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Unfair ‘junk food’ label risks making dog’s dinner of industry

13-Feb-2012 - Anyone who has spent any appreciable amount of time working in the food industry realises that the issue of ‘junk food’ marketing to children is a hydra that rears two heads for every one cut off.

Processor hits back as Russia stokes Ukrainian cheese war

10-Feb-2012 - Russia announced on Tuesday that it had banned cheese imports from Ukraine’s three largest cheese producers due to the presence of vegetable oils, but one processor has hit back at the ban, while reports suggest the move could reflect higher political stakes.

Nestlé defends Nesquik website as CFC demands ASA action on ‘cynical’ child marketing

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.

Commission moves to clarify food labelling rules for SME sector

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.

Experts slam ‘naive’ calls to regulate ‘toxic’ sugar

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.

Commission regrets Parliament's blocking of nutrition claims revision

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.

EU Parliament veto on nutrition claims is 'bitter pill' for industry to swallow, FDE

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.

UK ad watchdog dismisses complaint against Kellogg

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.

MEPs vote against amended nutrition claims, food sector rallies

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.

Europe must move to stamp-out cocoa child labour, MEPs tell Commission

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.

News in brief

EFSA celebrates 10 years of “transparency, scientific excellence, independence and responsiveness”

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.”

GMO honey ruling can be challenged, claims legal expert

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.

Burden of ‘fat taxes’ questioned

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.

New strategy will monitor potential conflicts of interest, says EFSA

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.

Incremental reformulation will have greater public health impact, DG Sanco

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.

Consumer group slams 'contains less' nutrition claims, MEP vote imminent

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.

Mafia grip on Italian food sector putting industry at risk, report

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.

Danish meat group claims 'fat tax' violates EU law

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.

Dutch MEP questions reliability of EFSA aspartame review

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.

Retailer consultation urged for effective nutrition labelling research

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.

FrieslandCampina told to remove healthy foods logo from pack

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.

EFSA should review ’growing up’ milks before regulations change, says EU infant foods group

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.

Chocolate giant submits cocoa flavanol-blood health claim to EFSA

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.

Industry lobbyists urge Danish presidency to bin food taxes and tighten up trade

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.