With just three weeks remaining until the Cancun meetings, the EU
and the US yesterday presented a joint framework to relaunch
agricultural negotiations. Focusing on three areas, domestic
support, market access and export competition,...
The European Commission has announced a new set of measures to
limit the presence of the mycotoxin 'patulin' in fruit juices,
particularly apple juice, and other foods containing or derived
from apples.
The EC has reviewed the measures taken to ensure
aflatoxin-contaminated Chinese peanuts, Iranian pistachios and
Turkish figs, pistachios and hazelnuts do not enter the European
Union.
The UK's FSA has published guidance notes to accompany the new
cocoa and chocolate product regulations in an effort to achieve a
'more consistent application and enforcement of the regulations'.
Aircraft and ships will shortly be required to maintain the same
levels of hygiene and food safety as other food premises, following
the recent passing of a new government order to come into force as
of the 18 August 2003.
The US Food and Drug Administration has given the Procter &
Gamble fat replacer olestra the all-clear, after new scientific
evidence found there was no need to warn consumers of side effects.
Irish dairy group Glanbia has reached a settlement with the Irish
competition authority over allegations concerning the fixing of the
retail price of milk.
The Canadian government took a further step towards reducing the
risk of Canadians becoming exposed to the agent that may transmit
BSE with new rules that prevent specified risk material (SRM) from
entering the human food supply.
By all accounts, the new European proposals on nutrition and health
claims have provoked a mixed reaction across the board. Raymond
O'Rourke, a food lawyer at Mason Hayes & Curran, Solicitors in
Dublin shares his opinion...
Environmental campaigners yesterday condemned the European
Commission's recommendation on co-existence between genetically
modified (GM) and non-GM crops, claiming it 'could lead to the
death of organic food and farming.'
Kemin Foods has earned expanded GRAS status for increased amounts
of its lutein in the current GRAS food categories and for use as an
ingredient in new foods such as bottled water, chewing gum and
salad dressings.
Newly-formed food agency, the Food Standards Australia New Zealand
(FSANZ), is inviting public comment on a gamut of possible changes
to the Food Standards Code, including infant foods labelling,
artificial sweeteners and GM soybeans.
Europe has introduced additional measures to prevent Brazil nuts
contaminated with unnacceptable levels of aflatoxins - a potential
carcinogen - from entering the union.
UK arm of Nestle will cut type of fat linked to heart disease. The
move reflects increasing pressure on food manufacturers to reduce
the levels of trans fatty acids (TFAs) and comes in the same week
that US government announces all...
The global food standards body Codex Alimentarius Commission has
adopted a landmark agreement on how to assess the risks to
consumers from foods derived from biotechnology, the FAO and the
World Health Organisation (WHO) said this...
A national campaign in Ireland will tackle food safety standards by
highlighting the value of HACCP absorption, announced the Food
Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on Monday.
As MEPs vote on tough new GM legislation today, a UK environmental
group accuses the government of continuing to lobby against strict
laws on GM food and crops.
Brazil, one of the world's largest soy producers, could soon
legalise the use of controversial gene-modified soybeans after a
five year ban, writes the American Soybean Association (ASA) this
week.
Representatives from 169 countries gathered in Rome yesterday for a
week of talks led by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. High on the
agenda, food safety, biotechnology, food irradiation and an
overhaul of the Codex structure.
Today strict EU rules on the labelling of meat-based products enter
into force. Their aim? To provide consumers with clearer
information on the meat products they eat.
The beginning of a new era? An historic moment? Or a plain old
compromise? All have been used to describe yesterday's agreement by
EU farm ministers to approve hotly disputed reforms to the Common
Agricultural Policy.
The Swiss Parliament has rejected a moratorium on GM crops. The
Lower House voted to reject the moratorium by 77:70, reflecting an
about-turn by the Lower House to support the Upper House, which at
the beginning of June voted overwhelmingly...
The UK Food Standards Agency has made recommendations to the
European Commission pushing for new measures to prevent very high
levels of unnecessary water being added to chicken and an end to
'ripping the consumer off'.
The management board of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
met on Wednesday for the first time after the setting up of - in
the words of the chairman Stuart Slorach - the "main
cornerstones of the Authority" But a...
A global agreement to protect biodiversity and human health moved
one step further on Friday when Environment Ministers in the EU
formally adopted the regulation on the trans-boundary movements of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced this week that new
regulations giving a two-year temporary national authorisation to
market a new sweetener - 'salt of aspartame-acesulfame' - have come
into force as of the 27...
The wheels of European bureaucracy continue to turn with the
European Commission this week granting approval to two novel foods
for use as food ingredients. The move comes after an agreement
between member states in the Standing Committee...
With a production value of over €600 billion, the responsibility of
up to 3 million employees, and the main user of Community
agricultural produce, the European food and drink industries this
week encouraged ministers to back CAP...
Ahead of testing negotiations, aimed at reaching a decision on the
reform proposals to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), that
start today at the Agriculture Council in Luxembourg, Agriculture
Commissioner Franz Fischler confirmed...
Marking a crucial step towards the full implementation of the
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Members of the European Parliament
(MEPs) yesterday reached an agreement on the movement of
genetically modified organisms.
European Commissioner for agriculture, Franz Fischler - the
crusader of farm reform in Europe - yesterday defended his much
maligned proposed amendments to the common agricultural policy
(CAP) before MEPs in the European Parliament.
The baton has been passed - and not too soon either. The European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has, at last, appointed the body of
scientists charged with the responsibility of scientific assessment
of food safety issues in Europe,...
Five Japanese companies have said they will recall a wide range of
food products which were made using banned flavouring agents
acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde and castor oil.
The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the authority
that develops food standards for composition, labelling and
contaminants for food products for sale in Australia and New
Zealand - confirmed this week that it applies...
Ingredients and labelling thereof hit the news again this week
following revelations in the UK that chicken has been bulked up
with water and hydrolysed beef and pork proteins - without the
appropriate labelling.
MEPs in the Parliament's environment committee have voted in favour
of stricter measures governing accidental contamination and the
labelling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), reports
Cordis.
After a series of food safety scares in Europe the issue of exactly
how to effectively deal with risk in the food chain is an ongoing
debate between politicians, industry and consumer alike. One widely
favoured opinion is that risk...
Following a proposal from the European Commission to allow the use
of two new intense sweeteners - sucralose and an
aspartame-acesulfame - the European Competitiveness Council gave
the all clear on Monday, reaching a political agreement...
"Maintaining unrestricted entry for imports of milk protein
concentrates (MPC) and casein," is a top priority for the
Consumers for World Trade (CWT), according to a letter sent to the
US Congress by the CWT, writes the...
Irish consumers concerned about the presence of GM ingredients will
be assured by the results of a recent survey commissioned by Food
Safety Authority of Ireland that set out to identify foods
containing GM maize and/or soya ingredients...
News again today on inulin with Sensus America, a subsidiary of
Dutch company Sensus, announcing that the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has given inulin Generally Regarded As Safe
(GRAS) status. The move could provide inulin...
The Australian government is to provide a total of A$2.8 million
(€1.5m) over four years to strengthen food safety standards in
Australia, through the development of new Primary Production and
Processing (PPP) Standards and information...
Dr Franz Fischler, the leading light behind reform proposals to the
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), continued on his crusade to
guarantee the quality of food in Europe with a persuasive speech at
an informal meeting of EU Ministers...
So, they went ahead and did it anyway. Despite imminent changes to
the European legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs),
re-iterated by EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy just this week,
the US has gone ahead and filed...
The food industry, consumers and politicians in Europe are alive to
the sound of three words - genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Barely a day goes by without a reference to this controversial
aspect of biotechnology. And the...
