Rachel Bond counsels domestic and international clients on regulatory compliance of food contact materials, as well as cosmetic and drug packaging materials, with the laws and regulations administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its foreign counterparts. With nearly two decades of regulatory experience, Rachel pairs innovative legal and sound scientific strategies to help her clients bring new products to market and achieve broadened markets for their products. She assists companies in obtaining food contact clearances for their products (such as polymers, additives, coatings, printing inks, and adhesives) in jurisdictions around the world, including the United States, Canada, South America, and the European Union (EU). Rachel also advises clients on ways to establish a suitable regulatory status for products for which explicit premarket approval is not necessary.
 
Rachel counsels clients on good manufacturing practice (GMP) issues and potential recalls, as well as advises on other regulatory schemes that impact packaging components, such as California’s Proposition 65 and similar state right-to-know laws. She also monitors and counsels clients on the growing number of legislative and regulatory initiatives impacting packaging, including state law restrictions on the use of PFAS and other chemical substances, minimum recycled content requirements, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws.

Rachel’s scientific background in biology provided the foundation for her highly technical legal career. Prior to attending law school and joining the firm, she worked in government relations and legislative affairs for a leading lobbying firm in Washington, DC, where she developed her extensive knowledge of policymaking.

Rachel is a contributing author to packaginglaw.com, as well as related industry publications, and is frequently invited to speak at food contact conferences.

Representative Matters

• Evaluated the regulatory status of food contact materials in jurisdictions throughout the world and provided legal opinions regarding same
• Prepared and submitted to FDA numerous Food Contact Notifications (FCNs), successfully obtaining premarket clearance for new food contact substances 
• Navigated post-market reviews of food contact substances and worked with industry and FDA officials to ensure the orderly phase-out of substances used in food contact materials
• Advised on the use of post-consumer recycled plastics in food contact applications, including preparation of No Objection Letter (NOL) requests to FDA regarding plastic recycling technologies
• Provided guidance on the proper application of the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) principle in the U.S. and worked with clients on the feasibility of establishing a self-determined GRAS position
• Counseled clients on good manufacturing practice (GMP) considerations, including conducting GMP audits of client facilities
• Prepared Drug Master Files (DMFs) on packaging materials and related submissions to the FDA
• Filed dossiers to obtain premarket authorizations for food contact materials under the EU Plastics Regulation, the German BfR Recommendations, the MERCOSUR Resolutions in South America, and other comparable international authorities
• Counseled clients on compliance with state chemical bans, as well as labeling and reporting requirements
• Advised clients on sustainability and recyclability initiatives, single-use packaging bans, and other proposed environmental legislation and regulations around the globe