Food labelling

Should ‘precision breeding’ biotech be included in GMO regulation?

23-Oct-2017 By Katy Askew

Developments in genetic coding techniques open the doorway to crops that produce higher yields or have positive characteristics, such as drought or pest resistance. The EU regulates the cultivation and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food...

Agri-food mega mergers will push food prices up, report claims

17-Oct-2017 By David Burrows

Mega-mergers between the world’s largest agri-food companies will squeeze farmers and push retail prices up, according to a new report.

European shopper trends: health, organic, vegetarian

05-Oct-2017 By Katy Askew

A “large proportion” of European shoppers are buying “healthy”, organic, vegetarian and free-from foods, new research from IRI reveals.

Vegetarian Butcher slams Dutch food authority for double standards over 'misleading' meat name ban

05-Oct-2017 By Niamh Michail

Should The Vegetarian Butcher company be forced to change all its product names after one consumer complaint while other companies continue to use similar 'meaty' terms?

Defining ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’ in Europe

04-Oct-2017 By Katia Merten-Lentz, partner at Keller and Heckman, and Oliver Hartmanm, legal consultant at Keller and Heckman

Pressure is rising for the development of a legal definition of ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’ food in Europe but national governments are moving ahead of the European Commission in this regard.

Nestlé to add traffic light label to all UK breakfast cereals

03-Oct-2017 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé will add the UK government’s traffic light nutrition label to all its breakfast cereals in the UK, starting this month (October).

The end of EU sugar quotas: Beet gets free rein but cane will still take a beating

03-Oct-2017 By Niamh Michail

Food manufacturers are welcoming the end of the EU’s “market-distorting” sugar beet and isoglucose quotas that have capped production for nearly 50 years. But sugar cane processors are angry that cane tariffs remain while public health may pay the ultimate...

Danone gains ‘different perspective’ in baby food with Yooji tie-up

02-Oct-2017 By Katy Askew

Danone has taken a minority stake in organic baby food maker Yooji via its investment arm Danone Manifesto Ventures (DMV). FoodNavigator catches up with Yooji and DMV to find out what benefits the tie-up brings.

Commission advises authorities how to crack down on dual quality food

27-Sep-2017 By Niamh Michail

The Commission has published guidance to help member state authorities crack down on dual quality foods using existing legislation – but how workable is it?

HiPP becomes first firm to reformulate over dual quality accusations

26-Sep-2017 By Niamh Michail

German baby food manufacturer HiPP is the first to reformulate one of its Croatian products after allegations of inferior quality compared to its German equivalent - and more could follow, it says.

Industry giants to harmonise global date labels in food waste fight

20-Sep-2017 By Niamh Michail

Some of the world’s biggest food companies will standardise their food date labels globally by 2020 in a bid to reduce food waste.

Seeing red: Italy upsets manufacturers with origin labelling for tomatoes

06-Sep-2017 By Niamh Michail

Italy has announced plans to bring in mandatory origin labelling for tomato-based products, bypassing EU procedures and sparking fears for the unity of Europe's single market.

Lycored's natural colour lasts longer in surimi, it says

01-Sep-2017 By Niamh Michail

Israeli supplier Lycored’s natural red, orange and pink colours remain stable in surimi for up to three months longer than carmine or paprika, it says.

WORLD FOOD SUMMIT 2017

Chr Hansen CEO: Fighting food waste is part of our business plan

30-Aug-2017 By Niamh Michail

Chr Hansen's bioprotective cultures are so effective at extending shelf life, the firm has set itself an ambitious target: to reduce global yoghurt waste by 2% before 2020, its CEO says.

Tate & Lyle adds instant starch to clean label range

24-Aug-2017 By Niamh Michail

Tate & Lyle has developed two instant functional starches to add to its clean label Claria range, which can help manufacturers banish modified starches, it says.

Clearer food labelling on the cards with new whole grain food definition

10-Aug-2017 By Will Chu

An academia-industry collaboration has agreed on a definition that makes the whole grain content in foods clearer in its labelling, with the aim of providing clarity for consumers and manufacturers.

Row over UK front-of-pack labelling intensifies

08-Aug-2017 By Katy Askew

The row over whether front-of-pack labeling in the UK should conform to unified standards intensified today when campaign group Action on Sugar accused cereal manufacturers of “deliberately deceiving” shoppers with “poor nutritional labelling”.

A storm in a tofu teacup? Dairy industry should focus on innovation not plant alternatives, says analyst

02-Aug-2017 By Niamh Michail

The dairy industry should stop patrolling supermarket shelves for crimes such as 'soy milk' or 'tofu butter' and focus on innovation in its own sector, according to Packaged Facts analyst David Sprinkle.

FSA and FSS welcome guilty verdict in meat fraud trial

27-Jul-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

The FSA and FSS have welcomed the guilty verdict in the trial of a businessman convicted of adding horsemeat into beef.

Receipt-based traffic light system could aid in making healthier food choices

24-Jul-2017 By Will Chu

Food receipts that use the traffic light system to display nutritional information for multiple items could transform current shopping choices into more health-conscious ones, a UK study thinks.

Does healthy food need a marketing makeover? 'Indulgent' descriptions make people eat more vegetables

24-Jul-2017 By Niamh Michail

‘Hold the green beans but pass the sweet sizzlin’ ones.’ Using indulgent words to describe vegetables makes people eat more of them – even if there is no difference in the way they are prepared, say Stanford scientists.

Natural umami flavours are a clean-label alternative to MSG, says Bell

18-Jul-2017 By Niamh Michail

Umami flavours can be a natural alternative to the not-so-clean-label monosodium glutamate (MSG), says Bell Flavours and Fragrances, as it launches six natural umami flavours including three yeast-free formulations.

Top 10 UK snack bar brands: goodnessKNOWS how Mars’ debut will change the playing field

17-Jul-2017 By Gill Hyslop

Mars Chocolate has launched goodnessKNOWS bars in the UK, hitting the nerve of time that could disrupt the UK’s Top 10 snack bar brands, says Euromonitor.

EFSA sets safe intake level for MSG and glutamate additives, urging new maximum levels

12-Jul-2017 By Niamh Michail

Europe’s Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set a safe level for glutamate food additives, but given many Europeans are over this level, it is urging the Commission to revise the current maximum levels permitted in food.

Brands go for ethical certification to protect reputation, not maximise profits

12-Jul-2017 By David Burrows

Food manufacturers sign up to traceability schemes like Fairtrade and Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) to improve their supply chains and traceability rather than bump up the price of their profits and score marketing points, according to new research...

Study uncovers the truth behind work stress, sleep and junk food habits

27-Jun-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

Psychological experiences at work can shape eating habits and sleeping patterns, according to a recently published study.

Foreign Trade Association announces name change for 2018

23-Jun-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

To coincide with its new strategy for the future, the Foreign Trade Association (FTA) announces it will change its corporate name to Amfori in January 2018.

Europol: False organic certification continues to be major problem for food industry

23-Jun-2017 By Niamh Michail

Counterfeit certification labels, such as fake organic or protected designation of origin (PDO) labels, continues to be a major problem for the European food industry, according to a report by Europol.

Industry giants unite to eradicate forced labour in global supply chains

22-Jun-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

Brands such as The Cola-Cola Company, Unilever and Tesco have shared their stories on how they eradicated forced labour in their global supply chains in a recently published report.

EFSA confirm current exposure levels of food nitrites and nitrates are safe

16-Jun-2017 By Will Chu

Consumer exposure to nitrites and nitrates as additives used in processed meats is safe for most population groups at existing levels outlined by the European Safety and Food Authority (EFSA). 

FREE FROM FOOD EXPO

Vegan-friendly eggs? Just add water, say New Food

13-Jun-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

A range of animal derivative free products were unveiled at this year’s Free From Foods Exposition in Barcelona, from Polish company New Food.

Farewell to Fairtrade: Sainsbury's defends in-house sustainable sourcing certification

09-Jun-2017 By David Burrows

UK supermarket Sainsbury’s, the world’s biggest retailer of Fairtrade goods, has launched its own sustainable sourcing programme for more than 35 key commodities and ingredients. Campaigners, farmers and some manufacturers have cried foul, but are they...

Ferrero wins appeal as Belgian court tells Delhaize to stop saying 'no palm oil' is healthier & more sustainable

07-Jun-2017 By Niamh Michail

Ferrero has won a court case against Belgian retailer Delhaize for claiming its palm oil-free, Nutella-style spread is healthier and better for the environment than a product with palm oil.

Hungarian law to require "distinctive warning" labels on foods with inferior ingredients

06-Jun-2017 By Niamh Michail

As Bulgaria's prime minister slams dual quality foods as 'apartheid', a draft law by Hungary would see warning labels on foods with a different ingredient composition outside the country, but experts say it's on shaky legal ground.

Freshfel calls for minimum fruit content to use fruit images on-pack

02-Jun-2017 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers are misleading consumers with images of fresh fruit on packaging when the actual fruit content is minimal or even zero, says trade group Freshfel, as it calls for a legal minimum threshold.

Nestlé to give global Maggi brand a clean label revamp

31-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé aims to “transform” the global Maggi brand by 2020 by cutting salt, swapping modified starches for simple ones and removing artificial emulsifiers and thickeners, it says.

A lack of political will is stalling action on obesity: McKinsey report author

26-May-2017 By David Burrows

Europe is struggling to get to grips with rising obesity levels because politicians are distracted by single policies and industry lacks the level playing field that regulation can create, says Richard Dobbs, author of the McKinsey report.

Clash of the Seitans: Lobbies locked in plant-based stalemate but near EU definition of vegetarian

24-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

As Europe’s processed meat lobby presses the Commission to ban vegetarian products from using meat names, FoodDrinkEurope (FDE) and the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) are close to agreeing on a definition of vegetarian and vegan.

Former First Lady Obama criticizes efforts to delay Nutrition Facts changes as insulting to consumers

15-May-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Requests to delay the implementation of the updated Nutrition Facts panel, which includes a line to indicate added sugar and makes calories more visible, and a last-minute delay of menu labeling regulations are insulting to consumers, suggests Former...

FSANZ stresses importance of accurate allergen labelling

10-May-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has launched a month-long campaign to remind businesses about getting allergen labelling right and the consequences of mistakes.

Game on: Four industry giants pledge to use French nutrition logo

28-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

France's official - but voluntary - nutrition label has its first takers as retailers Intermarché, Leclerc and Auchan as well as meat, seafood and ready meal manufacturer Fleury Michon commit to its use on their products.

Waiver for free range eggs ruled illegal by EU commissioner Hogan

29-Mar-2017 By Louis Gore-Langton

Commissioner for agriculture Phil Hogan has ruled out any waiver on the EU’s free range egg policy, which has forced many producers to abandon the status in the wake of the bird flu crisis.

Researchers create gluten-free bread with bubbles (but without the additives)

27-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

Researchers have developed gluten-free bread with the same fluffy, bubble texture as wheat bread - without using any additives or gums - simply by using rice flour that has been milled and processed in a specific way.

EFSA to recommend daily intake values for added sugar by 2020

24-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will publish a scientific opinion on how much sugar can be included in a healthy diet by 2020, it has confirmed.

5-C NutriScore to be France's official nutrition label

16-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

The five-colour NutriScore is the most effective nutrition label in promoting healthier food choices and will be adopted as the official (but voluntary) label in France, the health minister has said. 

Protecting consumers from deception: EU Parliament backs tough food inspection regulations

16-Mar-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

The EU Parliament has backed new regulations for tougher food inspections from farm to fork in a bid to qualm consumer worries of food fraud after the horse meat scandal in 2013.

‘Low-content’ food labels are ‘misleading’ for consumers, US study claims

16-Mar-2017 By Will Chu

Products that claim to be low-fat, reduced sodium or cholesterol-free do not accurately represent the food’s nutritional quality, giving consumers a false sense about its health benefits, according to a US study.

Natural flavours and colours can reassure health-conscious parents

14-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

Industry used to shy away from scrutiny towards ingredients lists, but by choosing the right colour or flavour firms can add value to products and reassure consumers, according to colouring food supplier GNT and kids' food brand Appy Kids Co. 

French soy juice manufacturers launch voluntary quality standard

13-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

A new certification for French manufacturers of soy juice which will give consumers greater clarity in a confusing space, says Agrifood certifying body Afnor.

Six industry giants to launch UK-style traffic light labels in Europe

08-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

Coca-Cola, Mars, Mondelez, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever will add nutrition logos modelled on the UK’s traffic light label to their European portfolios. However, critics have slammed the use of portion size as a reference.