:00:00 -0500

The industry can expect the agency will continue to use Public Health Alerts more frequently.

Are class action food safety lawsuits on your horizon?

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Lawyers in New York file a class action lawsuit against a company in a recent Listeria recall case.

Should you be using whole genome sequencing in your food facility?

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:15:00 -0400

WGS generates extensive data that can be stored and analyzed.

Have you ever considered becoming a USDA or FDA inspector?

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Would you be a Checklist Charlie or a Collaborative Casey?

USDA declaring open season on sesame

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Fri, 24 May 2024 08:22:17 -0400

Regulators will ensure compliance by performing “Big 9” Formulation Verification tasks in regulated establishments.

2023 recalls: Year in Review

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 07:52:06 -0500

USDA issues 23 more meat and poultry product recalls this year compared to 2022.

FSIS' approach to Salmonella trends further toward adulterant

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a proposal that, if adopted, would declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products, even at very low levels of contamination.

Cell-cultured meat products continue to make headway

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The FDA completes its first pre-market consultation for a human food made from cultured animal cells.

New initiatives to help small processors could affect food safety

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 10:00:00 -0400

USDA efforts to address market consolidation and food security could hold food safety implications.

Declining recalls suggest food safety improvements

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -0400

The continuing decline in the number of recalls suggests the industry is doing a better overall job producing safe food.

Food safety interventions must target origins as well as vectors

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 19 May 2022 10:00:00 -0400

The English language is weird. It is a hodge-podge mix of many languages that has evolved in transformative ways over the decades and centuries leading to today.

Is pathogen persistance plummeting?

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 10:00:00 -0500

When it comes to pathogen control in raw beef products, a lot has changed over the past 20 years.

Focus on your food safety records before FSIS does

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 10:00:00 -0500

Over the last two years, the food industry has been put to the ultimate agility test. The effects of COVID-19 have placed incredible strain on food companies, their overall operations and their employees.

Open Sesame: The allergen list continues to grow

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 10:00:00 -0400

Over the last two decades, undeclared allergens have accounted for nearly 45% of all food product recalls.

Salmonella Risks

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 11:14:42 -0400

For some time, we have warned food industry companies — specifically meat and poultry companies — about the necessity to appropriately protect themselves and their brands against the risk posed by Salmonella recalls.

The new administration begins to take shape

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 14:34:23 -0400

With the Presidential election behind us, the new Biden Administration continues to fill key food safety and policy positions within USDA and FDA. To date, however, we have not yet witnessed the rollout of any significant new food safety or regulatory policy announcements.

Looking Back on 20 Years of USDA Recalls

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 01:00:00 -0500

As a food industry lawyer, I like to closely track recalls of U.S. Department of Agriculture-regulated products. Each year, I watch with interest (and, sometimes, bewilderment) as a continuous stream of recalls float by. The reasons for recalls can vary wildly, involving issues ranging from the unavoidable presence of pathogens to the very avoidable presence of hydraulic fluid.

New president, new rules? What to expect in the next four years

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 15:00:00 -0500

The Biden Administration officially took charge of the executive functions of government on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day. What that will that mean for the meat processing industry is becoming increasingly clear as President Joe Biden’s nominations are announced and policy positions are clarified.

2020 Recalls: The Year in Review

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 16:00:00 -0500

For many years, I have closely tracked evolving U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy, the strengthening of USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) inspection and surveillance programs, the implementation of new technologies and the available data pertaining to the numbers of illness outbreaks and recalls.

How the presidential election could affect the food and agriculture industry

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

While Election Day has passed and some legal challenges remain, barring some unforeseen event, the general consensus is that Joe Biden will likely take office on Jan. 20, 2021, as the 46th President of the United States.

"Slam"-onella: punches likely to keep coming

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0500

No, the title of this column does not contain a typo. Under the right circumstances, most of which are unpredictable, Salmonella can give you a real body slam.

Spend now to save later

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0400

Margins in the food industry have always been thin. This is because retailers and other customers are continuously pushing food manufacturers and suppliers to lower costs.

AI and liability: Prepare now or pay later

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0400

For years, experts and analysts have predicted a future in which artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning would revolutionize the industry. By all indications, the future is here.

COVID-19 aftermath: Come together, don’t fall apart

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0400

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the United States, the meat industry increasingly faces the potential of pandemic-related economic and legal threats.

Will expanded E. coli sampling be good for consumers?

stevens@foodindustrycounsel.com (Shawn K. Stevens) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently announced plans to plans to significantly expand its routine verification testing for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STECs), which includes the six non-O157 strains O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145.