Professional Sanitarians and the law

Increased communications between sanitarians and lawyers are important as the public becomes more conscious of sanitation matters, the food distribution chain lengthens, and governmental budgets increase. Federal and state laws prohibit shipment of "adulterated" food, including food packed or held under insanitary conditions, even though the food itself is perfectly clean. Penalties for violation are seizure, injunction, and criminal prosecution, including prosecution of "responsible" individuals. In addition, recalls, which are not mentioned in the federal law, are frequently used. All of these actions require close cooperation between sanitarians and lawyers, whether on the industry side or the governmental side. Preparation for, conducting, and following up on inspections by FDA or other governmental agencies also require cooperation between sanitarians and lawyers.