The European Commission (EC) intends to authorise for the first time a health claim arising from the combined effects of a number of substances, in a decision that affects firms backing the synergistic effect of nutrients in their products.
It may be possible to increase food production sustainably and feed 10 billion people by 2050, say researchers, but only if we switch to flexitarian diets, cut global food waste in half and adopt climate-smart agriculture practices.
The UK’s health authorities have commenced a collaborative effort with the food industry and health NGOs to develop the next phase of the government’s proposed calorie reduction programme.
From the new bioeconomy strategy to trans fat limits and foie gras labelling, we round up the some of the food-related news and views from Brussels this month so far.
A proposal to introduce carbon labelling on food products has been welcomed by the Danish food sector. “In Denmark, we want to showcase our production.”
Nestlé announced it closed its joint venture with the Indofood Group last month, while PepsiCo reiterated its stance to not source palm oil – either directly or indirectly – from the company and its subsidiaries, purportedly linked to deforestation and...
The French government promised sweeping reform of the food supply chain from farm-to-fork in a bid to empower farmers and small suppliers through its Agriculture Bill. The legislation has secured the backing of Parliament - but will it live up to the...
The Swiss electorate has overwhelmingly rejected two proposals on ethical and sustainable food, with concerns over the impact on price, competitiveness and trade dominating the debate.
Heads of state and global governments came together last week with a commitment to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity and diabetes. The food sector has welcomed the initiative but health campaigners warn the measures ‘lack ambition’.
French trade group ANIA has reacted angrily to the parliamentary report last week that called for tough measures to make 'ultra-processed' food healthier through stricter regulations.
Mattson: 'The very existence of what's now known as clean meat is at stake here'
The Good Food Institute (GFI) has enlisted the services of food and beverage innovation firm Mattson to conduct further research into the best way to describe cell-cultured meat following the release of new data suggesting that the industry-backed term...
A French parliamentary report, voted yesterday, calls for a raft of measures to make processed and 'ultra-processed' food healthier, from maximum limits on salt, sugar and fat to caps on the number of additives used per product.
The UK government has appointed David Rutley, who previously held senior executive positions at PepsiCo and Asda, minister to oversee and protect food supplies during Brexit amid fears of a no-deal scenario.
The European Court of Justice advocate general has advised the ECJ that animals not stunned before slaughter in order to comply with religious rites for halal and kosher meat should be eligible to be labelled organic if they meet other standards of organic...
The choice between ‘fast food’ and ‘slow food’ is a question of “ethics and sustainability”, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis suggests.
Manufacturers should be able to label potassium chloride, used to reduce sodium levels in food, with more consumer-friendly names such as potassium salt, argues a joint position paper.
France’s upper house, the Senate, has refused to adopt the text of the proposed agriculture bill on its second reading, arguing that it will damage the interests of both farmers and food manufacturers.
If the worst case scenario happens in Brexit negotiations the UK will make ‘No deal’ and will have to trade on WTO (World Trade Organization) terms, the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations, says Baker...
European retailers and wholesalers have expressed anxiety that large branded food manufactures are trying to gain an advantage in supply negotiations by capitalising on the debate around unfair trading practices (UTPs) in the region.
The UK has confirmed it will ‘consider’ relaxing the European Union’s controversial decision to include gene editing techniques within its regulatory framework that restricts the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the food chain after Brexit.
From calls for legislation on misleading food labels to new appointments at DG Sante, we round up the biggest news from Brussels affecting the food industry this month so far.
EU politicians have overwhelmingly voted in favour of tougher measures to crack down on the practice of dual quality foods. “We condemn crooked corporate practices,” said one MEP.
The European Commission is facing calls for a tougher approach to Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) as it looks at proposals for a directive to promote more equitable relationships in the food supply chain.
Brexit, the Circular Economy, plastic waste and digital technology are some of the highlights at this year’s ECMA (European Carton Makers Association) Congress.
A new report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that the progress on tackling hunger made over the last decade was wiped out this year. The global food sector must respond by stepping up its efforts to combat malnutrition and...
The food industry's Evolved Nutrition Label (ENL) showed "inconsistent" results across food categories, and even appeared to nudge consumers towards choosing more chocolate spread than no label at all in a 25,000-strong study.
Danone, Nestlé, Suntory and other bottled water and soft drinks companies have set out their vision for a future where no plastic packaging is sent to landfill or ends up as litter. How can this be achieved?
Climate smart agriculture can help tackle global warming and is economically viable, participants of a five-year European project conclude. How can uptake be encouraged?
Lower income households in the UK are priced out of a healthy diet and the government must do more to ensure healthy foods are affordable, according to a report by think tank The Food Foundation.
The UK government is proposing a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children: following on from moves made by major supermarkets to ban sales to U16s in their stores.
Allanblackia seed oil can now be used in greater quantities in margarines, spreads and dairy alternatives as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has okayed a novel food application submitted by Unilever.
Belgium has followed in France's footsteps with the announcement that it is introducing the NutriScore labelling scheme in a bid to promote healthy eating in the country.
The amount of sugar contained in food has risen up the consumer agenda and replaced price as consumers’ biggest food concern, research from the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) reveals.
The first four months of the UK’s sugar tax has failed to create any significant change in consumer behaviour; but it has encouraged widespread reformulation and the proliferation of lower sugar options, according to Nielsen.
The UK would run out of food today (7 August) if the nation was unable to import any food products from the start of the year, the National Farmers Union warned as it called for the Government to back British food production.
The UK Food and Drink Federation (FDF) says that the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is overshadowing the UK food sector as it grapples with rising input costs.
Spain’s National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) has warned regulators that a mandatory requirement to label the origin of milk in dairy products could “compartmentalise” the Spanish market and hinder competition.
Latvia has applied to the European Commission to propose a draft law entitled ‘Amendments to the Packaging Law’ on the handing out of free plastic carrier bags at sales outlets.
The flavour of a food product cannot be copyrighted, the European Court of Justice was advised last week. Two intellectual property and food law experts weigh in on the opinion and suggest what companies can do to protect their products.
