Food law

In our law firm food law is a practice area handled by an enthusiastic Czech-Slovak team of lawyers with extensive experience in the industry. We work for both local and international companies, from established manufacturers, distributors and retailers to start-ups and e-shops in the field of superfoods and novel foods in general. We have many years of experience in administrative proceedings before the State Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority and in litigation matters.

Food law is a highly regulated area that protects consumers in terms of food quality, hygiene and safety, as well as in terms of food information and claims. Food law is heavily regulated by the European Union, but the detailed regulation of sub-areas has remained in local law, and therefore food business operators do not always have an easy time.

This area has seen many dynamic changes and trends in recent years, such as the sale of food online, the popularity of functional foods, superfoods and novel foods imported from different parts of the world in general, or the fortification of foods with substances such as CBD. In the context of organic trends, we often encounter issues related to the marketing of vegan products, the development of artificial meat, zero waste food sales, and the pressure on the local origin of foods. In the context of ever-increasing consumer protection standards, food business operators are bound by strict regulation of nutrition and health claims, such as the ban on dual quality. At the same time, regulation in the food sector is expected not to decrease, but rather the opposite.

Foods affect the most fundamental aspect of our lives, namely human health. Therefore, there is a great deal of risk inherent in them, and this is not the only reason why we need to comply with all the regulations and ensure that foods comply with the law.

We primarily deal with these areas:

• Registration, notification of authorities when starting to operate a food business
• Individual assessment of all types of advertising messages concerning foods in all possible forms and shapes, so as to comply with the law
• Detailed regulation of food labelling, food packaging, including the use of nutrition and health claims
• Assessing the admissibility of novel substances in foods and novel foods in general
• Specifics of foods for special medical purposes, restrictions on the promotion of infant and follow-on formulae (including their possible reimbursement from public health insurance)
• Food safety issues, withdrawal of foods from the market, crisis management of food businesses and related external and internal communication
• Addressing food dual quality issues and conducting dual quality audits
• Legal setting of correct pricing and promotional sales, including tax assessment
• Online food sales and related obligations
• Regulation of tobacco products, their marketing and advertising
• Representing clients in administrative proceedings before the State Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority
• Providing crisis advice in the context of findings concerning unsafe foods and their withdrawal from the market

We cover all these topics in our specialist publications and lectures, and also on our blog in the Life Sciences section: https://www.havelpartners.blog/life-sciences/