09-Feb-2012 - Nestlé has leapt to the defence of its Nesquik milk-based drinks brand, after the Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) lodged a ‘super complaint’ with the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), complaining that well-known beverage and food brands were targeting children with 'cynical junk food marketing' practices online.
07-Feb-2012 - The Commission has move to clear up any confusion related to aspects of the new food labeling regulation for small and medium sized food companies in the EU.
07-Feb-2012 - Calls for increased taxation and tighter regulation of sugar, to bring it into line with alcohol and cigarettes, have been branded ineffective, flawed, and naive, by academic experts and industry in Europe.
03-Feb-2012 - The European Commission said it strongly regrets the European Parliament’s decision yesterday to veto the ‘percentage less’ claims on foods, claiming its proposal, if backed, would have favoured industry efforts to reformulation.
02-Feb-2012 - The European Parliament has blocked a proposal to amend food labelling laws that would have allowed new 'percentage less' claims on nutrition content, such as sugar, salt and fat - a move the food industry says is a bitter pill for the food sector to swallow.
01-Feb-2012 - The UK advertising watchdog has ruled in favour of breakfast cereal giant Kellogg’s in relation to a complaint that a TV advert for a cereal was misleading in relation to its nutritional content.
31-Jan-2012 - MEPs have rejected the revised nutrition claims list recently adopted by the European Commission, a move which could be detrimental for reformulation efforts in the food sector says a trade body.
31-Jan-2012 - A committee of MEPs is calling on the European Commission (EC) to consider legislating against use of child labour in cocoa plantations that fuel the EU's demand for chocolate, while the world's largest food firm Nestle has outlined its measures to safeguard against the problem.
31-Jan-2012 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says it will continue to change and adapt to the risk assessment landscape as it celebrates 10 years of existence defined by, “transparency, scientific excellence, independence and responsiveness.”
30-Jan-2012 - Honey producers and importers in the EU and elsewhere face legal and economic uncertainty arising out last autumn’s European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) ruling, claims a legal expert calling for an amendment of the Regulation to exclude honey.
27-Jan-2012 - Importers of food and drink to European countries that impose a ‘sin’ or ‘fat’ tax should pay close attention to how it impacts the market, according to one expert specialising in EU food law.
25-Jan-2012 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in its newly released scientific strategy 2012-2016, said it has put in place a comprehensive system to record and evaluate the declared interests of scientific experts and to manage any conflicts of interest.
25-Jan-2012 - Stepwise fat, salt and sugar reduction may be more successful than a drastic decrease that would not meet consumers’ expectations in terms of taste, claims DG Sanco.
24-Jan-2012 - European consumers group, BEUC, claims the proposed “now 15% less” nutrition claim on foods, which is set to be debated by MEPs next week, is confusing and misleading for consumers.
23-Jan-2012 - Mafia involvement in the Italian food industry is rife, with revenue from the agriculture and food sector generating 5.6% of the entire organised crime business in the country, finds a new parliamentary report.
20-Jan-2012 - A Danish meat lobby group is suing the Danish government over the country’s recently introduced 'fat tax' on foods, claiming the levy fails to comply with EU legislation.
20-Jan-2012 - An MEP has questioned the validity of the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) review of aspartame following what she claims was support from the agency’s scientists for a statement backing the safety of the sweetener.
19-Jan-2012 - Retailers need to work with manufacturers and regulators to track the impact of systems such as traffic light labelling on consumer purchasing behaviour of food and drink products, stresses a Brussels-based consumer information group as it releases a new report.
13-Jan-2012 - Dutch dairy manufacturer FrieslandCampina has been cautioned about the use of a healthy foods logo from packs of its reduced fat ham and cheese.
12-Jan-2012 - The European Union should put the brakes on any mooted changes to rules governing milks targeting 1-3 year olds until a scientific review can be conducted, according to the EU group that represents infant food makers.
10-Jan-2012 - Barry Callebaut has submitted an article 13.5 health claim dossier to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) linking cocoa flavanols and healthy blood flow.
09-Jan-2012 - A Brussels-based food industry body, setting out what it sees as priorities for the new Danish Presidency of the EU Council, again calls for an end to food taxes, greater support for SMEs, tighter trade relations and a more transparent commodities market.
09-Jan-2012 - The European Commission has ordered a sales ban on a bar of soap deemed to be too similar to a chocolate bar.
05-Jan-2012 - US Pharmacopeia has drafted new ingredient quality standards for inclusion in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), for probiotics, steviol glycosides, benzoates, infant formula and flavoring ingredients, and is seeking industry comments.
05-Jan-2012 - The European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME) has stated its support for industry members opposed to ‘burdensome’ food taxes introduced by some European nations.