Scrutiny from regulators, competitors and consumers likely will heat up in the coming year as the Federal Trade Commission revamps its green guides to clarify the proper use of emerging environmental and sustainability and other watchdogs, including the BBB National Programs, which consider competitors’ allegations related to sustainability claims.
To help industry players safely share their sustainability stories without running afoul of the regulations or triggering litigation, FoodNavigator-USA will host a fireside chat and presentation with three leading lawyers who are experts in consumer protection, complex commercial disputes and policy and litigation matters involving FDA, USDA, FTC and state regulatory agencies during our upcoming Futureproofing the Food System Summit Nov. 14-16.
On the third day of our free-to-attend event, we will explore the evolving circular economy, including an opening fireside chat with Leslie Esposito, a partner at and head of McDermott Will & Emery’s consumer protection practice, in which we look at what to expect from FTC’s updated Green Guide’s.
Esposito will set the stage for our conversation by describing what the Green Guides are and when and why they were originally created. She will also walk us through some of the environmental claims and sustainability areas that the FTC is looking at in its impending update.
In the afternoon, we will continue the conversation with an in-depth presentation, Navigating the legal minefield of sustainable and environmental market claims, by Rachel Lowe, a partner at Alston & Bird who represents clients in a variety of industries in class actions and other complex commercial disputes and who is a member of the firm’s Food, Beverage & Agribusiness team. Joining her will be Sam Jockel, a senior associate at Alston & Bird who focuses on regulatory, policy and litigation matters involving FDA, USDA, FTC and state regulatory agencies related to food, beverage, cosmetics, dietary supplements, animal products and drugs.
Together Lowe and Jockel will explore recent initiatives by regulators at the federal and state level and cases brought by consumer class action attorneys, NGOs and competitors related to sustainability and marketing claims.
They also will offer best practices for companies to stay on the right side of the law while still sharing their hard-won sustainability achievements.
Check out more details about both sessions, and the rest of FoodNavigator-USA’s Futureproofing the Food System Summit, which also looks at advances in food-tech and the burgeoning food as medicine movement. Registration is free for attendees and will be available on-demand those who cannot attend during the original broadcast.
