Food, Beverage & Agribusiness

Expert Witnesses and Consultants

The food, beverage, and agribusiness industries are at the heart of a web of many other related businesses, notably grocery and retail stores, the hospitality industry, and supply chain providers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that, in 2019, these industries contributed over $1 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product (“GDP”), a 5.2 percent share of the GDP. In 2019, 22.2 million full and part-time jobs were related to the agricultural and food sectors—nearly 11 percent of total U.S. employment.

There are many potential risks and liabilities in such an enormous industry and economic sector, from farm to manufacturing facility to store and table, from packaging safety to labeling and price-fixing. Issues can range from trademark infringement to food safety issues such as bacterial or toxic contamination, defective equipment used in farms or manufacturing, or even food preparation in restaurant ovens. Misleading food labeling is an increasing issue in this industry segment as well. Our clients represent companies in the following areas:

  • Food growers and producers, including FDA-regulated meat, poultry, and egg producers
  • Food and beverage manufacturers and distributors
  • Ingredient suppliers
  • Packaging manufacturers
  • Alcohol manufacturers and distributors
  • Grocery, restaurant, and retail chains
  • Supply chain providers, including truckers, 3PLs, and cross-docks
  • Livestock and pet food and supplement manufacturers and suppliers

These companies require expert witnesses in class action lawsuits, complex commercial litigation, and regulatory proceedings. For a representative but by no means exhaustive examples, among other things, our expert witnesses can:

  • Proactively opine on USDA, FDA, and FTC regulatory issues that arise throughout the product supply chain, including labeling and claims, food safety, preventive controls, registration issues, premarket clearances, and import issues.
  • Give expert testimony in consumer class actions that address labeling matters, ingredient false claims, misleading quantity statements, product defects, recall litigation, contractual disputes, and antitrust litigation.
  • Offer expert testimony on the myriad copyright, trademark, trade secret and patent litigation issues that arise in this sector.
  • Address packaging issues and claims.
  • Provide expert lab testing and opinions on ingredients and formulations.

Expertise for Every Need

Do you need a flavor chemistry expert? That’s a pretty niche space. But we found one to support a client’s intellectual property rights case before the International Trade Commission that involved elucidating the relationship between aroma compounds and consumer perceptions. For another client, we found a chemistry expert to debunk an “all-natural” claim for a competitor’s drink product that used solvents in the manufacture of the product. A client that manufactured dog food needed a quality control/quality assurance expert to evaluate whether the company’s competitors met pertinent regulatory and industry standards. We doggedly found the right expert for that.

A wide variety of specialist experts are needed in the food, beverage, and agribusiness arenas: epidemiologists, GMO experts, biotechnology experts, chemistry experts, and many more. Our network and expertise are similarly vast. No matter your needs. We can help.

Our food, beverage, and agribusiness case studies showcase the breadth and depth of our expert’s proficiency.

2022-01-24T15:21:11-05:00
Forensic Accounting Expert for Farming Economic Losses

Forensic Accounting Expert for Farming Economic Losses

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Forensic Accounting Expert for Farming Economic Losses

Forensic Accounting Expert for Farming Economic Losses The need Attorneys representing a group of chicken breeders in their case against an animal health [...]

VIEW EXPERT CASE STUDIES

How We Find Your Experts

Unlike other companies who search for experts through stale databases, Rubin Anders works in lockstep with our clients to identify the precise expert you seek. Our researchers dig deep into the science or industry elite to identify the proverbial “needle in a haystack” authority you need. At Rubin Anders, the team assigned to your case will include deeply trained scientists, lawyers and others highly skilled in their job, many with Ph.D.s. It’s a result of understanding your problem, knowing the right questions, and probing your expectations. And as your case and needs evolve, we proactively anticipate that, too. Even if you are looking for a unique expert, we take professional pride in bringing them to you.

We succeed at locating knowledgeable experts with deep experience in the food, beverage, and agribusiness arena because we have years of experience, a team of researchers who are themselves often Ph.D. scientists and our exacting search methodologies honed over 20-years in business. You will not find the technical expertise of our research department in any other expert placement firm. Our team and our process is unparalleled for successfully matching your perfect expert.

The primary criteria we use to select these individuals include, but are not limited to:

  • Academic background and certifications
  • Industry experience and professional background
  • Location and travel limitations
  • Experience in legal proceedings, including prior testimony experience
  • Qualifications of the opposition witnesses
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Fees

Our team of Ph.D. and J.D. researchers have years of experience in their disciplines and are consummately poised to identify experts who can fill the niche you need. Whether you’re seeking an expert forensic accountant to validate your client’s losses from contaminated animal feed, or a toxicologist expert to represent your client before the FDA in an enforcement proceeding alleging food adulteration, we have the technical expertise and extensive network to find your perfect expert.