Would improved food labelling requirements empower consumers to ‘fix’ the food system? Labelling is a ‘weak’ lever but it is also ‘the lowest common denominator’ to drive change, FoodNavigator hears.
In a post-Brexit setting, legislative divergence and alignments in food labelling create challenges and opportunities for UK-based food operators, according to Jessica Burt, Associate of Food Law at Mills & Reeve.
Children are not fed enough of the right foods at the right time, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who is calling for ‘bolder actions’ and ‘greater accountability’ for kids’ diets.
Palm oil industry experts have warned that the European Union’s (EU) latest proposed regulations on deforestation carry major risk of upsetting Indonesia amidst ongoing free-trade negotiations.
The European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) is expected to outline its position on the safety of cannabidiol (CBD) as a novel food in a move expected to aid in future novel food applications.
Titanium dioxide (E171) - a popular additive that confers a bright white shade to frosting and cake decorations - has been banned as a food additive in the EU, with a six-month phasing out period coming into force this month (January 2022) after which...
A new systematic review has concluded that the British food environment ‘undermines’ the efforts many of us make to lose weight and keep it off. The authors make a number of key policy recommendations to Government to help curb the obesity crisis in the...
Agricultural ministers of France and Austria are urging the Commission to develop an EU-wide plant-based protein strategy, which they say would contribute to more sustainable and diversified agriculture.
The new restrictions that are set to come into place on foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) in the UK will drive ‘meaningful disruption’ for food makers and retailers with high levels of exposure to these categories, according to analysts...
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is to re-evaluate the risks of bisphenol A (BPA) in food as the Court of Justice of the EU confirms the chemical must be listed as a “substance of very high concern” for its hormone-disrupting properties on the...
The European Commission released details on its carbon strategy this week, with carbon farming central to its hopes for CO2 removals. Plans include the development of a certification system – but a row is brewing over how this should be defined and measured....
Germany’s incoming 'traffic light' coalition government has said it aims to accelerate the shift to ‘sustainable agriculture and food systems’, including an elevated ambition to have 30% of land under organic cultivation by 2030. How can this...
The wording of approved EU health claims is prescriptive and precise. The intention of the regulation is to protect consumers from unfounded or overblown statements. But it is also to inform. Are health claims doing their job?
More than two thirds of the UK public want to see more information on their meat and dairy products about how the animals were reared, according to a poll commissioned by the charity Compassion in World Farming. But meat association BMPA says these labels...
The European Commission has outlined its ambition to transition towards more sustainable food systems through its headline Farm to Fork and Green Deal policies. But how will this translate to concrete action? Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski...
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has announced an investigation into five companies using the Nutri-Score front-of-pack labelling scheme, raising suggestions different systems may eventually be deployed in different parts of the EU.
Food will become more expensive in Germany, it has been warned, after the new coalition government announced measures aiming to accelerate a shift to ‘sustainable agriculture and food systems’.
The Indonesian palm oil sector has urged the European Union to ensure that its final regulatory approach to imported commodities does not discriminate against palm oil, warning that efforts to replace it as an ingredient could lead to even ‘bigger problems’...
In the UK, supermarket retailers are concerned the new proposed deadline of October 2022 for incoming HFSS legislation does not give them enough time to get their houses in order.
The European Parliament has said companies supplying products that risk contributing to deforestation will be ‘monitored and held accountable’ through new due diligence regulations. But farming groups have raised concerns that the new regulation might...
Obesity rates in UK primary school children saw their ‘highest annual rise’ in 2020-21 with children living in ‘the most deprived areas’ more than twice as likely to be obese than those in more affluent locals.
EFSA has opened a public dialog on front-of-pack nutritional labelling and health claims as it works to finalise the scientific advice that will help decision makers develop an EU-wide scheme.
A coalition of European health, medical, consumer and family organisations has called on the European Union to adopt legislation to protect children from the ‘harmful impacts’ of the ‘widespread, ubiquitous and insidious’ marketing of nutritionally poor...
Does EU-US collaboration on agriculture pave the way for discussions around liberalised market access? Alarm bells are sounding in Europe over concerns it could open the bloc to imports that don't meet European production standards.
A voluntary food label in France that signals the animal welfare standard and method of production to consumers is gaining traction, and Europe should take note, suggests Compassion in World Farming.
Gemporia are in hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after the CBD firm’s teleshopping presentation claimed its product could help with multiple conditions and illnesses.
Findings released by Bite Back 2030 claim to expose the powerful, deliberate and dishonest marketing tactics being employed by the food and drinks industry to encourage teenagers to eat unhealthy products in ever increasing quantities.
The European Parliament has signed off the EU’s flagship Farm to Fork plans, with a majority of MEPS voting in favour of the report (453 were for, 170 against, and 76 abstained).
The UK is poised for the implementation of new junk food marketing and promotional restrictions next year. This is a 'total game-changer' for healthy kids food, the FoodNavigator Podcast hears.
Fresh research out of the Netherlands has investigated whether graphic warnings on meat products eliciting disgust could reduce the consumption of meat.
European food policy needs to create ‘enabling environments’ that mean healthy and sustainable choices are the default, according to a coalition of civil society organisations.
New reviews on misleading claims in early 2022 will pressure companies to provide concrete evidence of their sustainability credentials in an increasingly green-focused and consumer-led market. What does this new regulation mean for brands? Caroline Greenwell,...
Outgoing Dutch Minister of Agriculture Carola Schouten has backed a tax on unsustainable food, with proceeds funding farmer efforts to go green. Will the idea catch on?
New research reveals the extent to which European children are exposed to marketing of unhealthy food products – and the results show that voluntary restrictions are only succeeding to ‘reassure policy makers on paper’ and ‘buy time’ for the food industry,...
As the first UN Food Systems Summit kicks off in New York today (23 September), many hope this historic event will begin to chart a roadmap to a more sustainable, healthy and equitable food system. However, the role that food industry money has played...
The UK government's decision to finally make it mandatory to add folic acid to non-wholemeal wheat flour to help prevent life-threatening spinal conditions in babies is being hailed by all concerned.
A new UN report reveals that agricultural support is not providing desirable results for planetary and human health, placing the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement at risk. “We are not acting fast enough or comprehensively enough,” the...
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) has announced the European Commission has approved the UAE’s Camel Milk Residue Monitoring Plan and continues to allow the export of UAE camel milk to the 27 EU countries for 2021.
With the UK set to roll out restrictions on unhealthy food promotions in stores next year, fresh research claims healthier supermarket layouts, including fruit and vegetables placed near store entrances, improves customers’ food choices.
