After a period of silence, the European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA) commented on Thursday that its newly appointed management
board had selected a number of scientific experts to make up the
EFSA's yet to be formed Scientific...
With the imminent arrival of European enlargement, the welcoming
yesterday of 162 observers from candidate countries into the
European Parliament marked a significant step forward towards full
integration. The Confederation of the...
Following the results of a recent survey, the UK Food Standards
Agency (FSA) this week advised parents to give no more than three
beakers (approximately 180ml each) per day of dilutable soft drinks
or squashes containing the sweetener...
In a bid to increase European competitity in the global research
arena the European Commission announced new measures destined to
encourage public and private players across Europe to upgrade their
research effort.
From the beginning of June this year Denmark will become the first
country in the world to introduce restrictions on the use of
industrially produced trans fatty acids. The move follows an
extensive review of all current knowledge...
The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health at the
European Commission has adopted a series of transitional and
permanent implementing measures in preparation for the application
of the Animal By-Products Regulation...
"Free trade has to be safe trade," said Dr Patrick Wall, chief
executive of the Irish Food Safety Authority commenting on a new
agreement in Ireland that aims to tighten up food safety procedures
for imported foodstuffs...
The FSA is inviting comment on the draft Collagen and Gelatine
(Intra-Community Trade) Regulations for Northern Ireland 2003.
Comments are particularly welcome regarding the impact on business,
identification of additional costs and...
The Food Standards Agency in England is seeking comments on draft
regulations that include requirements for honey to be labelled with
country of origin. The regulations set out compositional standards
that a product must comply with...
Twelve out of the 15 European Union Member States could soon face
court action should they continue to ignore EU legislation on
genetically modified crops.
The Food Standards Code in Australia and New Zealand
requires that all cheeses sold in Australia must be made from milk
which has been pasteurised or had a similar heat treatment, so
confirmed the food safety body Food Standards Australia...
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) yesterday made a
further step towards openness and transparency with the launch of a
new tool to improve the flow of information between consumer and
state and to gauge industry views on...
The European Commission for the first time imposed fines on farmers
unions yesterday. Six French federations in the beef sector
received a total of €16.7 million in fines for taking part in an
agreement to set a minimum price for...
Decoupling would secure significant income gains for EU farmers,
writes the European Commission this week. The comment on the link
between production and subsidy - so called 'decoupling' - is in
response to the release of...
'A landmark meeting' is how Stuart Slorach, the chairman of the
European Food Safety Agency board described the first presentation
of their newly elected executive director, Geoffrey Podger.
Enzymes, wholegrains and esters are on the agenda as newly formed
food safety agency Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
continues to tackle the Food Standards Code with the
invitation this week for public comment on a number...
The European Court of Justice yesterday authorised Denmark to
impose tougher food additive limits, effectively overuling a
previous decision declared by the European Commission.
Meeting in Brussels this week under the umbrella of the Agriculture
Council, European agriculture ministers hammered out the latest
issues affecting agriculture in Europe. Food safety and CAP reform
headlined the event.
Geoffrey Podger, the recently elected executive director of the
European Food Safety Authority, this week gave the green light for
the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to evaluate flavours
for an EU-wide initiative that is...
The high profile issue of health continues to grab the spotlight
with the news yesterday that the European Commission is to pour
€312m into a new action programme 'to protect and improve the
health of Europe's citizens'.
The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has
released its opinion on the safety of carrageenan, mainly in
response to work published by Tobacman in October 2001, reports
Reading Scientific Services this week.
Last week we reported on a new survey that revealed the growing
popularity of natural colours. Good news for ingredients companies
such as Danish Chr.Hansen who announced this week that the United
States Patent and Trademark Office...
New legislation to tighten the 'origin of labelling' for food
products in the US continues to incite reactions with a coalition
of consumer and agricultural organisations this week claiming that
the United States Department...
Last week we reported on the distinctly sloth-like installation of
the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), but newly installed
executive director of the EFSA, Geoffrey Podger, reports that the
first meeting of its Advisory Forum...
Australia's food supply is one of the safest and cleanest in the
world, according to results of the 20th Australian Total Diet
Survey released last Friday. The survey, conducted by the
Australian food agency Food Standards Australia...
Health ingredients manufacturer Cognis Nutrition and Health has
announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
approved GRAS status for the company's Xangold brand natural lutein
esters products in a variety of...
New guidance aimed at ensuring UK consumers are not bluffed into
buying rice incorrectly labelled as 'basmati' has been published
this week by the UK Food Standards Agency.
Warning of American job losses, a white paper issued today by the
American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) describes specific scenarios
under a country of origin labelling regulation that would dissuade
frozen food makers from using...
Mexican company Pigmentos Vegetales del Centro (Piveg) was recently
granted a temporary stay of injunction - the initial phase of a
patent infringement suit initiated by lutein supplier Kemin Foods
and the Catholic University of America...
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced today that it is to
consult on the preliminary steps taken by the European Commission
to consider the harmonisation of community rules on the voluntary
addition of vitamins and minerals...
As the European Commission discusses moves towards harmonising
health levels between the EU15, a panel of Dutch scientific experts
has positively approved Bakkerij Veenhuis' request for a health
claim for the Vitaalbrood Flora...
Cognis Nutrition & Health, a nutritional ingredients supplier,
has responded to claims made earlier this week by Dutch rival
Loders Croklaan regarding the infringement of several of its
patents.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that a
petition has been filed by food ingredients company Kerry to amend
current food regulations.
Degussa Texturant Systems, a unit of German speciality chemicals
company, Degussa announced this week that its plant in Decatur,
USA, has been awarded Cert-ID non-GMO system certification for its
lecithin production system.
The Japanese cabinet endorsed a set of bills on Friday to ensure
the safety of food and protect consumer health in the wake of a
series of scandals and incidents to hit Japan in recent years.
The heated debate on the labelling of foodstuffs in Europe and the
thorny issue of health claims was fired up once again this week
when UK press reports suggested that new proposals from the
European Commission outline tough new measures.
The International Chamber of Commerce in Thailand will call on the
European Union to review its safety measures on Thai chicken
exports after it was notified about the EU's unofficial statement
regarding the lifting of restrictions...
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is slowly taking form -
several months behind schedule - with the announcement this week
that it is currently on the look out for scientists to join its
scientific committee and scientific...
The European Oilseed Alliance (EOA) will file a complaint with the
European Commission against US soybean subsidies, claims the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), writes the American
Soybean Association this week.
The thorny issue of chocolate labelling in the EU continues with a
judgement this week that finds both Spain and Italy acted against
the backbone of the EC treaty - the spirit of the free movement of
goods - by prohibiting the marketing...
In a two-step evaluation process, the European Commission
Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has confirmed the use of
oligofructose, a prebiotic ingredient with beneficial effects on
gut health, as a safe ingredient in baby food.
Moving in step with the European Union, the Food Safety Authority
of Ireland this week granted a temporary authorisation for the
marketing and use of the high-intensity sweetener sucralose.
The Australian and New Zealand food agency (FSANZ) today invited
individuals and organisations to comment on an application that it
has received to vary its brand new Food Standards Code to
permit the sale of formulated beverages...
A recently published joint report from the FAO and WHO that set out
to evaluate the Codex Alimentarius Commission reveals the
overwhelming belief in the value of the Codex food standards.
A US court has banned Mexican manufacturer of poultry pigments
Pigmentos Vegetales (PIVEG) from selling its purified lutein
product suitable for human consumption on the grounds that it
violates a patent held by Kemin Foods, the producers...
The UK Soil Association and the Fairtrade Foundation on Friday
launcheda new pilot project to combine organic and Fairtrade
certification whichwill apply to British and imported foods.
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition by US
agribusiness Cargill of Belgian edible seed oil packer Associated
Oil Packers bvba (AOP) - just three months after clearing Cargill's
acquisition of French-based...
The European Commission continues to crack down on unfair
competition and punish the illegal activities with the news this
week that is has fined three companies involved in a food flavour
enhancers (nucleotides) cartel.
The food safety authority down under - Food Standards Australia New
Zealand (FSANZ) - launches the latest edition of the Food
Industry Recall Protocol to assist the food industry on steps
to take when a food recall becomes necessary.
