ABA Food and Supplements Conference

ABA Food and Supplements Conference will be held on Tuesday, June 12th, at Sara Lee in Chicago.  There is a great conference agenda that promises to be a lively and enjoyable event.   You may read the brochure here.   Registration for the conference is now open.  The last one sold out.

Legal Issues in Animal Agriculture: Regulating Living Space

The National Ag Law Center is hosting a webinar on May 10th. "This presentation, part of a series of webinars on current legal issues in animal agriculture, will focus on the emerging legal and policy issues dealing with farm animal confinement. This presentation focuses on the laws and regulations of farm animal confinement in the United States, with a special emphasis on the statutory evolution behind them."

Food Law Short Course and Seminar

Food Law Short Course & Seminar
	» Hurry, registration is limited Michigan State University - East Lansing, Michigan The program consists of two courses, a U.S. food law short course, and a food regulation current issues seminar. Participants may choose to take one or both. The courses are offered in a collegial, intimate learning environment. U.S. Food Law Short Course July 16-17 (Monday-Tuesday) 2012 The U.S. Food Law Short Course is designed as an introduction to U.S. food laws and regulations for professionals in the field. It is well suited for those new to the field but also comprehensive enough on the essential elements of food law to provide a refresher course for the experienced professional. Food Regulation Current Issues Seminar  July 18-19 (Wednesday-Thursday) 2012 The Food Regulation Current Issues Seminar provides practical education on current food legal and regulatory issues. The topics cover cutting edge issues of food regulation, involving FDA, USDA, advertising, and global issues. Speakers from the legal, government, food industry, and academic professions will present practical food safety and food law information and case studies.  For more information, click here or Register Online Free Bonus U.S. Food Law Short Course participants will receive a copy of the book, Food Regulation: Law, Science, Policy, and Practice by Neal Fortin. The book provides an accessible discussion of the federal statutes, regulations, and agencies involved in food regulation in the United States. The Instructors David ACHESON, Partner at Leavitt Partners, former Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection, FDA Les BOURQUIN, Professor of Food Safety, Michigan State University Ricardo CARVAJAL, Attorney and Director, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. Roger CLEMENS, Chief Scientific Officer, Horn; President, Institute of Food Technologists Nicole COUTRELIS, Lawyer and Partner, Coutrelis & Associes, Paris and Brussels Neal FORTIN, Attorney, Professor and Director, Institute for Food Laws and Regulations P. Vincent HEGARTY, Founding Director and Professor Emeritus, Institute for Food Laws and Regulation James E. HOADLEY, Senior Consultant, EAS Consultant Group Steve KLUTING, Attorney and Partner, Varnum, LLP Janine LEWIS, Principal Nutritionist, Food Standards Australia New Zealand Scott J. MACINTYRE (invited), District Director, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Kenneth ODZA, Corporate Counsel, Food Safety, Kellogg Company F. Edward SCARBROUGH, Principal, Scarbrough Consultants, former U.S. Manager for Codex and Director Jenny SCOTT (invited), Senior Advisor, Office of Food Safety, FDA CFSAN John SPINK, Director, Packaging for Food and Product Protection Initiative, MSU Steve STEINBORN, Attorney and Partner, Hogan Lovells, US, LLP Charles WOODHOUSE, Attorney and Partner, Woodhouse Shanahan PA Cathy WEIR, Global Regulatory Associate Director, Mead Johnson Nutrition Gerald WOJTALA, Executive Director, International Food Protection Training Institute About IFLR  Learn more about IFLR at: www.IFLR.msu.edu or call (517) 355-8295       Email: IFLR@msu.edu                       Telephone: (517) 355-8295 Fax: (517) 432-1492                        web: www.IFLR.msu.edu   Institute for Food Laws and Regulation Michigan State University, 139 G.M. Trout Building, East Lansing, MI 48824

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A Great Opportunity to Expand Your Knowledge of Contemporary Society with Larry Busch

Special Seminar for Fall 2012

Neoliberalism and the Making of Contemporary Society

SOC 499 Social Issues and Change in Society (Section 2)

Open to both Undergraduate and Graduate Students                                                                                           

L. Busch

The last 30 years have witnessed a major transformation of most Western and many other societies around the world, culminating in the recent financial crisis.  Nearly every person on the planet has been affected by the financial crisis.  In the United States, poverty and inequality have increased, unemployment has risen dramatically, many businesses have gone bankrupt, and many people have lost their homes or seen the value of those homes decline dramatically.  Minorities have been particularly hard hit.  Moreover, what is true in the United States is equally true for much of the rest of the world.  This course will look at the role played by a particular set of economic theories and policies, traceable largely to ideas initially expressed in the 1930s under the label of neoliberalism and first put into practice (differently in different places) in the latter part of the last century. 

This course will examine neoliberalism as simultaneously a form of science with various knowledge claims. and a project to reform the state and society by creating, as one of its early proponents, Henry C. Simons, put it, 'a positive project for laissez-faire.'  In short, it will examine the causes and consequences of a project designed to transform the negative 18^th and 19^th century project of creating markets as spaces outside of state control, into a positive project to encourage states to create, support, and maintain markets whenever and wherever possible – a project that included the creation of the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, as well as what is often called 'globalization.'

Through analysis of both original documents produced by the founders of neoliberalism (e.g., Simons, Hayek, Friedman) as well as a number of critiques and post-critical analyses (e.g., Foucault, Harvey), we will attempt to answer questions such as:  What is neoliberalism?  How does it differ from the classical liberalism of Adam Smith?  What insights into contemporary society do neoliberals bring to the table?  To what extent is neoliberalism a utopian dream?  What aspects of neoliberal theory have (not) worked out well in practice?  Why or why not? 

Special signup instructions:  Students who have difficulty in signing up electronically for the class are requested to contact, Ms. Tammy Spangler (Rm 316 Berkey Hall, Tammy.Spangler@ssc.msu.edu, 517-355-6634).  Upper division undergraduates and graduate students from sociology and other disciplines are welcome to sign up for the course!   For further information about the course, contact Dr. Lawrence Busch at Lbusch@msu.edu. 

Ensuring Safe Food in Dynamic Food Systems Conference

The Global Food Protection Institute is presenting the Imagined Food Futures Symposia's inaugural conference, "Ensuring Safe Food in Dynamic Food Systems,"  May 1-2, 2012 at the McCamly Plaza Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan. 

 

The first day of the conference is open to the public.  Participants will hear from top experts on global food systems and food safety issues.  Confirmed speakers include Dr. David Acheson, Leavitt Partners; Mr. Joseph Reardon, U.S. FDA; Dr. Rick Foster, Michigan State University; Dr. Julia Bradsher, Global Food Protection Institute; Mr. Dan Carmody, Detroit Eastern Market; and Dr. Christine Bruhn, University of California Davis, Mr. Bradd Eldridge, Abbott Nutrition; Dr. Ricardo Salvador, Union of Concerned Scientists. 

 

Registration for May 1 meeting includes:  All-day break service, Lunch, and Dinner at the Battle Creek Country Club with Keynote Speaker Ellen Gustafson, founder of 30 Project.  Please click on www.imaginedfoodfutures.org/registration to register. Detailed information can be found on www.imaginedfoodfutures.org/ or you can call the conference line at 248-850-1804. 

Counseling the Local Food Movement: What a Practitioner Should Know

The American Bar Association's General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division's Agriculture Law Committee will be hosting a CLE webinar on Thursday, May 10, 2012 titled "Counseling the Local Food Movement:  What a Practitioner Should Know."  This is a very substantive CLE that will be two hours.  It will run from 2-4pm ET. This two-hour webinar is co-sponsored by the American Agriculture Law Association ("AALA") and the ABA Section of Environment and Energy's ("SEER") Agriculture Management Committee. The cost for members of sponsoring ABA sections and AALA is $125.  You can register online here if you are an ABA member.  If you are not an ABA member, dial 800.285.2221 and select "2" as the option Monday thru Friday from 8:30am to 6:00pm ET.  The event code is CET2LFM.  If you cannot attend the live webinar, the program will be available on audio CD after the event.

HEC Paris Workshop on Regulating Lifestyle Risks - Call for Papers

Regulating Lifestyle Risks in Europe: The Case of Alcohol, Tobacco and Unhealthy Diets 
HEC Paris, 27 and 28 September 2012 

The European Union has recently recognized the growing impact of NCDs on the EU's economy and the well-being of its citizens and has consequently started to develop policies intended to tackle the four main factors to which they are linked. Nevertheless, if common themes emerge between the different EU policies intended to promote healthier lifestyles, no attempt has yet been made to systematize them. 

This workshop will offer an opportunity for researchers (PhD students, post-docs, researchers and established academics), policy makers and other stakeholders to reflect on the role which the European Union should play in promoting healthier lifestyles, in light of the moral, philosophical, legal and political challenges associated with the regulation of individual choices. Special attention will be paid to the role that the relevant industries may realistically be called to play in tackling the rising tide of NCDs.

THEMES: The questions the workshop will focus on include (but are not limited to):
- the role of the EU in promoting healthier lifestyle and how powers should be shared between the EU and its Member States in public health matters;
- the role of consumer information, taxation, reformulation and marketing restrictions with regard to tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food in promoting healthier lifestyles and their impact on the EU internal market;
- the international role the EU can/should play and its relationship with the World Health Organization and other international organizations, as a result of the conclusion of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the 2004 WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and the 2007 WHO Global Strategy to Reduce Harmful Use of Alcohol;
- identification of the drivers behind the emergence of an EU lifestyle policy: is there an economic case for regulating lifestyle health risk determinants?
- the role of the EU impact assessment system in the preparation of legislative proposals and rule-making;
- the role played by the principles of transparency, consultation, and proportionality in ensuring that the legitimate interests of key stakeholders are sufficiently taken into account;
- the role of various stakeholders in supporting healthier lifestyles, including the role of the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health and the EU Alcohol and Health Forum;
- the assessment of different policy initiatives to determine the most appropriate forms of intervention (statutory regulation, self-regulation, co-regulation, nudges) in relevant policy areas;
- the challenge of integrating the findings of behavioral research into lifestyle policy-making, in particular the potential role and legitimacy of nudge-inspired measures in changing individual behavior and establishing social norms;
- the extent to which tobacco control may represent a blueprint for the regulation of lifestyle risks in the EU; - what the specific characteristics of EU regulation are that make problems easier or harder to solve than at national level;
- the extent to which the particular vulnerability of children requires a targeted regulatory intervention;
- the role the right to health and other fundamental rights should play in the debate;
- the impact of lifestyle regulation policies on the IP system, such as trademarks, and technological innovation, such as e-cigarettes, food reformulation and food supplements;
- the extent to which it is beneficial and justified to talk about an emerging EU lifestyle policy;
- the constraints imposed by the WTO Agreements to the emergence of a EU lifestyle regulation policy. 

ORGANISERS:
- Alberto Alemanno, Associate Professor of Law at HEC Paris and Editor of the European Journal of Risk Regulation
- Amandine Garde, Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of the Durham European Law Institute, Durham University 

EVENT: The event will consist of a two-day workshop to be held at HEC Paris Campus on 27 and 28 September 2012. The workshop is supported by the Jean Monnet Chair in EU Law & Risk Regulation as well as by the HEC Paris Foundation. 

OUTCOMES: It is anticipated that the papers presented at the workshop will form the basis of an edited collection. 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCEDURE: Please submit an abstract of between 300 and 500 words, including a title, to Alberto Alemanno, alemanno@hec.fr and Amandine Garde, amandine.garde@durham.ac.uk by Tuesday 22nd May 2012. 

The Past, Present, and Future of Food Regulation: A European Perspective

Alberto Alemanno (guest instructor at the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations) will be presenting a talk at Harvard, 

The Past, Present, and Future of Food Regulation: A European Perspective, March, 21, Wednesday, 12:00-1:00.  This presentation, by telling 3 main stories, will offer a European perspective on the past, present and future of the regulation of food products and food consumption. While story 1 will illustrate the genesis, evolution and main features of EU food law and policy, story 2 will explore – by examining some of the ongoing food trade disputes – the international food regulatory regime introduced by the World Trade Organization. By looking into the future, story 3 focuses instead on the regulatory challenges related to the obesity epidemic. After discussing the EU 'regulatory mix' consisting of regulatory initiatives (e.g. labeling schemes, such as health claims) and self-regulatory mechanisms (e.g. voluntary commitments), it explores – at the time of increasing European interest for the use of nudging – the effectiveness and legitimacy of regulatory approaches aimed at integrating the findings of behavioral research into policy-making.

Food for thought Professor shares his expertise on food

Professor Neal Fortin is profiled in this article in Detroit Legal News.

"Law students get a lot to digest in Neal Fortin's classes. . . ."

EU Law Course on iTunes U

Institute for Food Laws and Regulations guest instructor, Alberto Alemanno, has posted his EU Law course online on  iTunes U and the HEC Paris page. 

If you have not had the good fortune to hear Dr. Alemanno speak, these lectures will provide a pleasant introduction to what you have been missing. He is a shining star in his field, enthusiastic in sharing his knowledge, and a gifted educator. 

H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Competitions

The Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) is now accepting papers for the H. Thomas Austern Memorial Writing Competitions. FDLI sponsors the  competitions to engage law students interested in food and drug law. There are two competitions - one for papers with a maximum of 40 pages, and one for papers between 41 and 100 pages. Winning papers are considered for publication in the Food and Drug Law Journal.
   
Two prizes will be awarded for each of the two competitions:

• 1st place - $4,000

• 2nd place - $1,000

All competition details and a listing of previous winners are available online. 

Deadline: May 31, 2012

With three Jimmy John's near Michigan State University, how many E. coli O26 cases will there be?

Bill Marler wonders, "In past Jimmy John’s sprout E. coli and Salmonella cases, young people – especially college students – seem to have been disproportionately hit. With at least three Jimmy John’s in East Lansing, and one student sick, I wonder how many of the 2, or 7, will be part of the count."

New Master Degree in Food Safety Law

Wageningen University is offering a new 2-year MSc Food Safety with specialisation in Food Law. The degree focuses on the legal aspects of food safety and food safety management.

2012 Law & Science Young Scholars Informal Symposium and Prize

The 2012 Law & Science Young Scholars Informal Symposium will be held at the University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, on 14 May 2012.

The Symposium aims to create a forum for post-graduate scholars, PhD students, and early-career researchers working in the area of Law & Science. It will provide participants with an opportunity to present and discuss their research with senior researchers of the Law Science community in a constructive and friendly atmosphere.

Call for Abstract
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 13 February 2012
Deadline for submission of full paper: 14 April 2012
Notification of Acceptance: 30 April 2012
Symposium presentation: 14 May 2012
Official language: English
Place:  Aula Scarpa, University of Pavia (Italy)

Conference participation is free.
For registration and information please write to Scientific Secretariat.

Scientific  Secretariat:
Dott.ssa Alessandra Malerba: alessandramalerba87@gmail.com
Dott.ssa Laura Massocchi: laura.massocchi@katamail.com

Get Poisoned for Free!

Bill Marler, guest instructor for the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations, is offering to give a book to each new person who subscribes to his blog (up to 200 hardcover books).  Just subscribe here and email Mr. Marler your address at bmarler@marlerclark.com.

The book, Poisoned, is a great read.  So is Bill Marler's blog. Win Win.

Seminar: "Taking Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology Training Beyond the Borders of the US with MSU as a Global Grant University”

Dr. Cholani Weebadde, assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture, will speak on Thursday, November 17^th  at 4:10 pm in A149 PSSB, Michigan State University. Dr. Weebadde's international work involves "building capacity in developing countries on agricultural development related issues, collaborative research project and program management, team building and human resource development, and institutional development and networking."  Her research areas include plant breeding and genetics and molecular breeding and genomics.  She conducts training programs in agricultural biotechnology, environmental biosafety and food safety, intellectual property rights, and technology transfer.  Dr. Weebadde earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka and her doctorate from MSU.

 

Symposium: The Role of Public and Private Regulation in Detecting and Responding to Foodborne Disease Outbreaks

A symposium will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on November 21, 2011, 1:30 to 4:30pm. In this final event, a multidisciplinary team will evaluate and compare the current systems for detecting and responding to foodborne outbreaks in the U.S. and the European Union. In the context of recent, produce-related foodborne outbreaks in the EU and the US, the team will examine and compare the respective approaches, assessing challenges in surveillance, detection, trace-back and identification of a contaminated food item. Finally, we will consider lessons learned from recent outbreaks by examining issues of public health, responsibilities of industry, and comparisons of regulatory frameworks.

Those speaking include;

— Dr. Jeri Barak-Cunningham, Assistant Professor, Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin – Madison. "Fresh produce – no longer surprising but now a major source of foodborne illness." 

—  Dr. Robert Tauxe, Deputy Director, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, US CDC. "The cycle of public health:  Can we detect, investigate,and control foodborne outbreaks faster?"

— Dr. Jordi Serratosa-Vilageliu, EFSA Liaison Officer at FDA.  "Improving public health decision making with tools of risk analysis."

To register, please send an email to Lorna Zach (lzach@engr.wisc.edu) with your name, affiliation, and email contact information. A webcast may be available.

2nd EFLA EU-US Food Law Conference

The European Food Law Association (“EFLA”) 2nd EFLA EU-US Food Law Conference, "Food
Safety
 Regulations 
and 
International Trade
 of
 Food," will be held on October 24, 2011.  A copy of the conference brochure is available here.

Public Health Law Research Annual Meeting

Public Health Law Research is holding the 2012 Public Health Law Research Annual Meeting, "Public Health Law: Targets of Opportunity," January 18-20, 2012, in New Orleans. The conference will highlight research that provides evidence about how law can be used to improve population health; abstracts are being accepted until November 15, 2011.

Summary of Key Provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act

Image via WikipediaThe FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011, amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to shift the focus of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from primarily reacting to food safety problems to prevention.

A summary of key new provisions and their impact is available on the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations website here.

Still Time to Enroll in Summer Academy on Global Food Law & Policy

There are only five places left at the upcoming 3rd Summer Academy on Global Food Law & Policy planned from 25 till 29 July, Lake Como, Italy.

In the keynote speech David Byrne, the former EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, will present his views about the future of EU and international food regulation and the role public authorities should play in nutritional issues. Others covers topics such as the past, present, and future of the WTO SPS Agreement, the challenge of regulatory compliance with national and transnational food & beverages regimes, and Codex Alimentarius: Waste of time or food deliberate democracy? and more.

More information is available here.

European E. Coli Outbreak Puts Spotlight on US Government Preparedness

David Acheson, Managing Director of Food and Import Safety at Leavitt Partners, pointed out in a recent CNBC interview, "You can't say it won't happen here. You have to assume it will happen. We need to ramp up our prevention controls." 

The National Center for Biomedical Research and Training (NCBRT), a member of the Food and Agriculture Protection Training Consortium (FAPTC), is offering DHS-certified and sponsored training at no direct cost to state and local food emergency responders. "A Coordinated Response to Food Emergencies: Practice and Execution" is designed to have an impact on limiting the devastation caused by contamination of the food supply.The course provides responders with training on food emergency response procedures with an emphasis on coordination between local, state and federal food and health officials. In the United Sates, communication among this patchwork of government agencies can lead to slow detection of illness and slow response in containing an outbreak.

"The deadly E. coli outbreak in Europe should not be a surprise. This type of outbreak could happen anywhere," said Thomas Tucker, NCBRT Director. "We are especially vulnerable here in the United States with our complex processing and distribution system and high volume of imported goods. That is why the NCBRT has gotten ahead of the game by developing and offering training to help prevent and prepare for such an incident."  

"We are pleased to support such a crucial course," says Jerry Wojtala, Executive Director with the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI). "This course is a key to preventing the devastating consequences a food contamination incident, like the one we're seeing now, can have if government, food industry and public health officials are unprepared."

The Food and Agriculture Protection Training Consortium (FAPTC), is comprised of eight university-based training centers along with the International Food Protection Training Institute.  It is focused on developing and delivering food protection training primarily to U.S. government regulatory officials at the federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels along with others responsible for safety of the U.S. food supply, such as industry, third party auditors and regulatory officials in other countries.  

FAPTC provides sustainable, standardized, current, peer-reviewed, on-demand training both domestically and internationally essential for the coordinated prevention and response to food safety incidents impacting the U.S. food supply and citizens. More information on FAPTC can be found at www.faptc.org. 

NCBRT Contact:

Julie Cavin

Public Affairs & Outreach Coordinator, NCBRT

(225) 578-0619

jcavin@ncbrt.lsu.edu

IFPTI Contact:

Jerry Wojtala

jerry.wojtala@ifpti.org 

Language and Culture Day Camps at MSU

Every summer, MSU offers language and culture day camps for children ages 7-12 on campus. They take place for one week (Monday-Thursday or Friday) from 9 am - 4 pm. Morning-only options are available for all camps. No previous knowledge of the language is necessary and children of higher proficiency levels can be accommodated. For more information, visit http://cls.celta.msu.edu/camp.php.

FDA Public Meeting on the Food Safety Modernization Act: Inspection/Compliance

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced an advance notice of Registration to attend the Public Meeting entitled, "FDA Food Safety Modernization Act: Focus on Inspection and Compliance Provisions." 

The public meeting will be held on Monday, June 6, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET, with registration open at 7:30 a.m. The meeting location is on the FDA White Oak Campus, The Great Room, Building 31, Room 1503, 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993. This is the third public meeting FDA has held on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The previous meetings, held on March 29 and April 20, 2011, focused on the import and preventive controls provisions under FSMA.

The Federal Register notice announcing this meeting is expected to publish soon.

The purpose of this public meeting is to provide interested persons an opportunity to discuss implementation of the inspection and compliance provisions of the recently enacted FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The public will have an opportunity to provide information and share views that will inform the development of guidance and regulations and/or the implementation of: Enforcement Authorities; Frequency and Targeting of Facility Inspections; Manner of Inspection in a Preventive Controls Environment; and Enhancement of the Reportable Food Registry (RFR).

FDA officials scheduled to speak include:

• Michael Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods
• Dara Corrigan, Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs
• Barbara Cassens, Chair, Implementation Team for Inspections and Compliance
• Howard Sklamberg, Vice Chair, Implementation Team for Inspections and Compliance
• Roberta Wagner, Vice Chair, Implementation Team for Inspections and Compliance

Meeting participants will be able to attend three of four breakout sessions addressing Enforcement Authorities, Frequency and Targeting of Facility Inspections, Manner of Inspection in a Preventive Controls Environment, and Enhancement of the Reportable Food Registry (RFR). Each breakout session will be 75 minutes.

Registration for this meeting is currently available. You can pre-register to participate at the meeting on location or pre-register for the Webcast at:http://www.blsmeetings.net/FDAInspection&Compliance. Seating is limited, please register early.

Seminar: Reinventing Transnational Governance to Improve the Safety of the Global Food Supply

On Wednesday, April 27th, Neal Fortin will present the Malcolm Trout lecture at 4:00 pm, 1135 S. Anthony Hall. (This room is located to the south of the Dairy Store in Anthony Hall on the Michigan State University campus.) The title of his talk is "Reinventing Transnational Governance to Improve the Safety of the Global Food Supply."