Legally Speaking By
Shawn Stevens
Shawn Stevens is the founding member of Food Industry Counsel LLC, the only law firm in the U.S. that represents the food industry exclusively. Stevens works with to help them protect their brand by complying with FDA and USDA regulations, reducing risk, managing recalls, and defending high-profile foodborne illness claims.
November 04, 2024 | Political politeness
October 21, 2024 | Is it End Zone of Zone One?
October 07, 2024 | Safety Comes in All Shapes and Sizes
September 23, 2024 | Expiration dates matter: The case of the exploding cans
September 09, 2024 | Boar's Head: Navigating Risks in the Deli Industry
August 26, 2024 | The Benefits of a Mock Trial
July 29, 2024 | Is it the cat’s pajamas or the cat’s meow?
July 15, 2024 | If the glove fits...
July 01, 2024 | Will your next recall serve you a class action lawsuit?
June 17, 2024 | The Lifeline of Recall Insurance Interim Payments
May 20, 2024 | Make Sure Your Class III recalls are covered
May 06, 2024 | Rock the Mock: Preparing for Real World Recall Scenarios
April 22, 2024 | The Rise of the USDA Public Health Alert
April 08, 2024 | One Wedding at a Time
March 25, 2024 | Testing your tolerance for testing
March 11, 2024 | Tracking Potential Changes to FDA's Traceability Rule
February 26, 2024 | Checking out your checker
February 12, 2024 | Sticks and stones...
January 15, 2024 | Oh, how time flies
January 01, 2024 | Recalling 2023's recalls — year in review
December 18, 2023 | The Holiday Dinner Dilemma
December 04, 2023 | Don't let a bunch of nuts ruin your holiday
November 20, 2023 | Please keep us safe this Thanksgiving
November 06, 2023 | I bruised my ego ... and our boat
October 23, 2023 | EAT this, California
October 09, 2023 | Industry is meating more recalls in 2023
September 25, 2023 | Almost 400, and counting...
August 28, 2023 | Have you been poisoned by the perimeter?
August 14, 2023 | The Art of Steak: From Bloody to Burnt
July 31, 2023 | Regulating legacy facilities and equipment out of existence?
July 17, 2023 | Modeling for liability in food safety
July 03, 2023 | No vacations for food safety professionals ...
June 19, 2023 | Grilling season is here: Don't get torched by your recall insurer!
June 05, 2023 | When will AI eradicate humans (and lawyers)?
May 22, 2023 | Adulteration palpitation
May 08, 2023 | Artificial intelligence is becoming real intelligence
April 24, 2023 | Hug a sanitation employee today
April 10, 2023 | The good news and the bad
March 27, 2023 | Top Ten Mistakes Companies Make That Get Them in Trouble
March 11, 2023 | WGS: Weaponized Genome Sequencing
February 27, 2023 | Blowballs and bacteria
February 13, 2023 | UFOs: Unidentified food organisms
January 30, 2023 | Sharks, alligators and regulators, oh my!
January 16, 2023 | Heavy metals got me banging my head
January 02, 2023 | Yep, karma is real
December 19, 2022 | The major drivers of food recalls
November 21, 2022 | What snuck into our room?
November 07, 2022 | There's no appeal in no appeal
October 24, 2022 | From breakfast to the Big House
October 10, 2022 | Food (and hurricane) safety is not competitive
September 26, 2022 | Navigating e-commerce: Ownership, Control, and Possession of Recalled Products
September 12, 2022 | Open Sesame: Will Addition of the “Big 9” Allergen Open Pandora’s Box?
August 29, 2022 | The 5 food safety failures that can ruin your company
August 15, 2022 | What costs more than an unqualified food safety manager?
August 01, 2022 | Would your own kitchen pass a routine inspection?
July 18, 2022 | Goodbye, FDA; Hello, FSA
July 04, 2022 | Fourth of July: Winning the hearts — and meats — of the people
June 20, 2022 | Persistence is the whole point
May 23, 2022 | What is success?
May 09, 2022 | Recalling the past and predicting the future
April 25, 2022 | Loves food, travel, staying in, going out
April 11, 2022 | Don’t talk to me about “root cause”
March 28, 2022 | Getting persistent about persistence
March 14, 2022 | Don’t feed the bears
February 28, 2022 | Nobody looks good in orange
February 14, 2022 | What will be the biggest drivers of recalls in 2022?
January 31, 2022 | Should Floor Scrubbers be Scrubbed?
January 17, 2022 | Where would you fly?
January 03, 2022 | Onions, salads and turkey, oh my!
December 20, 2021 | Only a small taste of freedom
December 06, 2021 | Spice up the holidays
November 22, 2021 | It’s time again for some Thanksgiving trauma
November 08, 2021 | 'Rust' and risk: Movie sets and processing lines
October 25, 2021 | The Salmonella dilemma
October 11, 2021 | The ethics of food safety
September 27, 2021 | Where did all the foodborne illness go?
September 13, 2021 | What can we learn from airplane crashes?
August 30, 2021 | “Wishful thinking” is never a good strategy
August 16, 2021 | What is food safety culture?
August 02, 2021 | Who really needs all those lawyers?
July 19, 2021 | Food safety and cyber security
July 05, 2021 | When your world goes up in flames
June 21, 2021 | The U.S. declares a new allergen
June 07, 2021 | Never mock a mock trial
May 24, 2021 | Finally — it’s okay to “cough” again
May 10, 2021 | Food safety and golf
April 26, 2021 | A new year brings even fewer recalls
April 12, 2021 | Should the Green Bay Packers change their name?
March 29, 2021 | It’s time for spring cleaning
March 15, 2021 | Do you really know what you’re buying?
March 01, 2021 | Recalling many years of blogs and recalls
February 15, 2021 | Stay Classy, FDA and USDA
February 01, 2021 | We should be testing more, not less
January 18, 2021 | New traceability rule coming soon
January 04, 2021 | 2020 year in review: An even bigger year for food safety?
December 21, 2020 | Regulating food safety culture?
December 07, 2020 | Cutting down the culture of complacency
November 23, 2020 | The sacrifices of a food safety professional
October 26, 2020 | Food for thought on managing foreign supplier risk
October 12, 2020 | Will COVID-19 make society colder
September 28, 2020 | Would defunding FSIS and FDA enforcement improve food safety?
September 14, 2020 | Food safety and politics — an unimpeachable comparison
August 31, 2020 | Beware of your insurers
August 17, 2020 | Where have all the (foodborne) outbreaks gone?
July 20, 2020 | Rocky road: The curious case of United States v. Paul Kruse
July 06, 2020 | Congratulations – keep up the great work
June 22, 2020 | COVID-19: A fascinating social experiment
June 08, 2020 | Processors beware: FSIS to significantly expand STEC sampling
May 25, 2020 | COVID-19: Are employer liability lawsuits about to go viral?
May 11, 2020 | COVID-19: The more you test, the more you find
April 27, 2020 | Where are the beef recalls?
April 13, 2020 | Fighting COVID-19: Flattening the curve in your food facility
March 30, 2020 | COVID-19 – Chicken soup for a weary industry
March 16, 2020 | Managing COVID-19 in the food industry
March 02, 2020 | USDA eases key restrictions on hemp production
February 17, 2020 | Coronavirus outbreak — is this the calm before the storm?
February 03, 2020 | Food safety is like changing your oil
January 20, 2020 | 2019 year in review: A big year for food safety
January 06, 2020 | A New Year and a new approach: Let’s get back to basics
December 23, 2019 | The Town Hall follow-up
December 09, 2019 | Tell me today what you really want to know from USDA, FDA and CDC
November 25, 2019 | Artificial Intelligence is learning how to make food safer
November 11, 2019 | Getting your food safety wish list from Santa’s workshop to the C-suite
October 28, 2019 | To meat or not to meat, is that the question?
September 30, 2019 | Three strikes … you’re out!
September 16, 2019 | The testing games: Who is out there testing your products?
September 02, 2019 | Home food delivery – the last (and most risky) mile.
August 19, 2019 | Are recent immigration raids jeopardizing U.S. food safety?
August 05, 2019 | When it comes to recalls, weight matters
July 22, 2019 | Look Both Ways Before Consuming
July 08, 2019 | The new norm: using genetic subtyping to eliminate contamination
June 24, 2019 | FDA agrees to address so-called “high-risk foods”
June 10, 2019 | Is your facility under attack by an invisible army?
May 27, 2019 | When is calamari not an appetizer? When it’s a pork bung
May 14, 2019 | Why are there are SO many food recalls?
April 29, 2019 | Salmonella recalls: The rules of the game are changing, so be prepared
April 15, 2019 | Automation and artificial intelligence can help avoid adulteration
April 01, 2019 | Investors are growing bullish on lab meat
March 18, 2019 | When should you report a customer complaint to FSIS?
March 04, 2019 | What’s all the buzz about infusing food with CBD?
February 18, 2019 | The STEC ghost strain continues to haunt investigators
February 04, 2019 | Spring for a swab-a-thon – before FDA or USDA come knocking
January 21, 2019 | Genetic sequencing: To be feared or embraced?
January 07, 2019 | FSIS won’t be shutting up during the shutdown
December 24, 2018 | Recalling food safety; the year in review
December 10, 2018 | Jury nearly convicts vice president of food safety
November 26, 2018 | Salmonella warning – recent recalls may be the canary in the coal mine
November 12, 2018 | Seeing things differently: salmonella, the C-suite and snakes
October 29, 2018 | Is it time to consolidate the nation’s food safety agencies?
October 15, 2018 | FDA to start revealing retail chains that are selling recalled products
October 01, 2018 | Roundup the plaintiffs’ attorneys
September 03, 2018 | “Meating of the minds” on the meaning of meat laws
August 20, 2018 | With potentially turbulent times ahead, keep your eye on food safety
August 06, 2018 | Still wondering about recall insurance?
July 23, 2018 | It’s been a bad year for food safety – so, are we to blame?
July 09, 2018 | Who made my wife sick?
June 25, 2018 | Top 10 mistakes companies make when it comes to food safety
June 11, 2018 | Should third-party audits include environmental sampling?
May 28, 2018 | Thanking those who have served
May 14, 2018 | To test or not to test?
April 30, 2018 | New rules, new recalls, and new insurance
April 16, 2018 | Why is this so foreign?
April 02, 2018 | Is Proposition 65 a growing cancer?
March 02, 2018 | It’s getting tougher to make and sell food
February 19, 2018 | Will FDA influence USDA pathogen control policy?
February 05, 2018 | When does a food become adulterated?
January 22, 2018 | Are bakery products now “high-risk?”
January 08, 2018 | 2017 Recalls – Wow, what a year!
December 11, 2017 | Comparing your facility test results to FDA’s foodborne illness database
November 27, 2017 | Clean labels muddy the waters of liability exposure
November 06, 2017 | Consumers are watching you
October 23, 2017 | The anatomy of a food safety lawsuit
October 09, 2017 | FSIS using Whole Genome Sequencing could link you to unsolved outbreak
September 25, 2017 | Choosing a capable consultant
August 28, 2017 | Believing vs. Knowing
August 07, 2017 | It’s high time to require recall insurance
July 17, 2017 | Why should I listen to you?
July 03, 2017 | We need more food safety heroes
June 19, 2017 | What’s a day without a recall?
June 05, 2017 | What IS safe food?
May 22, 2017 | Solving the unsolvable outbreak
May 08, 2017 | No more tolerance for outbreaks
May 01, 2017 | No more tolerance for outbreaks
April 17, 2017 | It’s time for “Ready-to-prepare”
April 03, 2017 | All supplier problems role downhill
March 20, 2017 | Living in the age of allergens
March 06, 2017 | When federal investigators come to the rescue
February 06, 2017 | FDA draft listeria guidance is encouraging
January 23, 2017 | Will Trump trump food safety regulations?
January 09, 2017 | The regulatory inspection checklist
December 26, 2016 | Ten food safety mistakes to avoid in 2017
December 12, 2016 | FDA: a gentle giant or a brewing beast?
November 28, 2016 | FDA escalates war on pathogens
November 14, 2016 | Retail delis beware
October 31, 2016 | What we can learn from recall statistics
October 17, 2016 | Responding to USDA, FDA food safety concerns and criminal exposure
October 03, 2016 | The endless evolution of pathogen control
September 19, 2016 | How many unsolved foodborne illnesses occurred today?
August 22, 2016 | Can some future recalls be averted with Public Health Alerts?
August 08, 2016 | Should food safety be competitive?
July 25, 2016 | Is Listeria a bigger problem than we thought?
July 11, 2016 | Shifting from “root cause” to “root source” analysis
June 20, 2016 | How fast are you REALLY required to announce that recall?
May 30, 2016 | Hidden perils on our plates: What you can't see can kill you
May 16, 2016 | Avoiding prison time for food safety failures
February 24, 2016 | Suit against Indiana Packers is RICOdiculous
February 10, 2016 | FDA’s war on pathogens: The new offensive against industry
January 13, 2016 | Platoons and products
December 23, 2015 | FSIS grinds out new retail record keeping rules
December 02, 2015 | Allergens, Assessments and Actions
November 18, 2015 | Allergens can break your back
October 21, 2015 | Will safe handling warnings save you?
September 30, 2015 | From profits to prison: lesson for processors in Parnell getting 28 years
September 23, 2015 | Avoid your next FSA by staying off the FSIS “hit list”
September 02, 2015 | Don’t become a victim of your own outbreak
August 12, 2015 | Is FSIS signaling an overhaul of ground beef safe handling warnings?
July 29, 2015 | Dog days of summer; FDA pet food rules could pressure USDA on meat
July 15, 2015 | When does complacency become a crime?
July 01, 2015 | Your sampler can be your savior … or your saboteur
June 10, 2015 | Arianna Huffington, Jay Leno, Walter Robb, Phil Lempert and me
May 13, 2015 | Does your crisis management plan need crisis management planning?
April 29, 2015 | The ticking traceability time bomb
April 15, 2015 | Sometimes the best offensive plan is a good food defense plan
April 01, 2015 | Don’t let listeria level your bottom line
March 04, 2015 | The lives we save
February 18, 2015 | Zero-Tolerance for Listeria and Salmonella?
February 04, 2015 | What If your NRs became public?
December 10, 2014 | What the HEP is going on?
November 26, 2014 | The negligent response to a noncompliance report
October 15, 2014 | FSIS recall investigations are about to change
June 11, 2014 | Controlling risk and exposure by rethinking training
April 16, 2014 | Forbidding the sale of raw meat?
March 20, 2014 | Compassion, commitment and culture
February 19, 2014 | Your next FSA won’t be any easier
January 29, 2014 | Insuring against the inevitable
November 27, 2013 | An almost perpetual state of listeria
October 30, 2013 | No asylum from allergens
October 10, 2013 | E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks, recalls and lawsuits continue to disappear
August 28, 2013 | Still aiming for greener “pasteurs”
July 31, 2013 | Preparing for your next Food Safety Assessment
July 03, 2013 | Responding appropriately to NRs
June 19, 2013 | Developing stronger supplier specifications
May 30, 2013 | Ensuring your programs are being executed as written
May 08, 2013 | Finding the hidden gaps in your food safety plan
April 17, 2013 | Train like you fight
March 27, 2013 | The food safety “Culture Club”
March 06, 2013 | Top 10 ways to protect the long-term survival of your brand
February 14, 2013 | Is it time yet for a single food safety agency?
December 13, 2012 | Just a little more tender, loving care
November 22, 2012 | Turkeys and Twinkies
November 01, 2012 | The last thing I ate…
October 04, 2012 | Let’s STEC it to the enemy
September 13, 2012 | The danger of resistance to change
August 23, 2012 | Is your company recall-ready?
July 26, 2012 | Monkey see, monkey do…
July 12, 2012 | FSIS validates its validation standards
June 21, 2012 | Are beef recalls about to multiply?
April 19, 2012 | Food Safety and Confirmation Bias
March 29, 2012 | T-bones are pink too
March 22, 2012 | Tax credits for testing?
March 15, 2012 | GAO’s ideas to reduce STECs are … SO foreign
March 01, 2012 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part X – Proving your innocence)
February 23, 2012 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part IX – Preparing A Defense)
February 16, 2012 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part VIII – The Right Insurance)
February 02, 2012 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part VII - The FSA and NOIE)
January 19, 2012 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part VI – The Recall)
January 12, 2012 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part V - The Questions)
January 05, 2012 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part IV - The Conclusions)
December 29, 2011 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part III - The Investigation)
December 08, 2011 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part II - The Illnesses)
December 01, 2011 | Anatomy of an Outbreak (Part I - Outbreak Surveillance)
November 25, 2011 | A serving of Thanksgiving history
November 17, 2011 | Not a happy campylobacter
October 13, 2011 | Biting off more than we can chew
September 29, 2011 | Getting to the CORE of foodborne illness outbreaks
September 22, 2011 | Rules are (now) rules: FSIS and non-O157:H7 STECs
September 15, 2011 | Big six declared Adulterants: Is it a good thing?
September 08, 2011 | Review your playbook in advance of football season
September 01, 2011 | Carcass irradiation petition gets nuked
August 18, 2011 | Comments are like condiments
August 04, 2011 | The health of a nation
July 28, 2011 | Some processors to begin testing for the “Big Six”
July 14, 2011 | Are airport foodborne illness rates sky high?
June 30, 2011 | Now we’re cooking …
June 09, 2011 | Ghost Strain Haunts Europe
June 02, 2011 | War of the worlds?
May 19, 2011 | Aiming for a greener pasteur
May 12, 2011 | From Rags to Riches: The Non-O157:H7 STEC Employment Act
May 06, 2011 | American meat: Is it really at half staph?
April 14, 2011 | What the STEC is a STEC?
April 07, 2011 | What’s the beef with FSIS product testing?
March 31, 2011 | The question isn’t WHY the chicken crossed the road…
March 24, 2011 | The firing at Fort Sumter: Locals declare federal food safety laws unconstitutional
March 17, 2011 | OIG and trim testing – What would you propose?
March 03, 2011 | Preserving your products – and your evidence
February 24, 2011 | Can the meat industry enhance the safety of all foods?
February 18, 2011 | Testing to find
February 10, 2011 | What do Super Bowls and meat packers have in common?
February 03, 2011 | Does USDA policy discourage finished product testing?
January 27, 2011 | What’s your (insurance) policy?
January 06, 2011 | What would 12 jurors think?
December 30, 2010 | Safer food means fewer outbreaks, recalls and lawsuits
December 23, 2010 | A good year can only get better
December 16, 2010 | Are Mandatory Recalls In Our Future?
December 09, 2010 | Another investigation gone astray (Part II)
November 18, 2010 | Another investigation gone astray (Part I)
November 11, 2010 | Food for thought from Shanghai
November 04, 2010 | Raising the bar – intuitive readers pose insightful questions
October 21, 2010 | An outbreak investigation gone terribly wrong: Part two
October 14, 2010 | An outbreak investigation gone terribly wrong: Part one
October 07, 2010 | Innocent companies wrongly accused
September 30, 2010 | NRs: What you say can and will be used against you
September 23, 2010 | Don’t wait for an outbreak to find out if you’re covered
September 16, 2010 | When someone else’s problems become your own
September 09, 2010 | Why crying “you’re blaming the victim” can undercut the cause of food safety
August 26, 2010 | Salmonella: Surveying the science and sensationalism
August 19, 2010 | Class actions against food makers receive failing grades
August 12, 2010 | Plaintiffs’ lawyers have to eat too
August 05, 2010 | Despite best efforts, pathogens and lawyers remain difficult to eliminate
