The food sector is in the spotlight, if only because of increasing consumer interest for trends in health care and convenience. Consumers primarily look for a one-stop shop kind of supply.

In the food industry, supermarkets continue to be the largest providers. These days supermarkets are in fierce competition with each other, due to which owner-operators and chains are compelled to combine forces. In this respect, price is a powerful weapon to find favour with consumers.

Not only do these market shifts lead to mergers and acquisitions, they also result in workforce changes. It is also necessary to properly lay down arrangements with suppliers, distributors and franchisers, to actually enable competitive pricing.
Matters such as food safety and food quality, food & health, and hygiene are a hot topic both at home and abroad. The largest part of current legislation with regard to food products is based on European directives and regulations. Companies in the food industry have to deal with legislation on the composition of food and drinks, but also with rules on inspection, production methods, consumer information, price tags, labelling and packaging. Adequate legal support in applying and interpreting these national and international regulations in practice, in specific situations, is of the essence.

Marxman has been advising the food & beverage industry for years regarding company law and labour law, and preparing and assessing agreements and general terms and conditions for different parties in the sector.