Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials

Steptoe supports clients throughout the entire regulatory life cycle of their food, feed, food and feed ingredient, and food contact products, including production and marketing of finished food (including dietary supplements), foods for specific groups (athletes, infants, weight loss, medicated foods), and other functional foods and food ingredients. The team has substantial experience establishing legal and regulatory compliance of food contact substances and packaging materials worldwide, for both food contact material suppliers and food manufacturers. Our team members have authored thousands of opinions on food, feed, food and feed ingredient, and food contact compliance.

Our practice is interdisciplinary: we have an integrated team of lawyers, scientists, technical advisers, and former decision makers from leading regulatory authorities who work in close coordination to serve clients in the US, the EU, China, Japan, and the MERCOSUR countries. Our team is consistently ranked by reputable legal directories such as Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 as market leading in the food regulation, food contact, and agribusiness areas.

Our practice covers:

Food and Feed Compliance:

Compositional compliance
Risk assessment
Dietary supplements
Labeling and claims
Additives and GRAS ingredients
General food safety compliance including FSMA compliance

Food Contact Materials:

Compositional compliance
Risk assessment
Submitting petitions

Noteworthy

Chambers Europe, Band 1, Regulatory: Environment, Europe-wide (2014-2025)
Chambers Europe, Band 1, Regulatory: Agro/Food, Europe-wide (2017-2025)
Legal 500 EMEA, EU Regulatory: Chemicals, Belgium (2013-2019)
Legal 500 EMEA, EU Regulatory: Food, Belgium (2012-2019)
Legal 500 EMEA, Tier 1, EU Regulatory: Environment, Belgium (2013-2016)

Professionals

Joan Baughan

Joan Baughan has been practicing food and drug law, focusing on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and comparable international regulation of food contact materials, drugs, cosmetics, and medical...

Senior Counsel

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials, Life Sciences, Consumer Law and Litigation

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6417

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Kimberly Cassidy, Ph.D.

Dr. Kimberly Cassidy is one of Steptoe’s in-house scientists, bringing over 23 years of professional experience. Kim offers comprehensive advice on a wide range of subjects, with a particular emphasis...

Specialist

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Food Contact & Food Regulation, Food Contact Materials, Chemicals

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 1364

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Jessica Cooper, Ph.D.

Dr. Jessica Cooper is one of Steptoe's distinguished in-house scientists, where she advises clients on a wide range of chemical and scientific topics, with a focus on food contact substances, food...

Chemistry Specialist

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Chemicals, Nanotechnology, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 8139

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Joseph Dages

Joe is a lawyer serving companies in the food-contact material, chemical, food, dietary supplement, cosmetic, and drug industries. He counsels these companies on compliance with the pervasive...

Partner

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials, Life Sciences, Environment, Food, and Chemicals

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6263

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Tom Gillett

Tom Gillett advises clients on environmental and product law, with a focus on chemicals regulation (REACH, CLP, biocides, food contact), product safety and standards (CE/UKCA marking, RoHS, WEEE),...

Associate, Steptoe International (UK) LLP

Chemicals, Consumer Products Regulations, Environmental Impacts & Permitting, US Pesticide Regulation

London
+44 20 7367 8065

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Patricia Kinne

Patricia Kinne brings more than 20 years of professional experience in managing and leading food contact compliance, chemical registration, and maintaining regulatory compliance. Patricia has a...

Specialist

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Environment, Food, and Chemicals, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials, Chemicals

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 1355

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Sarah Owen, Ph.D., DABT

Dr. Sarah Owen evaluates the safety of a wide range of chemicals as part of FDA submissions. Sarah brings more than 12 years of experience in public health protection and over 20 years of toxicology...

Toxicology Specialist

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials, Chemicals, Environment, Food, and Chemicals

Washington, DC
+1 202 828 3650

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Natalie E. Rainer

Natalie Rainer is a Chambers-ranked lawyer, focusing on laws affecting the food, supplement, and cosmetic industries, with deep experience guiding companies in through complex regulatory and...

Partner

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Proposition 65, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials, Environment, Food, and Chemicals

San Francisco
+1 415 365 6702

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Daniel C. Rubenstein

Danny Rubenstein provides strategic counseling to industry regarding regulatory compliance requirements for food packaging materials and food ingredients across the globe.With a technical background...

Partner

Food Safety & Life Sciences, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials, Life Sciences, Environment, Food, and Chemicals