Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has put the spotlight back on sugar with a call for a tax on sugary drinks – but industry has accused him of simplifying a complex problem.
The cost of alcohol use to the government in England has been over-stated by public health campaigners, and in fact the revenue from taxes outweighs such costs to the tune of £6.5bn, according to a report from the Institute of Economic Affairs.
A German court has dismissed campaign group FoodWatch’s law suit against Unilever’s cholesterol-lowering spread pro.activ – but FoodWatch continues its assault by urging the European Commission to retract its novel food approval.
Nordic authorities are cracking down on the unnecessary use of allergen advisory warnings after a review found one fifth of products were wrongly labelled.
Biotech giant Monsanto has said it will abide by requests from Latvia and Greece to be excluded from its application for re-authorisation of its MON180 maize in the European Union, but accused the countries of ignoring science.
France’s major retailers, including Carrefour, Aldi and Lidl, have signed a voluntary contract to replace the food waste law – but a British industry group has called it a distraction from the real issue, saying similar measures are not needed in the...
A law that would have forced French supermarkets to donate unsold food to charity has been scrapped on a legal technicality – but supermarkets are being urged to adopt it voluntarily and some have already pledged to do so.
When it comes to cutting levels of obesity-related heart disease and death, it’s time to stop counting calories, and start to make simple changes that improve the nutritional value of diets, argue public health experts.
A five-colour nutrition label is more effective than three, says French advisory body - but industry has slammed it as simplistic while critics say it is more confusing than traffic-light labels.
New data from Germany suggests manufacturers continue to almost exclusively advertise unhealthy products to children, despite pledges to change their ways.
Nearly half of British drinkers want clearer labelling of alcohol contents, while one in five people in the over 65 age group who drink alcohol consume “unsafe” levels, according to new research.
Israel’s Health Ministry has ruled that Heinz Ketchup can no longer be called ketchup in Israel after local brand Osem argued it doesn’t contain enough tomato paste, according to Israeli news service Ynet.
A ban on genetically modified (GM) crops in Scotland would seriously undermine the nation’s food and drink industry, warn nearly 30 leading organisations.
Italian politicians have submitted two resolutions to parliament defending palm oil in the face of anti-palm oil campaigns, calling it a raw material of fundamental importance for Italian industry.
Over the last few days it feels like we’ve written about little more than the Maggi noodles affair in India. Thankfully it is now reaching a conclusion. But still it raises some vitally important questions that must surely be addressed.
Nestlé India has voiced its disappointment at the “unprecedented step” by the Indian government of going to the courts to seek nearly US$100m in damages for “unfair trade practices” in the wake of the Maggi noodles affair.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says rising obesity rates among mothers and ready availability and attractiveness of formula has left Europe with the world’s lowest breastfeeding rates.
Around 80% of the 22 million tonnes of food wasted in the European Union is ‘avoidable’, according to new research that puts the UK bottom of the food waste league.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has lost its right to keep the names of contributing expert commentators a secret – a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that could be applied retrospectively.
Russia marked the one year anniversary of its import ban on Western food by defying a storm of criticism from within and launching a controversial campaign to destroy tonnes of smuggled food.
New data on beverage intakes for 187 countries has revealed significant differences in current consumption levels and historic trends for sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices and milk, say researchers.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has begun its crack down on the misleading use of terms ‘artisan’, ‘farmhouse’, ‘traditional’ and ‘natural’ following complaints from artisan companies – but enforcement will be a challenge.
“We see opportunities for scientifically justified nutritional products…”
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued guidance on how firms can compile “well-structured dossiers” for medical foods that may be permitted in the EU’s 28 nations as momentum to update archaic laws grows.
Fiscal policies can form a valuable part of efforts to drive changes in dietary behaviours, but such policies must be balanced against each other, say researchers.
The European Commission has announced extended support measures for dairy and fruit and vegetable sectors hit by Russia’s ban on food imports from Europe.
Stop talking about food taxes like they are some sort of panacea that will alter consumer behaviours overnight, and magically eliminate obesity and diabetes. They won’t.
The European Commission should stop dragging its feet over its awaited trans fat report – and explain why it is already over six months overdue, says Socialist MEP.
New legislation will require all large firms in the UK to report on their fight against slavery in the supply chain - but experts say the 'opt out' clause means its success could be limited.
‘Traditional Bramley Apple Pie Filling’ has been added to the European register of Traditional Specialties Guaranteed (TSGs), says the European Commission.
Experts from both sides of the sugar tax debate have set out their arguments in a ‘head to head’ article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Where do you stand on the sugar tax issue?
Over two thirds of Brits use their sense of smell, sight and taste rather than the best before or use by date - so should they be scrapped to cut down on food waste?
Over 100 more protected names for British food, more research for food innovation and less red tape will give a £7 billion boost to exports, the UK prime minister says.
Consumers must pressure retailers and manufacturers to ensure bread does not contain glyphosate, says the Soil Association – but all traces are below safe limits, insists industry.
The UK government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has ditched a 10% upper limit on sugar intake instead recommending that less than 5% of daily energy should come from free sugars.
UK food retailers could face stiff fines and court action after the nation's competition regulator found evidence that supermarkets were misleading customers with confusing pricing promotions.
The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for a soft drink tax in the UK, but an industry body says targeting a single category is ‘misguided and unlikely to prove effective.’
The European Cardiology Society (ECS) has urged European policymakers to follow the United States’ lead and ban the use of artificial trans fats in the EU.
![Russian authorities destroyed 9 tonnes of cheese in one location yesterday, with media reports claiming more than 300 tonnes of illegally imported food was destroyed inthe first day. [Image credit: Reuters]](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/9/9/8/1/2871899-1-eng-GB/Russian-destruction-of-contraband-Western-food-sparks-outrage.jpg)
![MEP Bernd Lange said that negotiating TTIP terms was the 'democratic duty' of EU parliamentarians. “If [globalization] is to work for the benefit of the people, then it cannot be left in the hands of the negotiators alone.](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/9/3/0/7/1727039-1-eng-GB/MEPs-back-TTIP-but-reject-investor-clause.jpg)
