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

Darren Abrahams

Darren enables clients throughout the chemicals and life sciences supply chain to get and keep their products on the European market (in the UK and the EU). He focuses on defence of products through...

Partner

Chemicals & Environment, Food Safety & Life Sciences, Government & Regulatory Litigation, Chemicals

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Anthony J. Anscombe

Anthony Anscombe is the chair of Steptoe's Consumer Litigation group. As group leader, he supports his colleagues at all levels of experience to find success practicing law the way they want to...

Partner

Class Action Defense, Food Safety & Life Sciences, Retail & E-Commerce, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials

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Joan Baughan

Joan Baughan, chair of Steptoe’s Chemical, Environmental and Life Sciences practice group, practices food and drug law, focusing on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and comparable international...

Partner

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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Carol R. Brophy

Carol Brophy is a seasoned litigator representing clients in environmental law, administrative law, and state and federal litigation. She represents a wide range of companies in matters involving...

Senior Counsel

Government & Regulatory Litigation, Chemicals & Environment, Proposition 65, Environmental, Product, & Mass Tort

San Francisco
+1 415 365 6724

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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, Chemicals & Environment

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6263

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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, Chemicals & Environment, 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, Chemicals & Environment

Washington, DC
+1 202 828 3650

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Carly Rolph

Carly is a member of the Consumer Litigation group, where she focuses her practice on products liability, false advertising and unfair competition, fraud, consumer protection litigation, and other...

Associate

Chemicals & Environment, Food and Feed Safety, Compliance, and Contact Materials, Consumer Law and Litigation