UK food businesses are required to declare the presence of any of the 14 main allergens if used intentionally as an ingredient or processing aid. However, they are not required to declare any unintentional presence of an...more
The holiday shopping season is upon us once again and this year, much like last year, continues to present unique challenges and opportunities for consumer companies and retailers. In this nearly “post-COVID” environment,...more
12/22/2022
/ Brick-and-Mortar Stores ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Marketplace ,
E-Commerce ,
Fashion Industry ,
Holidays ,
Internet Retailers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Retail Market ,
Retailers ,
Trademarks
Entering a new market can be a game changer for businesses in the consumer industry, but it can come with some significant legal risks. Consumer protection laws, supply chain issues, product regulation, data privacy issues,...more
9/16/2020
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Business Development ,
Business Formation ,
Business Pursuits ,
Doing Business ,
Germany ,
Indonesia ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Singapore ,
UK ,
Vietnam
They say a week is a long time in sport. No wonder then that the sight of fans standing shoulder to shoulder in sporting venues around the country seems like such a distant memory, four months on from the UK Government's...more
The government has announced that on 4 July 2020, it will commence the third stage of its plan to ease the 'lockdown' restrictions implemented in England due to COVID-19. Following the reopening of 'non-essential retail...more
The UK government has set out a three-stage plan to ease the 'lockdown' restrictions implemented due to COVID-19. The first stage commenced on 13 May, with some restrictions on who can go to work being lifted and clarified,...more
As the world learns how to navigate the new normal, businesses have become accustomed to dealing with what used to be considered exceptional – managing mass shut-downs, disrupted supply chains, the collapse of demand, and the...more
5/12/2020
/ Business Closures ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Operators of Essential Services ,
OSHA ,
Price Gouging ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Rent ,
Rental Property ,
Retail Market ,
Social Distancing ,
Supply Chain ,
Telecommuting ,
Workplace Safety
As the UK nears the end of its 7th week in 'lockdown', it is widely anticipated that the government will shortly start to ease restrictions and enable a gradual return to the workplace. However, with social distancing likely...more
The UK’s consumer sector has shown resilience against the backdrop of challenging political and economic conditions. Consumers in the UK remain willing to spend; however, the way in which they do so is changing, with...more
2/19/2020
/ Arbitration ,
B2B Transactions ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Customs ,
Data Privacy ,
Doing Business ,
E-Commerce ,
Exports ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Imports ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Ownership of Works ,
Payment Systems ,
Real Estate Market ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Strict Product Liability ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
UK
The policy behind SDIL is to reduce childhood obesity by encouraging producers to change the recipes and lower the sugar content of the drinks. The Government estimates that over 50% of manufacturers had done so before SDIL...more
8/27/2019
/ Beverage Manufacturers ,
Business Model ,
Multinationals ,
Obesity ,
Plant Based Products ,
Public Health ,
R&D ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Retail Market ,
Retailers ,
Soda Tax ,
Tax Rates ,
Transfer Pricing ,
UK
Increasing consumer interest in cannabis-derived ingredients has led to an explosion of the use of the non-intoxicating cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD) in a wide variety of products, including drugs, foods, dietary...more
5/7/2019
/ Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Cosmetics ,
Dietary Supplements ,
Farm Bill ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Hemp ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Marketing ,
Nutritional Supplements ,
UK
The default legal position is that the UK will leave the EU automatically at 11pm on 29 March 2019 with no “deal” in place, unless something else is agreed. The current political deadlock in the UK is unprecedented so it is...more
2/14/2019
/ Beverage Manufacturers ,
EU ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
No-Deal Brexit ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Risk Management ,
Trade Relations ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
Withdrawal Agreement
In the final batch of technical notices, the UK Government has provided guidance on what impact traders can expect on food labelling and packaging in the event that the UK exits the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement on 29...more
10/1/2018
/ Cross-Border ,
EU ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Supply ,
Geographically Descriptive ,
Member State ,
Product Labels ,
Referendums ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
The UK Government has released a further batch of technical notices, providing guidance to businesses on the implications of an exit from the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement on 29 Mach 2019. ...more
9/21/2018
/ EU ,
Exports ,
Foreign Trade Regulations ,
Imports ,
International Relations ,
Manufacturers ,
Member State ,
Restraint of Trade ,
Trade Policy ,
Trade Relations ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
The Government has released its first batch of technical notices which aim to prepare UK citizens and businesses for an exit from the EU without a Withdrawal Agreement on 29 March 2019. ...more
8/24/2018
/ EU ,
Exports ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
GMO ,
Member State ,
Organic ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
UK Brexit
The UK government has published a Green Paper on Modernising Consumer Markets (the “Green Paper”).
The Green Paper addresses the need to review the UK’s regulatory regime in light of the changing nature of consumer markets...more
The European Commission has adopted a “New Deal for Consumers” package which aims to empower consumers, promote fairness and build trust across the single market. ...more
The UK tax authority HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published a series of practical guidance documents and additional online information to assist companies with understanding and complying with the new UK ‘Soft Drinks...more
The Food and Drink Federation (“FDF“) has published a report on the potential impact of rules of origin on UK food and drink exporters in the likely event that the UK ceases to be part of the EU customs union after Brexit....more
4/5/2018
/ Beverage Manufacturers ,
Country of Origin ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Exports ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Supply ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
UK Brexit
On 1 February 2018, the European Commission issued a notice on the impact of Brexit for food products originating from the UK. The Commission confirmed that, in the absence of a transitional agreement, the UK will become a...more
2/6/2018
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Country of Origin ,
EU ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Food Contamination ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
Member State ,
Organic ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Supply Chain ,
Trade Agreements ,
Trade Relations ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
After three years of negotiations, the European Union is nearing the end of a long process to simplify and harmonise the rules for organic food production and the labelling of organic products. ...more
The UK tax authority HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has published draft Regulations setting out further details on the new UK ‘Soft Drinks Industry Levy’, which will apply from 6 April 2018....more
The European Commission has published a draft implementing Regulation setting out the proposed official EU list of authorised novel foods.
A ‘novel food’ is a food or ingredient that has not been consumed to a significant...more
10/17/2017
/ Agricultural Sector ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ,
Food & Drug Regulations ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Safety ,
Food Supply ,
Novelty ,
Prior Authorization ,
Regulatory Oversight
Initial responses to the European Commission’s public consultation on how to make the EU food supply chain fairer suggest that, bar retailers, the majority of significant stakeholders (including Member States, farmer groups,...more
Westminster Media Forum recently hosted a seminar to discuss native advertising and social influencer marketing and their measurement, regulation and impact on brands....more
10/6/2017
/ Advertising ,
Brand ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Influencers ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet Marketing ,
Native Advertising ,
Online Endorsements ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Social Media