Events for September 19, 2013

Event Description

Thursday, September 19, 2013, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM CDT and Friday, September 20, 2013, 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM CDT, Minneapolis, MN

Course Description:

Marketing claims that promote the nutritional value, ingredient quality, and health-related benefits of food have increased significantly in recent years because of consumer expectations and competitive pressures. The amount of product and scientific information being communicated is also greater due in part to the use of company web sites. This has resulted in more enforcement actions by regulatory agencies, complaints raised through industry self-regulatory bodies, and a flood of class action lawsuits under state consumer protection laws. When there is a threatened or filed class action lawsuit regarding food marketing claims, key decisions will be based on an analysis of both substantive and procedural issues, in light of regulatory and litigation developments.

This seminar will review the regulatory framework for food marketing claims and will discuss the strategies for effectively defending enforcement actions, self-regulatory matters and lawsuits. It will focus on current food marketing regulations, enforcement actions, self-regulatory complaints, nutrient content claims, health claims, structure/function claims, substantiation criteria , food safety warning letters, factual defenses, proposition 37 on litigation claims, food labeling advertising, California (17200/CLRA) claim, CLRA Letters, dispositive motions, class certification motions.


Course Objectives:

• Review the regulatory framework for food marketing claims.
• Address the types of claims that have triggered enforcement actions, self-regulatory complaints and class action lawsuits.
• Discuss strategies for effectively defending enforcement actions, self-regulatory matters and lawsuits.
• Highlight best practices for evaluating claims and managing risk.
• Present workshop, with hypotheticals, to allow attendees to apply information and learn practical skills

Who will Benefit:

• Regulatory Affairs
• Marketing Professionals
• Legal Personnel
• Senior Executives
• Public Affairs Personnel
• Advertising Agencies
• Food Scientists

Meet Your Instructors:



Leslie T Krasny
Partner, Keller and Heckman LLP
Leslie T.Krasny, is a partner in the law firm of Keller and Heckman LLP, and manages the San Francisco office. She practices regulatory law, focusing on food and dietary supplements. Her areas of expertise include safety, labeling, advertising, recalls, inspections, ingredient evaluation, claim substantiation, Proposition 65, and biotechnology. Her clients include growers, manufacturers, distributors, importers, retailers, foodservice chains and trade associations, and she serves as General Counsel to the Produce Marketing Association. She is a frequent speaker and writer on food law issues, serves on the Food and Drug Law Institute's Board of Directors and its Food and Dietary Supplements Committee, and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Processing Magazine.



Robert S Niemann
Partner, Keller and Heckman LLP
Robert Niemann joined Keller and Heckman in 2012 as a trial lawyer in the litigation department concentrating his practice in the areas of complex business and commercial litigation, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, unfair business practices, products liability, and environmental toxic torts. Mr. Niemann has extensive experience with class actions, multidistrict litigation, mass torts and major complex cases.

His experience in over 30 years of practice includes representation of manufacturers, distributors, inventors and component suppliers of pharmaceutical products, medical devices, healthcare and food products and various consumer products. In 1997, he was one of 300 attorneys worldwide selected for inclusion in the first edition of An International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers, based on surveys and interviews with major corporations and leading products attorneys. He was selected again in 1998 and in several later editions.

He has represented manufacturing companies and numerous consumer and construction equipment manufacturers for contract disputes, royalties, indemnity issues, product labeling and product liability. He has also represented companies for breach of contract, fraud, business torts, unfair competition, unfair business practices and false advertising. He has arbitrated/mediated hundreds of matters in his career, and serves as a Judge Pro Tem for the San Francisco Superior Court for settlement conferences and trials. He is also an appointed arbitrator for the Counties of San Francisco and Marin. He is a panelist for the National Arbitration Forum, a national alternative dispute resolution provider. He has been "AV" rated by Martindale Hubbell his entire career. He was acknowledged in 2013 (and in prior years) as one of California's "Super Lawyers." Additionally, he was named a top rated IP lawyer by American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell for 2013.

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Event Description

September 19, Thursday 10:00 AM PDT | 01:00 PM EDT

Why Should You Attend

Tracing food consistently and efficiently from the point of origin to the point of consumption ( from farm to fork) is critical in ensuting food safety and quality. In addition, regulations, international standards and commercial standards require traceability systems but none is prescriptive in the way traceability is achieved. This is because many options are available. These issues highlight the practical difficulties in designing a traceability system.
This 90-minute webinar will discuss how traceability systems should be underpinned by adherence to appropriate legislation and accepted good practice.

Attendees will learn the principles and basic system requirements for the design and implementation of a traceability system. The training will show how to use traceability as a management tool and how it enables necessary action to be taken if food is found to be potentially non-conforming.
This session will show several examples of traceability plans. We will discuss how to keep associated records and being able to make traceability information available to the competent authorities on demand in a timely manner. On completion of the training the participants will be able to identify the key points where traceability is read and applied or transferred with the product, with the records taken.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Traceability explained
• Traceability and international standards
• Key attributes of traceability
• Setting up and conducting traceability study
• Planning stages to enable traceability
• Establishing and implementing traceability
• Examples of traceability plans

Who will Benefit:

• Food processors and manufacturers
• Wholesalers and retailers
• Transporters and distributors
• Owner/Partner
• Food safety management team members
• VPs of operation and quality in food companies
• Catering Managers / Chefs who supervise food handlers
• Produce managers
• Food Safety auditors
• Local authority personnel (EHO)

Instructor Profile:



Rotimi Toki, is principal of Rottoks Food Safety Management Consulting Services Limited. He has provided services to some of the top brands in food service and manufacturing sectors. Rotimi specializes in Quality Systems Audit, developing an integrated food safety management system based on HACCP principles. He has more than 20 years of experience. He works with industry in applying the principles of quality and food safety management. He has been an integral part of raising industry standard and helping manufacturers achieving Quality certifications.

He has worked at many senior Technical, Operational and Quality levels within the Food Industry in Ireland , Nigeria and the UK, namely, Brian Munro, Cuisine de France, Tesco and Marks & Spencer gaining valuable hands on experience which he bring seamlessly into every training course. Rotimi, is a Food Technologist, a certified food safety trainer and Safefood360 certified partner. He has a Master degree in Food Safety Management from Dublin Institute of Technology.

Further details and registration >>