By Katia Merten-Lentz, Partner and Founder Food Law Science & Partners
As the Ukraine invasion disrupts supply of key commodities in Europe, legal expert Katia Merten-Lentz looks at the option of substituting ingredients and asks what this means for labelling and the legal status of your products.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski has insisted the Green Deal, which contains the landmark Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies, will remain a key priority despite the conflict in Ukraine.
New UK legislation that promotes innovation and more nutritious crops has been introduced to the country’s Parliament last week in a move designed to address future food security.
Research findings from the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi) and CDP show that companies cannot afford any more delay in tackling deforestation across supply chains, with forest-related risks identified at almost US$80bn.
Cultivated meat innovator Ivy Farm Technologies urged the UK to take an ‘agile’ approach to regulation of the rapidly emerging cultivated meat sector at a Parliamentary event held last week.
Under pressure from consumer organisation foodwatch, the European Commission has established limits for the presence of MOAH in food products. No transition period has been offered to businesses…is that fair?
In a move which has satisfied trade bodies but disheartened health campaigners and some challenger brands, the UK government has announced a one-year delay to the proposed ban on buy-one-get-one-free deals for foods high in fat, salt or sugar.
To combat deforestation, interventions must support both development and inclusion. Smallholders need to be brought on the journey towards zero deforestation. A new research collaboration aims to assess what programmes see most success on these dual deliverables.
Nutri-Score’s creator has rubbished claims from Italy’s food industry body Federalimentare that the EFSA’s latest opinion on nutrition labels marks a rebuff of the Nutri-Score algorithm.
One of the UK’s biggest white label manufacturers, purely dedicated to CBD, believes the publication of the Food Standard’s Agency list will leave the market with a “pool of very vanilla products” and says it’s frustrating after the industry has moved...
Kellogg’s UK has accused the Department of Health and Social Care of allegedly failing to enter into a ‘reasonable conversation’ to consider what the addition of milk or yoghurt would have on the nutritional value of a bowl of breakfast cereal.
Junk food advertising restrictions across the Transport for London network are estimated to have contributed to a 1,000 calorie decrease in energy from unhealthy purchases in consumers’ weekly shopping. But little of this came from soft drinks.
The war against Ukraine has added to the cacophony of challenges that threaten to push millions more people into hunger, global nutrition leaders warned this week.
The European Food Safety Authority has issued scientific advice on nutrient profiling that will help inform the Commission’s future plans for front-of-pack labelling.
A new report reveals the majority of Brits do not consider the soon-to-be implemented ‘tobacco-style’ controls of high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products will help in the fight against obesity.
The US is ‘streaking ahead’ in the regulation of precision fermentation-derived food products, while the European Commission is yet to approve its first. So what are the key challenges alt protein start-ups face on this side of the pond? And once on the...
Should the EU agri-food promotion policy be more exclusive? Favour organic production methods? Or ‘meet the reality’ of the market? Stakeholders weigh in.
The Commission has proposed mandatory labelling of ingredients and nutrient content of alcoholic beverages be enforced by the end of this year, and health warnings on labels by the end of 2023. FoodNavigator rounds up the pros and cons.
The UK Government is to launch an official review into ways to boost vitamin D levels among the population that could include dietary supplements and fortifying food and drinks.
UK calorie labelling for food and drink in restaurants, takeaways, deli counters and other ‘out of home’ settings come into force today. Is the hospitality sector ready?
EFSA has issued a positive opinion about the safety of methyloxolane in food processing, bringing the industry closer to the prospect of a bio-based alternative to petroleum extraction solvents.
The key ingredient in Eat Just’s plant-based egg alternative, mung bean protein, has received approval from the European Commission. The decision ‘opens the door’ to distribution across the bloc, according to Eat Just CEO Josh Tetrick.
The Federation of Bakers (FOB) warns the next six months will be a bumpy ride for the baking industry, with impending cost increases and supply uncertainty not seen in the past generation, ‘if ever’.
The UK hopes to be at the vanguard of CBD innovation and investment after the country’s Foods Standards Agency created a list of more than 3,500 food products permitted for sale to consumers.
The food industry has seen a shift in attitude from both regulators and consumers, who are increasingly making the link between diet and population health. As food innovators develop their reformulation and fortification plans, they walk a fine line....
The Cocoa Coalition of chocolate companies - Ferrero, Hershey, Mars Wrigley, Mondelēz International, Nestle, and Tony's Chocolonely - alongside Fairtrade International and Rainforest Alliance, broadly welcomes any new EU legislation regarding the...
With just 19% of countries in the WHO European Region having introduced SSB taxes, a new study has sought to identify what works and what doesn’t – to encourage effective implementation.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is disrupting supplies of grains and fertiliser to Europe, sparking fears over food security. It has also ignited a debate over the role that animal agriculture plays in the bloc’s food system.
Civil society and farmer organisations have ‘serious concerns’ about the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology being considered for the upcoming sustainability labelling initiative. FoodNavigator hears from three NGOs appealing to the Commission.
Maximum levels of Delta-9-THC in hemp seeds and hemp oil have been established across the bloc, putting an ‘end’ to ‘internal market fragmentation’, according to the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA).
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted calls for more heed to be paid to EU food security. But, as agriculture ministers discuss the possibility of putting more land to the plough, environmental experts warn that the debate is being ‘hijacked’ by...
SAFE Food Advocacy Europe is raising the alarm, after acrylamide concentrations at four to five times higher than what is currently permitted in the EU through benchmark levels were found in food.
Five of Europe’s largest food manufacturers have formed the Flexible Packaging Initiative, a joint scheme to promote circularity in flexible packaging.
Nearly a third of the world's crop fields will be unsuitable for food production by the end of this century unless carbon emissions are curbed, warns the latest instalment of the IPCC climate change report.
New research from the food waste campaigner claims to challenge the status quo of the way retailers sell fresh uncut fruit and vegetables, highlighting that it should change significantly in the future.
A significant proportion of the food and beverage sector is served by SMEs and local producers. If the industry is to transition towards net zero, these businesses need to be part of that journey. FoodNavigator catches up with Growing Green, a UK project...
The world is producing twice the amount of plastic as it did two decades ago and most of it is ending up in landfill, incinerated or leaking into the environment, according to a new report from the OECD.
An eco-focused advertising campaign for Innocent Drinks, a brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company, has been judged by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to be ‘misleading’.
The European Parliament has adopted a highly controversial report into on-farm animal welfare. The body now stands accused of prioritising the financial interest of farmers over improving standards. Campaigners say this is a thinly veiled attempt to defend...
By Katia Merten-Lentz, Partner and Founder of Food Law Science & Partners
As the European Commission continues to consult on future front-of-pack nutritional labelling plans, Katia Merten-Lentz, Partner and Founder of Food Law Science & Partners, an international boutique firm for Food and Feed law matters (Brussels and...
Germany’s food industry association BVE has defended its actions to combat food loss after a spate of protests from climate activists has gridlocked roads in the country.
Italian wine makers have lashed out at ‘insulting’ Nutri-Score proposals to add a black ‘F’ to alcoholic drinks as a warning to consumers about the damaging effects of alcohol even in moderate amounts.
