Urge Illinois Attorney General To Hold USDA AccountableFood Law, August 2025Review the Petition to Attorney General Kwame Raoul, asking for legal action against the Untied States Department of Agriculture for breaking its contract with the State of Illinois for the Local Food Purchase Assistance program, known as IL EATs.
257 Food and Ag Groups Demand Transparency and Representation in Future MAHA ReportsBy Dave FusaroFood Law, July 2025257 state and national associations with some relevance to food & beverage on June 17 sent a letter to Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asking transparency from and representation in the development of future Make America Healthy Again reports.
The Flinn ReportFood Law, July 2025The Flinn Report is a weekly summary of regulatory actions of State agencies published in the Illinois Register and action taken by the Illinois General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). The Flinn Report honors founding JCAR member Representative Monroe Flinn, and is designed to inform and involve the public in changes taking place in agency administration.
ICE Raids Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha, NebraskaBy Andy HanacekFood Law, July 2025U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and federal law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant and raided an Omaha, Neb., meat-processing plant the morning of June 10, according to numerous news reports.
The Time for Digitalization in Food & Beverage Is Now, by Food ProcessingBy Andy HanacekFood Law, July 2025The food & beverage digital age is here, and for those processors who were waiting to see other processors swim successfully before jumping into the pool, now is the time to do more than just dip a toe in the shallow end.
7th Annual Bock Food Law and Policy ConferenceBy Robert AndersonFood Law, June 2025Save the date for the 7th Annual Bock Food Law and Policy Conference on Friday, September 19, 2025, at the Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School!
Flinn Report on May 16, 2025Food Law, June 2025The Flinn Report, dated May 16, 2025, includes proposed and adopted rules that may be of interest to the Food Law Section.
Perspective: A Farmer’s Legacy Shouldn’t Be a Tax Nightmare for Their KinBy Amanda ZaluckyjFood Law, June 2025The article warns that the upcoming reduction in the federal estate tax exemption could force farm families to sell land to pay taxes. With farm wealth tied up in land and equipment, the lower exemption creates uncertainty and threatens generational farms. It urges families to plan ahead despite unclear future tax laws.
What Is Mentorship and Where to Find It in the Food Industry?Food Law, June 2025When asked about their career journeys, many successful professionals credit mentorship as a defining factor in their growth. No one advances in a vacuum; those who actively seek and apply guidance from experienced individuals set themselves apart. From academic advisors to professional mentors, having someone to offer insights, challenge blind spots, and encourage risk-taking can make all the difference.
Cell-Cultured Meat Updates: State Bans, Labeling Requirements, and Regulatory ClarificationsBy Emily StoneFood Law, May 2025Cell-cultured meat is a food product that is produced through the practice of growing livestock stem cells outside of an animal and harvesting the cells to make food. Over the past year, state legislators have passed legislation prohibiting the manufacture and sale of cell-cultured meat and enacted laws that create labeling requirements for such food products. Additionally, on the federal side, the EPA, FDA, and USDA recently published a joint regulatory plan for biotechnology that included plans for the regulation of cell-cultured meat.
Perspective: The U.S. Produces Plenty of Food — Other Factors Make Us Food InsecureBy Amanda ZaluckyjFood Law, May 2025Did you know that almost 40 percent of all food in the United States goes to waste? Food that is safe to eat, nutritious, and available goes in our collective trash cans. We throw away 133 billion pounds of food each year. It’s a staggering statistic, especially when you consider that some of our neighbors are food insecure.
A Steak by Any Other Name: How States Are Shaping the Future of Cultivated MeatFood Law, May 2025In the first quarter of 2025, state legislatures across the United States have proposed bills regulating cell-cultured meat, including both labeling requirements and sales restrictions. Cell-cultured meat, also known as “lab-grown meat” or even “fake meat”, is produced by cultivating animal cells in a controlled environment, offering a potential alternative to traditional livestock farming.
The Flinn ReportFood Law, April 2025The Flinn Report is a weekly summary of regulatory actions of State agencies published in the Illinois Register and action taken by the Illinois General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR).
Introducing the Food, Race, and Equity Initiative: Part IBy Heliya IzadpanahFood Law, April 2025A UCLA Law Student describes her experiences with the Critical Race Studies program. "The Resnick Center has tried to incorporate discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion into its offerings. It has featured an agroecology class, a food and social justice issues podcast series, lessons on food access, and a diverse global health collaborative," says the student.
one of the few Food Law programs then existing in the nation.
Introducing the Food, Race, and Equity Initiative: Part IIBy Lavanya SathyamurthyFood Law, April 2025"UCLA, home to the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy and the Critical Race Studies Program, is the perfect place to start a movement focused on infusing issues of equity into food law curricula," according to a UCLA Law student. The Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy adopts a multi-faceted approach to legal research and scholarship, through courses, conferences, and academic collaboration.
2025 Food and Supplements Outlook: FDA Human Foods Program’s Last Acts Before the New AdministrationBy Diane C. McEnroe, Emily Marden, Deeona R. Gaskin, & Kevin A. SforzaFood Law, March 2025This article contains short summaries of significant recent developments regarding FDA’s regulation of food and dietary supplements, including labeling issues and product safety considerations. The authors also include other recent developments: updates to the Coordinated Framework on biotechnology, increased public attention on UPFs, and a new interim process for Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) regulation of new animal food ingredients.
Food and Beverage News and TrendsBy Stefanie Fogel, Maggie Craig, Sharon May, & Amy PressmanFood Law, March 2025FDA issues final guidance on lead in baby food; revises fifth edition of Q&A on food allergen labelling requirements; publishes final guidance on public health importance of non-listed food allergens; releases guidance on LMRTEs; warns industry about toxic mushrooms; and more.
Labeling Energy Drinks: Tackling a Monster of a ProblemBy Meredith P. Mulhern, J.D. & Michael S. Sinha, M.D., J.D., M.P.H.Food Law, March 2025Energy drinks are classified as dietary supplements, meaning they are not directly regulated by the FDA before hitting store shelves. Instead, energy drink labels follow the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) guidelines. Under DSHEA, energy drinks face lax labeling regulations, which leaves consumers unaware of the dangers of high caffeine contents, stimulative additives, proprietary blends, and excessive sugar. The authors discuss the dangers of energy drinks, the current regulatory framework and the problems it causes, why these problems should be corrected, and potential policy changes to fix those problems.
Editorial: Generated AI’s Use in Farm and Food ContentBy Ryan TippsFood Law, February 2025Artificial intelligence is justifiably being used in various sectors of the food and agricultural law industry, yet on the content side, we’re seeing more and more pressure to use generated AI information.
How Bezos, Zuckerberg, Gates, and Musk Are Trying—Or Not Trying—to Make Meat SustainableBy Seth MillsteinFood Law, February 2025Our food systems are in serious need of an overhaul. Over the last 60 years, per-capita meat consumption has roughly doubled, and is now at unsustainable levels. During that same period of time, the number of billionaires in the world has increased dramatically as well. This confluence of trends raises an important question: what, if anything, are the world’s billionaires doing to fix our food systems, and help us transition into a more climate-friendly way of eating?
Soil Health WeekFood Law, February 2025Participate in Soil Health Week happening March 3-9, 2025!
Farmer’s Daughter: How a Federal Court Pushed Agriculture Biotech Back DecadesBy Amanda ZaluckyjFood Law, January 2025Early in December, the Northern California District Court vacated rules adopted in 2020 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The lawsuit, brought by anti-bioengineering activists (pretending to be worried about family farms), reinstates a regulatory framework in place since 1986, while the technology was only in its infancy—and not yet even commercially available.
Food for Thought: Intellectual Property Protection for Recipes and Food DesignsBy Kurt M. Saunders & Valerie FluggeFood Law, January 2025This article considers how intellectual property law has been applied to protect recipes and food designs, along with broader issues relating to how these rights may overlap and their implications for competition.
The Role of Intellectual Property in Food and Beverage InnovationBy Aaron HallFood Law, January 2025Intellectual property plays a crucial role in the food and beverage industry, serving as a key driver of innovation and competitiveness. Effective IP protection enables companies to safeguard novel recipes, flavors, and manufacturing processes, maintaining a competitive edge and preventing unauthorized use by competitors. A thorough IP strategy involves trademarking brand identity and packaging, copyrighting literary works, and patenting novel processes and ingredients. By leveraging IP, companies can drive business growth, expand into new markets, and increase revenue streams. Discover how a robust IP strategy can help food and beverage companies maintain market dominance and stay ahead of the competition.
Food Safety — An OverviewFood Law, December 2024The United States food regulatory system has developed piecemeal over the last century, generating new rules and regulations in response to emerging food problems. As a result, responsibilities for specific food safety concerns are allocated to various government agencies. A key to effective regulation within this complex and fragmented system is interagency cooperation, cooperation between these agencies, and public and private stakeholders.
Industrial Hemp Production ContractsBy Rusty RumleyFood Law, December 2024Because hemp production is relatively new to today’s growers and attorneys, the contracts that we have seen in use largely resemble contracts for traditional specialty crops and oilseed crops. While there is some overlap between the crops, the differences in licensing, common clauses found in hemp contracts, the differences with the hemp plant itself, and the high costs of planting and harvesting a hemp crop necessitates a more thorough contract.
Report Details Impact of Glyphosate Loss on Farm Bill ProgramsBy AGDAILY ReportersFood Law, December 2024The analysis reveals how such a loss would affect key areas of the farm bill, including crop insurance, conservation, nutrition, and commodity programs. By leveraging open-source research and economic modeling, the report underscores the ripple effects that glyphosate restrictions could have on farmers, consumers, and the environment.
U.S. Domestic Hemp Production ProgramFood Law, December 2024You must have a license to grow hemp in the United States. If your state or tribe has a USDA-approved hemp plan or is in the process of developing a hemp plan, you will apply to and be licensed under its hemp program. If your state or tribe does not have a pending or approved hemp plan, you may apply for a USDA hemp production license.
