MEP candidates from French and Dutch rural parties suggested agrifood producers had been under undue pressure to ‘green up’ their act, but some of their ideas might be too hard for the food industry to swallow.
PFAS, widely known as forever chemicals, have been found in foods, including fruits and vegetables, across Europe. But what are they? How did they get into the food chain? And are they harmful?
When antibiotics are used for livestock, it can put consumers at risk of developing antimicrobial resistance, for example in dairy when traces can get into milk. Regulations, therefore, are vital.
To have a fulfilling life, cows arguably must be allowed outside. But what constitutes a ‘free-range’ cow is ambiguous. For optimum welfare, farmers must balance time outdoors and time indoors.
Singapore cultivated seafood firm Umami Bioworks believes that strategic mergers are crucial to overcome doubts about the sector and achieve buy-in from major brands which can help the category scale-up.
The local government of Shanghai, China has launched a pilot traffic light labelling scheme for sugar-sweetened beverages, with grades to be implemented based on not only sugar but also saturated and trans-fat content.
A TV commercial created by one of the country’s leading snack producers, which features a potato chip as a communion wafer, has caused quite a stir in the Catholic community in Italy.
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is facing major pushback from ministers and trade organisations within Europe, alongside continued pressure from palm oil producer nations in Asia, casting doubt on hopes for a smooth implementation.
UK food authorities have launched a consultation to collect views on policy change proposals that aim to streamline the authorization process for regulated products such as novel foods.
The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), along with other industry stakeholders, has launched groundbreaking methodology for accurately measuring cocoa household and living incomes.
The latest victory for cultivated meat shines a light on the situation in the EU, where not one novel food application for cell-based meat has been submitted for regulatory approval.
High levels of salt in food is becoming an increasing concern for healthcare professionals and consumers as the dangers of a high-salt diet becomes more widely understood. So how is the food industry tackling this issue?
In fact, none of the 1,297 complementary foods tested from six companies were up to scratch, according to the Access to Nutrition Initiative. The food makers disagree.
A food additive petition submitted by the Environmental Defense Fund, et al is calling on the FDA to remove methylene chloride, among three other solvents, from the most commonly used decaffeinated coffee known as European Method decaf, a move that the...
Financial uncertainty has proved to be a major challenge for UK food and drinks manufacturers. But is the government investing in the industry and what more can it do to support them?
Importers of palm oil and its derivatives, such as palm kernel oil and meal, are devising strategies to comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) in the short term.
Rumours are rife that the EU is planning to delay the EUDR deadline past 30 December 2024. But is this true, and if not, are suppliers and manufacturers ready?
After weeks of delay, the CSDDD has finally gained EU backing. However, with a range of concessions and changes made to the legislation, what does the revised CSDDD look like?
An abundance of innovation in the grey space between food and supplements has led to a ‘graveyard’ of innovative companies ill-prepared for the hurdles they must jump, a regulatory expert has warned.
What makes a great food system? Panellists at the City Food and Drink lecture this week argued that policy has a key role in health, food security, and sustainability.
After frequent delays caused by the abstention of Germany, France and Italy, the CSDDD has not been endorsed, in its current form, by the EU. As legislators race to make the directive more acceptable to these countries in order to push it through, how...
Significant doubts remain as to whether the EU’s new deforestation workstream model will be sufficient to allay fears raised by palm oil producing nations, especially in relation to sustainability and smallholder farmers.
Fresh research suggests consumers back legislation to improve farm animal welfare, but if reflected in product price, will they vote with their wallets?
Yogurt brands will be able to leverage a scientifically-backed health claim for the first time thanks to a successful petition lodged by Danone North America.
The World Wildlife Fund is launching a campaign to not only get Europeans eating sustainably, but affordably too. So, what’s involved and can anyone give it a go?
France has outlined exactly which ‘meaty’ words are to be banned when describing, marketing and promoting plant-based products – and the list is extensive.
Do ultra-processed foods lead to poor health outcomes by definition? A ‘hyper-literal’ focus on definitions is not the point, suggest Henry Dimbleby and Chris van Tulleken: ‘ultra-processed food’ as a category encapsulates the toll that an industry dominated...
The UK Government will soon introduce the hotly anticipated Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill created to see stricter enforcement of consumer protection laws related to online marketing of products.
Europe is not short of front-of-pack nutritional labels, with Nutri-Score, the Traffic Light scheme and Keyhole label dominating in different countries and regions. But with each label championing its own algorithm, do they yield different outcomes?
Last year, Italy attempted to ban cultivated meat production and the marketing of cultivated meat products. However, the law has come into difficulty for its failure to go through the right procedures at EU level.
Arch disruptor brand Tony’s Chocolonely is appealing an injunction against Mondelēz International after the Dutch brand launched four temporary wrappers in Germany, mimicking the design of well-known chocolate bars from Ferrero, Mars, Milka, and Nestlé.
Sales of meal-replacement drinks have surged in recent years, with brands like Huel taking full advantage of current consumer interest, but is this a foodie phase or a trend that’s just getting started?
A recent study has found that red nets are more effective than black or white nets in preventing onion thrips from damaging crops. So, could red nets be the solution environmentalists have been searching for to help reduce agricultural reliance on the...
It was billed in the World Cocoa Foundation agenda as a ‘Fireside Chat.’ Still, the conversation was anything but cozy as the 2024 Partnership Meeting welcomed back Yves Brahima Koné, Cote d’Ivoire’s Coffee & Cocoa Council director general, and Joseph...
After the announced abstention of Germany and Italy, the vote for a key piece of European due diligence legislation which would have ensured companies, including food companies, root out human rights and environmental abuses from their value chains, has...
Palm oil is cheap to produce in large quantities but unsustainable production methods, notably deforestation, means the bad can far outweigh the good. As a result, brands are increasingly distancing themselves from the use of irresponsible palm oil in...
Picking up the baton from the World Cocoa Foundation Meeting, the Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference, organised by Chocoa, moved into the Beurs van Berlage for a further two days of discussion and debate on key policy issues affecting the global chocolate...
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced that plans to cut pesticide use across the European Union have been dropped but environmentalists say the battle is far from over.
In the European Commission’s final text published this week, any mention of methane reduction has been omitted. So have links between dietary patterns and GHG emissions, critics lament.
Apart from farmer income/poverty, the most discussed topic on day one of the World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Amsterdam was the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that will be implemented at the end of this year.
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), the first stage of which came into force on 31 January, will have a significant impact on how the EU trades with Great Britain. Over three stages throughout 2024, new checks and declarations will be required for...
From confectionery to cakes, breakfast cereals to beer, sugar is a huge part of the modern diet, but why is the cost of one of our most indulgent ingredients increasing and how will this affect both food manufacturers and consumers?
Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) – a nationwide money-back initiative for plastic bottles and aluminum cans – launches this month in a bid to improve recycling rates.
