Ricardo Carvajal

Ricardo’s practice focuses on FDA regulatory issues pertaining to foods, including conventional foods, bioengineered foods, dietary supplements, functional foods, medical foods, food additives, GRAS substances, and infant formula. He has experience with GMP and HACCP compliance issues, and with a wide array of labeling compliance issues, including those arising from the use of health, nutrient content, structure/function, and disease claims. He also has experience with First Amendment and preemption issues. Ricardo’s work at FDA was recognized with individual and team awards in a variety of subject areas, including bioengineered foods, food allergens, gluten-free labeling, and bioterrorism. In addition to his legal experience at FDA, he has a strong academic background in biology, and has had practical experience with food production and marketing.

Thoughts on Advertising:  I love the practice of food and drug law. It has given me the opportunity to integrate diverse aspects of my background as a lawyer and biologist, and it gives me the privilege to work on issues that are at the frontier of law and science, with categories of products that are intrinsic to human health and welfare. In my view, the landscape of food and drug regulation has never been more interesting or challenging than it is today, and is only likely to become more so. Nutrition science continues to yield information about the health benefits associated with certain foods or their constituents; molecular biology promises to tell us more about the interplay between genetics, nutrition, and disease; consumers are increasingly seeking to become better informed and play a greater role in making decisions about their health; evolving technologies will bring new classes of products to market; and the increasingly global scale of commerce will pose additional challenges to a regulatory structure designed primarily for domestic commerce. In the coming years, these developments seem certain to be the source of added tension between industry and regulators, and will demand creative and integrated problem-solving approaches on the part of both. I look forward to helping to craft those solutions.