Ian Thomas

Food

As a very experienced food lawyer, Ian provides regulatory and compliance advice and also represents clients in courts and tribunals in relation to a wide range of food law matters including; food safety and hygiene, animal welfare (including at the time of killing), food information, health and nutrition claims, food supplements, borderline products, traceability, product withdrawals and recalls, official controls and enforcement powers.

Examples of Ian’s work:

Providing advice in respect of:

• Food information obligations requirements
• Food supplements
• A Europe-wide food recall
• The use of nutrition and health claims
• The provision of food information to consumers
• The requirements for food and feed registration
• Identification of the food business operator
• Enforcement action in respect of local authority food businesses
• Changes to GB law post-Brexit (e.g. the Bread and Flour Regulations)
• Umbrella names in connection with food supplements and medicinal products
• GB legal provisions in a pan-European project
• Enforcement action taken against a slaughterhouse
• Environmental claims for a food product
• Imports of honey refused entry to the UK
• Proposed imports of food into GB
• A slaughterhouse being investigated for multiple alleged animal welfare issues
• A large-scale alleged fraud involving the mislabelling of foodstuffs

Providing representation on behalf of a slaughterhouse in the First-tier Tribunal and in the Upper Tribunal.

Defending food law prosecutions (e.g. hygiene, safety and animal welfare).

Regulatory

Ian is very experienced in providing advice in respect of the regulation and compliance of non-food consumer products. This includes general advice on product requirements such as labelling as well as specific labelling and safety provisions.

Examples of Ian’s work:

• Advising on the legal requirements for cosmetics
• Advising on the legal requirements for detergents
• Unit pricing obligations for detergent products
• Assisting a client negotiate a product recall
• Advising on the provisions of the textile regulations
• Advising on the legal provisions applicable to the descriptor “vegan leather”
• Representing a high street retailer prosecuted for under age sales

Inquests & inquiries

Ian is currently representing one of the main Core Participants in the long-running Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.

Recommendations

Appointments

• Visiting Professor, Ulster University, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences
• Elected Fellow of the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology

Publications

• Author of a Practical Guide to Food Law (now in its second edition)
• Author of Covid 19 and the Law Relating to Food in the UK and Republic of Ireland
• Ireland Country correspondent for the European Food and Feed Law Review

Memberships

• Food Law Group
• Society of Food Hygiene and Technology
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
• Food Safety Professionals Association (Ireland)
• Bar of England and Wales
• Law Society of Ireland

Education

• Wolverhampton University (LLB (Hons)
• Inns of Court School of Law
• Law Society of Ireland

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