Food labelling

Organic and free-from in rude health as shoppers study labels

17-Feb-2017 By David Burrows

Sales of free-from and organic foods have rocketed in Europe as more and more shoppers spend time looking at labels in order to identify “guilt free” purchases, according to new data from Euromonitor International.

Voluntary certification schemes essential to meet SDG targets, say WWF & ISEAL

16-Feb-2017 By David Burrows

Voluntary sustainability standards covering everything from palm oil to fish and tea to sugar will play a significant role in helping food businesses meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new analysis by WWF and ISEAL published...

Swedish food agency issues guidance on free-range egg labelling

16-Feb-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

The Swedish National Food Agency has said that the labelling of free-range eggs could be compromised by bird flu, causing free-range eggs to now be labelled as 'free-range inside'.

EU Parliament passes CETA trade deal

15-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

MEPs have voted in favour of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada in Strasbourg today with 408 votes in favour and 254 against.

Vegetable juice in a traditional pastry? French consumer group slams industry's 'marketing jargon'

14-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

The value of terms such as home-made, artisan and traditional has been lost to clean label jargon and marketing, says French consumer group Que Choisir. Is it time for a legally-binding EU definition?

EU seafood survey: 28,000 polled. Italians most adventurous

10-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

Most Hungarians never buy fish, adventurous Italians are most willing to try new species, Greeks wants more on-pack origin information and one third of Europeans have no preference for wild or farmed fish, according to a survey by Eurobarometer.

'Swap Auchan for Kellogg, Liebig for Maggi': French consumer group compiles salt-savvy meal plan

08-Feb-2017 By Niamh Michail

Consumers should look closely at "hidden" salt levels in processed food and choose nearly identical products that are healthier, says French consumer group QueChoisir after comparing 132 foods for salt content.

Smarter than a sweetener? Flavour modifier matches sugar's mouthfeel & sweetness

31-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

OmegaSweet is a natural, flavour-modifying ingredient that not only replaces sugar's sweetness but mimics its mouthfeel in beverages - a smarter way to reduce sugar ahead of the UK's sugar tax, says the company behind it, Omega Ingredients.

UMFHA tells fake manuka honey to buzz off

31-Jan-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

The Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) has developed a system that uses compounds to validate manuka honey as genuine, after a rise in fake manuka honey was sold in UK markets.

FDF: 'It's an interesting concept and worth exploring'

Exercise labels are more effective than standard nutrition info for healthy eating, say researchers

30-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

'Exericise labels' that say how much physical activity is needed to burn off the calories in food are significantly more effective in encouraging healthy eating than standard nutrition information, according to a new study.

Portugal to trial origin labelling for milk

27-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Portugal will go ahead with compulsory origin labelling on milk, cheese and other dairy products, the country's minister for agriculture confirmed this week.

Insect innovation: Getting the right flavour and texture for your product

24-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

As Switzerland prepares to legalise three insect species for food, we talk to one Finnish researcher on the best ways to process mealworms and crickets to get the optimal flavour and texture profile.

Fresh concerns over titanium dioxide safety as study prompts French re-evaluation

23-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

The French government has ordered a safety reassessment of white food colouring titanium dioxide after scientists say they have shown "for the first time" that nanoparticles in the food additive are spread around the body.

Don’t tax sugar – just sweeten the deal for healthy snacks, say campaigners

19-Jan-2017 By Louis Gore-Langton

The 'Don’t tax healthy' campaign, started by OPPO ice cream, is fighting for UK tax breaks on low sugar foods, saying a system of incentives for healthy alternatives should come before penalties.

Bird flu could halt free range egg production, warn MEPs

13-Jan-2017 By Louis Gore-Langton

Outbreaks of bird flu throughout Europe could put a stop to free range eggs as safety precautions make meeting the labelling requirements impossible, Dutch members of the EU parliament have warned.

Get ready for bespoke snacking experiences on a mass scale, says Mondelez chocolate innovator

13-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Snacking is about to get personal with food manufacturers using technologies such as visual and 3D printing to scale up bespoke eating experiences, according to Gil Horsky, global innovation leader at Mondelēz International.

Firm fights 'lax and meaningless' Swiss Made law with watch made of cheese

13-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

A Swiss watchmaker is protesting against the loopholes in the country's ‘Swiss Made’ law with a novelty 100% Swiss watch made from cheese. "Our response to this lax and insufficient label is derision," says the CEO of H. Moser & Cie.

More Germans want to see animal welfare logo, says Ministry of Food & Agriculture

12-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

The number of Germans who look for animal welfare logos on meat products is rising, according to a 1000-strong survey commissioned by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which gives a glimpse into the nation's changing dietary habits and preferences.

Inaccurate vitamin D labelling a worry for infant-targeted supplements & foods

10-Jan-2017 By Nathan Gray

Fortified foods and supplements designed for infants could have significantly less – or more – actual vitamin D than the amounts labelled, however most products do fall within acceptable EU ranges, say Dutch researchers.

What's in a name? Product legality, as UK updates food naming guidance

09-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

The UK's Department for food, the environment and rural affairs (DEFRA) has updated guidance on food product naming to make the complex and potentially hazardous field more user-friendly for manufacturers.

€1.2m EU investment fund seeks entrepreneurs hungry for agrifood innovation

09-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Katana, a €1.2 million investment fund is calling for Europe’s brightest entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas and win funding for agrifood innovation, from functional foods to tech solutions for sustainable sourcing.

Industry welcomes GFIA, the UK's gluten-free trade group

06-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

UK food firms have created the Gluten Free Industry Association (GFIA) to promote best practice manufacturing tips, gluten testing and ingredient sourcing for the free-from sector's most lucrative category.

Ethical food and drink worth over €10.5 billion in the UK

06-Jan-2017 By David Burrows

Sales of ethical food and drink increased 5.3% in 2015 to just over £9.03 billion (€10.55 billion), according to new research. Organic continued its revival but Fairtrade has struggled again.

Denmark’s Tænk slams producers for misleading labels

05-Jan-2017 By Eliot Beer

A Danish consumer rights organisation has made wide-ranging formal complaints against several food producers, including Nestlé and Kellogg’s, accusing them of misleading product labelling.

Kids start the day with big sugar-kick; breakfast cereals highlighted

03-Jan-2017 By David Burrows

Children in England consume almost three cubes of sugar at breakfast, according to new research that puts cereal brands in the spotlight once again.

Scandalous! Consumers jaded by food scandal media coverage

03-Jan-2017 By Eliot Beer

Media coverage of food scandals affects consumption, but desensitisation and the force of consumer habits may present challenges for food regulators, according to researchers.

France meat and dairy ‘country of origin labeling’ trial comes into force

02-Jan-2017 By Jenny Eagle

France rolls out its two-year trial for mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) for meat and dairy in prepared foods, this month.

Beyond Brexit: Five legal issues UK food firms need to protect against in 2017

16-Dec-2016 By Peter Cusick

The year ahead will present UK food companies with a range of major legal challenges over and above the fallout from Brexit, according to leading food industry lawyer Peter Cusick.

Consumers willing to pay 75% more for known ingredients: Survey

15-Dec-2016 By Louis Gore-Langton

Branding ingredients has a mixed record of success but a survey reveals worldwide demand for recognisable ingredients.

Ethical certification promises much - but it's been a tough year

14-Dec-2016 By David Burrows

Back in 2014 I interviewed Hans Jöhr, who at the time was corporate head of agriculture at Nestlé. We had a (refreshingly) open discussion about certification schemes. Some of them are “cheating consumers” and “cannot help farmers be better farmers per...

Dutch industry pledges to remove cartoon characters from unhealthy food

09-Dec-2016 By Niamh Michail

The Dutch food industry has pledged to restrict the use of licensed cartoon characters from the packaging of unhealthy foods aimed at children.

Looking to nature for better ‘clean label’ reformulation

08-Dec-2016 By Nathan GRAY

Industry should look closer at nature’s solutions for current reformulation challenges by mapping out all the possible functionalities of ingredients already present in foods, says Dr Aidan Craigwood, consultant at Innovia Technology.

France tops global food sustainability index

05-Dec-2016 By Niamh Michail

France is the top ranking country for tackling food waste and nutritional challenges while Germany is ranked number one for sustainable agriculture, according to a 25-nation food sustainability index by the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition (BCFN).

How should you communicate your CSR success stories?

28-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

French industry group ANIA has published a report with best practice tips for communicating corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and responsible marketing.

MEPs oppose plant-based alternatives using meat terms

28-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

The battle over plant-based terminology has moved into the meat arena with two Italian MEPs calling for laws to prevent vegetarian alternatives from using names such as prosciutto and mortadella.

Animal welfare logos: Putting a premium price on what should be a legal minimum?

25-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Denmark unveiled its voluntary logo for animal welfare last month and Germany looks set to launch its own. But should a high standard of welfare not be the legal minimum rather than a premium product for high-end shoppers?

Funding sought for nutrition phone app research

24-Nov-2016

A University of Hohenheim researcher is seeking investment for a project investigating the role of mobile phone apps in promoting better nutrition through behavioural change.

'A new scenario for packaged food in Europe' - private label growth falls in Europe

22-Nov-2016 By Louis Gore-Langton

After a decade of growth, private label in Europe is declining and according to Euromonitor this signals a "New scenario for packaged food in Europe". We look at some strategies for boosting sales of private labels.

Poland to introduce voluntary 'Made in Poland' label

21-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Polish lawmakers look set to bring in a voluntary ‘Made in Poland’ label for foods that contain at least 75% domestically produced ingredients.

Made in Switzerland 'Swissness' law to enter in force 1 January 2017

'Unfortunate': Nestlé to lose Swiss cross on 80 brands

21-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé will be forced to drop the Swiss cross from 80 products manufactured in Switzerland following a new law on 'Swissness' set to come into force in January next year. "This is very unfortunate," the head of Nestlé Switzerland has...

Origin labelling: A step towards transparency - or worrying form of ‘gastronationalism’?

18-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Calls for mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) are growing louder in Europe and supporters say it will restore trust, provide transparency and help consumers support local producers if they wish. But one political scientist sees it as "a...

Germany's proposed animal welfare logo meets opposition

17-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Germany's plan to introduce a voluntary animal welfare logo, starting with pork products, has been met with opposition from groups saying good animal husbandry should be mandatory for all meat and dairy products.

Future Food Tech conference

Trust and technology: The importance of transparency and innovation

16-Nov-2016 By Will Chu

More scientific innovation to produce complex ingredients and close technological collaboration to increase transparency are at the heart of trends set to define the food industry.