I’m heading to Normal, Alabama. Will I see you there?
Friday marks the second of the joint public workshops being conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Justice that focus on agriculture and antitrust enforcement issues. The May workshop topic is poultry.
During the event I’ll be Tweeting with the rest of the group at #agworkshop and one of our Faegre & Benson attorneys will post a follow-up on the event, right here on this blog. Check back for more information.
Friday’s topics should include production contracts in the poultry industry, concentration and buyer power.
For More Information and Remaining Workshop Schedule
Today’s post author, Jennifer Zwagerman, is a member of the Faegre & Benson litigation practice and focuses primarily on food and agribusiness matters. Jennifer litigates and counsels a number of the firm’s food and agribusiness clients on issues related to agricultural products liability, agricultural contracts, food labeling and regulation and environmental and nuisance laws. She handles cases venued in both federal and state courts.
A provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires restaurants with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts for their products on menus. Jennifer Williams Zwagerman and Kevin Hein discuss what this provision means for restaurants and consumers with the Des Moines Business Record. Questions answered include when the law goes into effect, who is affected, what it requires, and how it will be enforced.
Looking for more reading on the subject? We’ve found some links for you:
- Calorie Data to Be Posted at Most Chains — in the New York Times
- Health Care Reform also Touches Tanning Beds, Restaurant Menus – CNN.com
- Healthcare Reform Plan Calorie Count May Change American Diets – U.S. News and World Report
Join the conversation! If interested in the topic, feel free to contact Zwagerman and Hein with any questions — or search them out at the July 28, 2010 conference.
I’m back in my office in Des Moines, Iowa after a visit the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association’s (IFMA) annual Chain Operators Exchange (COEX) conference.
Faegre & Benson was a key collaborator with IFMA on this annual event. Attracting a wide range of operators and suppliers, the conference was a great way to interact with all levels of the foodservice industry and discuss key issues facing the industry.
Here are the highlights:
- The 2010 topic was Menu, Value & Innovation: Consumers Rule!
- My colleagues Joe Price, Pete Goss, Kristin Eads and I convened in Orlando for the conference.
- Joe and Pete spoke during the general session with a presentation entitled, “Obesity and Risk Management: What’s Next?” They moderated a hot discussion on the increase in litigation and the litigation-friendly environment for claims targeted at food manufacturers and sellers. Pete and Joe gave a more in-depth review of this area during a breakout session as well.
- Kristin and I had our own breakout session where we took advantage of the opportunity to discuss issues related to food labeling with COEX attendees. The FDA is stepping up its review and enforcement of food labels and claims. This, in addition to the recent increase in food label-related litigation, is a cause of concern for all parts of the food industry, from producer to retailer.
- We were really impressed with the speaker lineup—we were four panelists among representatives from P.F. Chang’s, The Cheesecake Factory, Golden Corral Corporation, Red Lobster Food & Beverage, The Johnny Rockets Group, The Food Channel, Burger King… from managing margins in a tough environment to ideas for adapting to changing industry drivers, IFMA set up a great conference!
The Faegre & Benson participants will be involved in the 2010 Food, Agriculture & Biofuels Conference as well, organizing sessions related to our COEX topics. Conference planners are really excited as IFMA has offered to be one of the key sponsors of this ground-breaking industry conference.
Can’t wait — hope to see you July 28!
Jennifer Zwagerman