Flipping the calendar to see July 2021 made the past eighteen months seem surreal. The lockdown during 2020 was difficult enough, but now more than halfway through 2021, many are finding it just as mentally challenging to re-enter the world — w…

Thanks to the ubiquity of ecommerce, consumers can now buy low-cost jewellery from anywhere in the world, but this is raising serious questions about the integrity and safety of the products, particularly the presence of potentially dangerous heavy m…

Premium pricing and high consumer demand for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has long made it a target for criminals seeking to profit by passing off inferior or fake products. In fact it is now one of the world’s most adulterated food products with fr…

The widespread work-at-home transition ushered in by the COVID era has shined the spotlight on big-picture questions about how and where we work. What is the role of the office in the future state of the “new normal”? In my view, there is no one-si…

The brave new world is here. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued its first report on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in consumer products. The report promises added scrutiny of “potential hazards” created b…

Foreword by Jeremy Schutz, senior corporate sales manager at Sedgwick: Welcome to the latest edition of spotlight. Spotlight is our way of sharing insights and perspectives from our strategic partners – lawyers, insurers, risk managers and crisis co…

As the post-COVID-19 world begins to reopen, we’re starting to find our way back to normalcy. But regardless of how quickly the entire country returns to "business as usual", risks to brand reputations are likely to increase as regulators resume work…

Like many organizations amid the pandemic, Vale Training paused its in-person operations. Virtual learning — initially thought to be temporary — soon transitioned to a thriving delivery model. To meet the needs of students and providers, …

The UK is the first country in the world to announce regulated guidelines for self-driving cars on motorways. This means you could see cars with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) on British roads by the end of 2021. Many cars already incorporate…

Experts in the insurance and claims space by nature are always prepared for the unexpected. Whether we’re contending with a season of extreme weather, sudden accidents, or a global pandemic, we know the importance of responding quickly to property cl…

2020 was undoubtedly one of the most turbulent times for Europe’s manufacturers and retailers. As they fought to innovate, while maintaining standards, performance and compliance, they faced continuous COVID disruption in supply chains, production an…

You can’t see, taste or smell them but aflatoxins can be present in everyday dried staples. And with COVID-19 and global warming impacting crop production and storage, they are on the rise. During the month of April 2021, there were 22 RASFF (Rapid…

The collective dedication of individuals working to enhance the workers’ compensation system and the experience for injured workers never ceases to amaze me. It takes a collaborative effort and exchange of ideas to uncover what works, what needs to b…

We’ve been warned. Recent settlements between the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and several FDA-regulated drug and medical device manufacturers serve as a prelude to future DOJ enforcement activity involving off-label promotion. The DOJ and the U…

The UK farming sector is at a crossroads due to major changes brought by Brexit. Fundamentally, the government plans to phase out any direct payments to farmers by 2022 and the funds from these payments will be redirected to environmental schemes. Th…