Health, safety and consumer tastes top agenda
the agenda at the food industry's annual meeting in Brussels this
month.
The annual meeting of members of the EU Confederation of Food and Drinks Industries (CIAA) is being held over two days beginning 26 October, and brings together industry specialists in three panel sessions. The meeting tends to set the association's strategy for the coming year.
The programme also mirrors the three main concerns facing the industry right now. For one EUbodies are putting pressure on the food industry to provide more nutritious products and less junkfood as part of a bid to fight back rising obesity in the bloc.
Regulators meanwhile are demanding food companies take more care in ensuring their products arenot contaminated with foodborne pathogens. And with those twin concerns, the food industry isinterested in how consumer buying preferences are being affected.
All three themes are reflected in the programme's line up, which involves 23 panelists. Theyinclude representatives from the World Health Organisation, the European Food Safety Agency, theEuropean Commission, Which?, Danone, Nestle, and Coca Cola, among others.
On the second day of the session, moderators will report on the various panel discussions. Theannual meeting will end with a discussion on diet and health, led by representatives from theEuropean Commission, the Parliament, consumer organisations, EFSA and Unilever.
Reporters from FoodProductionDaily.com and sister site FoodNavigator.com will be attending theannual meeting. If you wish to contact one of them, please contact either Ahmed ElAmin(ahmed.elamin@decisionnews.com) or Anthony Fletcher (anthony.fletcher@decisionnews.com).
