Consumer Law at Your Fingertips

Food Safety & Labeling

Food & Beverage Processing

Wisconsin has one of the nation’s largest food processing industries. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) licenses and inspects food and beverage processing plants (see Wisconsin Statutes section 97.29). These include:

• Canning factories.
• Frozen food processing plants.
• Wholesale bakeries and confectioneries.
• Breweries.
• Soft drink and water bottling plants.
• Fish processing plants.
• Egg processing and packing plants.
• Other plants that process or package food or beverages.

Food and beverage processing plants must comply with food safety requirements (see Wisconsin Administrative Code chapter ATCP 70). There are standards for:

• Food processing facilities and equipment.
• Personnel sanitation.
• Water supply and ingredients.
• Safe food processing, storage and handling.
• Cleaning and sanitizing procedures.
• Food packaging and testing.
• Records and reports.

Food and beverage processing plants must comply with fair packaging and labeling requirements (see Wisconsin Statutes sections 97.03 and 97.10, and Wisconsin Administrative Code chapters ATCP 70 and 90). These include:

• Processor identification.
• Food or beverage identification.
• Net quantity.
• Nutrition labeling.

DATCP may suspend licenses, and may issue holding orders to stop sales of adulterated or misbranded food or beverages. DATCP may also initiate civil and criminal enforcement actions in court. See Wisconsin Statutes section 93.06 and chapter 97.