The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that glyphosate, a herbicide used on food crops, is unlikely to cause cancer and recommends raising safety levels.
Just one tomato could provide the same amount of resveratrol as 50 bottles of red wine or the same amount of genistein as 2.5kg of tofu, say researchers.
From fibre-filled juice to bird-friendly coffee, cauliflower flour to pea bread, European demands for natural are being fuelled by a massive distrust of TTIP – and this will grow whether the treaty is ratified or not, says Mintel.
Extracted or fermented, blended or pure, stevia can take many forms - and the arrival of EverSweet will mean even more possibilities for positioning the sweetener, says Cargill. But will it get past the EU's regulatory roadblocks?
There is a now a huge momentum in Germany to convert all private label meat sectors to GM free soy, said the German Association of Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG).
Sixteen countries have requested to opt out of GM cultivation in Europe – but while the Commission says the opt-out clause is necessary for such a complex issue, campaigners are calling it ‘Kafkaesque’ and one scientist warns Europe is walking 'an...
Scientists have identified a genetic defect in oil palms, called bad karma, which reduces yields – a finding that could save industry both time and money, they say.
MEPs voted yesterday to ban imports of food from cloned animals and their descendants - but the European Commission has called the amendments 'disproportionate' and even 'legally impossible'.
Biotech giant Monsanto has said it will abide by requests from Latvia and Greece to be excluded from its application for re-authorisation of its MON180 maize in the European Union, but accused the countries of ignoring science.
A ban on genetically modified (GM) crops in Scotland would seriously undermine the nation’s food and drink industry, warn nearly 30 leading organisations.
A large consumer study* from market researcher Health Focus International spanning 16 major consumer markets includes this pretty jaw-dropping statistic: 87% of consumers globally think non-GMO foods are ‘somewhat’, or ‘a lot’ healthier.
Consumers must pressure retailers and manufacturers to ensure bread does not contain glyphosate, says the Soil Association – but all traces are below safe limits, insists industry.
“If you can understand how an eight-year-old thinks, you are a long way toward understanding a transformative change in consumer behaviour,” says futurist Mike Walsh, who gave the keynote address at IFT in Chicago last week.
From GM to junk food, many food industry issues go beyond the realm of the industry itself – they shape, and are shaped by, our world view says one expert at IFT. So what approach should companies take when dealing with such big issues that both impassion...
Non-GMO labels are on the rise in European countries – but unlike the US, EU legislation requires all food containing above trace levels of GM to be labelled. So is there even a need for GMO-free?
Ukraine and Russia are likely to become the bridgehead for the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the rest of Europe, according to the ceo of the French agricultural seeds and grain co-operative Limagrain.
A genetically modified sheep carrying a jellyfish protein entered the French food system last year following what appears to have been a deliberate abattoir mix-up by a disgruntled employee, it was revealed last week.
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The validity of safety tests for commercial pesticides and genetically modified foods has been called into question, after French researchers found control diets and historical diet data contained GM materials and possible carcinogens.
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) will affect every European food company – for better or worse – according to a trade law expert at DWF LLP.
The European Commission is calling its Better Regulation initiative 'radical and different' - but consumer groups say power is being handed over to big businesses and that consumers will suffer from weakened food policy.
Chinese scientists have successfully reared beef cattle rich in the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA – which are traditionally associated with fish oils.
EU ministers have failed to reach an agreement on proposed changes to EU organic regulation, pushing back a vote until June – a standstill that is welcomed by organic farming associations.
It is time for the food industry to demonstrate that the natural, healthy food we eat is the result of food science and innovation, says one expert – but opinion is divided over how to achieve this.
The organic sector has cultivated a culture of ethical awareness among consumers that conventional manufacturers are now cashing in on – and new product development is vital for the sector to retain its value, say experts.
With working class households making up nearly one third of sales, organic is no longer a middle-class preserve - and some say it is even fueling Britain's 'foodie' culture.
The use of certain biotechnologies could support organic production in the future – although the currently approved ‘cross-species’ GM technologies are the biggest threat to the organic food system, says Christopher Stopes.
A European Commission review on genetically modified (GM) products could deliver regulations that allow individual countries to ban or authorise consumption of GMOs in food or feed. But concerns about the regulation have been raised by both pro-GM and...
Organic sales are growing but the sector remains niche with market share in single figures, says one industry group – but innovative practice and partnerships could change this.
Big Food needs to care more; start-ups can’t feed a planet housing 9bn people in 2050; and genuine disruptive technologies are spawning and spinning faster than flapping butterfly wings…So, er, stay calm and keep making (hopefully healthy) food.
As MEPs prepare to discuss proposed amendments to TTIP’s investor principle in Riga next week, the European Commission says that most of the controversy springs from ‘common misconceptions’.
The TTIP trade agreement pitches European legislative sovereignty against the workings of “free trade liars,” says the director of NGO Foodwatch Thilo Bode.
By producing stevia through fermentation and solvent-based extraction the industry risks losing its most promising natural sweetener - but this may create a new market for new niche stevia products, say analysts.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) may ask firms for more data on GM crop safety in applications for reauthorisation required after ten years, which experts say could lead to confusion and unnecessary paperwork for both company and assessor.
EU member states have voted to allow national governments to ban or restrict cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops even when approved at EU level, meaning the new rules will be written into law.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been told to revise its conflict of interest rules, after the European Ombudsman received complaints that GM working group members failed to provide full details of their indirect financial relationships with...
Food security is vital to the food industry in both developing and developed countries, but what does ‘food security’ really mean, how do we measure it, and can we really solve the problems facing us?
Products containing genetically modified ingredients will still be required to be labelled as such in the future, despite fears that protection standards could suffer because of new trade agreements.
The European Parliament has voted to allow national bans on GM crops, but this could actually encourage more GM varieties to be cultivated in Europe, claims UK organic advocacy group The Soil Association.
The European Union needs to update the way it regulates biotechnology as advances are made in plant breeding – or risk disrupting trade in commodity crops, according to Professor Huw Jones of Rothamsted Research.
A new competitor has arrived on the plant-based omega-3s scene with the announcement of FDA no-objection GRAS status for Ahiflower oil, an ingredient from Technology Crops International. The oil offers a balance of omega-3, -6 and -9, according to the...
