GETTING food right

RESOLVING food safety issues

ANTICIPATING food safety risks

NAVIGATING food safety challenges

Going All-In for Food and All-Out for Those Who Produce It

Food Industry Counsel provides food safety legal and regulatory consulting services exclusively for food industry clients, helping them anticipate, navigate and resolve their most pressing food safety challenges.

FIC is dedicated to serving food industry clients exclusively. Whether you are the world’s largest food company, or a small firm looking to protect your business, we are here to help. FIC has decades of experience representing food companies throughout the United States and around the world.

Our Legal and Consulting Services

Food Safety Consulting

For decades, we have helped food industry clients strengthen their food safety programs and contain risk. When food companies improve their food safety systems, they are more likely to avoid recalls and also ensure the continued protection of their brand.

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Regulatory Compliance

For decades, we have been helping food companies comply with complex food safety regulations. Regardless of the USDA or FDA compliance issue you may be facing, Food Industry Counsel can help you quickly resolve even the most complex challenges.

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FDA & USDA Inspections

Inspections happen. While daunting, we're here to help you prepare for and successfully navigate even the most intense FDA or USDA food safety inspections. When federal inspectors arrive, you can feel confident knowing that Food Industry Counsel is on your side.

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Labeling & Compliance

One of the biggest challenges facing food companies today is achieving compliance with constantly changing label requirements. Food Industry counsel can review your existing or proposed labels to ensure that they comply with the applicable standards.

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Recall Management

When food recalls or crises occur, food companies need someone they can trust to provide expert legal and consulting services to help manage avoid negative media coverage, regulatory scrutiny, and strained relationships with customers.

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Trial & Litigation Counsel

With decades of experience representing food companies as defendants and plaintiffs in food safety and quality lawsuits throughout the United States, Food Industry Counsel is uniquely positioned to expertly manage your litigation and trial strategy.

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Food Safety Education

Whether it’s sharing knowledge online or at industry events, we’re committed to helping everyone become better educated about food safety and more fully prepared.

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Emergency Services

Whether your emergency involves a FDA or USDA regulatory enforcement issue, a recall, an emerging outbreak, or a threatened claim, Food Industry Counsel understands that help can’t wait until tomorrow.

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EMERGENCY SERVICES

Whether your emergency involves a regulatory enforcement issue, a recall, an emerging outbreak, sabotage or a threatened lawsuit, FIC knows that help can’t wait until tomorrow.

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Testimonials

Because of our relationship with Food Industry Counsel, we're able to operate with a confidence we wouldn't have otherwise—confidence we're doing things in ways that will benefit everyone.

David Hughes

Garden-Fresh Foods

Shawn knows the food industry and the players within it. He is enjoyable to work with. Shawn has a practical, candid, 'call it like it is' style and he always manages to find ways to make himself available, especially at the times he's needed most.

Lanny Viegut

Carnivore Meat Company

Shawn is very good at translating for people who know less about the law, but still have to make decisions. I count on him to tell us the way it is.

Rick Schaffer

Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream

Shawn is great at getting a crisp, clear set of answers—not legalese—that provide direction and make decision-making easier.

Randy Fields

ReposiTrak

Shawn has an innate sense of getting to the point of any issue. He also has an extraordinary ability to include the human element in whatever’s being asked of regulations or the law.

Lon Doty

Partner

Allied Food Safety

Shawn has the innate ability to speak to us outside of legalese, so we always understand what’s happening and what’s needed.

Tom Barnes

MBG Marketing

Shawn is very involved within the food industry. He writes articles, conducts webinars and takes time to educate others about relevant issues. He's eager to listen to your needs and help you put a program together.

Yemi Ogunrinola

Vantage Foods

Shawn has the knowledge and ability to recognize gaps that need to be addressed—both from a legal, as well as a practical, standpoint. He knows what's happening and stays on top of key issues within the food industry.

John Burke

Eillien's Candies

Shawn reads situations quickly and communicates clearly from the first phone call. He combines legal expertise, deep food industry knowledge and a common-sense approach that's essential in times of urgency.

Barclay Klingel

Cyrus O'Leary's

Shawn thoroughly understands the food industry and regulatory environment. Whether it’s a quick question or a longer conversation about an important issue, he makes himself available to provide legally sound, common-sense counsel.

Donna Lynn Browne

Naturipe

I turn to Food Industry Counsel because food safety goes beyond being a profession for Shawn. For him, it's a passion.

Mike Walz

Miller Baking Company

Featured Blog Posts

FIC Unveils the First-Ever Searchable Real-Time Recall Reporter

Food Industry Counsel LLC is proud to unveil its new FIC RECALL REPORTER. For the first time ever, the food industry will have access to a searchable real-time Excel database of food product recalls from January 2018 forward. Search for, among other things, the types of food products being recalled, the names of the recalling companies, the reasons why the recalls were announced, how the problems were discovered, and the amounts of product involved.

Food Industry Counsel Unveils Prop 65 Notice Reporter

Staying abreast of which food products are being targeted for alleged Proposition 65 violations can be daunting. As a result, Food Industry Counsel has created the “FIC Prop 65 Notice Reporter” to help food product manufacturers and retailers determine which food products are at risk.

The FDA Inspection Checklist: What to do Before, During and After Your Next FDA Inspection

With the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), preparing for your next FDA inspection may seem a bit daunting. FDA is working aggressively to overhaul the safety of the nation’s food supply, and is now enforcing its new rules during routine inspections.