In response to regulatory raids last week on fruit suppliers across
Europe, Chiquita has blamed some of its employees for sharing
pricing and volume information with its competitors on the
continent and in North America.
The EU's farmers will have to take better care of their broiler
chickens under a proposed directive the European Commission has
adopted for submission to the bloc's Parliament.
A panel of scientific experts at Europe's food agency concludes an
enzyme preparation used as a food additive for binding
reconstituted food is safe, and 'not likely' to raise the risk of
allergic or intolerance response.
Seeking to clear up confusion over approved GM ingredients, the
European Commission has published a list of the 26 biotech products
cleared for use across the EU 25 member nations.
Europe's food watchdog continues to trawl through its risk
assessment of 1000 flavouring substances, with 38 substances out of
51 requiring more data to complete the safety evaluation.
As Europe's food agency finally makes the permanent move to Italy,
a framework plan for 2005 consolidates the key objectives for the
EU's major risk assessor.
EU environmental experts yesterday voted against proposals to
overturn the bans of genetically modified (GM) crops in five
countries, at the same time the group failed to reach a majority
decision on clearing a GM crop ingredient...
Food makers alert to the levels of a potentially carcinogenic mould
commonly found on crops as scientists back an extension barrier
levels for ochratoxin A to grape juice, coffee and wine.
A meat preserver, a gel-forming additive and an anti-microbial
agent face tougher European rules as Brussels adopts a proposal to
change the current food additive directive.
Long running assessment of materials in contact with food continues
with the additive panel at Europe's food watchdog concluding that
BADGE, and its chlorohydrins, do not raise concern for
carcinogenicity and genotoxicity.
The European food industry awaits as the European Commission
huddles together to assess possible changes to the current
nutrition labelling rules governing food products, reports
Lindsey Partos. Industry is concerned that amendments...
The European Commission has given the nod to Sygenta's Bt11
genetically modified sweetcorn, granting authorisation for it to be
sold within the European Union over the next ten years. Although
the Commission says that the sweetcorn...
A political move that will burden the European food industry with
more paperwork than necessary and will send an army of food
manufacturers to rethink their ingredients formulations. So it is
that critics of the incoming rules on...
In under one month European food and beverage manufacturers face an
exponential increase in paperwork as new rules on GM ingredients
come into force, setting up a 'Dante-esque' paper trail for the
tracking of GMOs. The rules...
Acquisitions for UK food, ingredients and retail firm Associated
British Foods are key to reducing dependency of group profits on
ABF's leading revenue source British Sugar. This week the company
signs a deal with Unilever to...
The European Commission says that Polish food processing companies
are now making good progress towards reaching EU hygienic
standards. However, the latest reports from the country Agriculture
and Food Ministry suggest that the meat...
Countdown to new rules for the labelling of allergen ingredients
begins with national governments and stakeholders in Europe getting
to grips with the small print before enforcement next year. The
Scottish food watchdog updates the...
Although demand for EU-backed SAPARD funds in Poland is now said to
be exceeding total budget, the European Commission says it will
continue to support all food and beverage companies that qualify
for EU food safety and hygiene standards....
The European Parliament adopted an own initiative report on 11
February, calling on the Commission to focus more on the
sustainability of agriculture in the Sixth and Seventh Framework
Programmes, and not technology for food production,...
In a bid to reassure the European Parliament after a recent study
alerted the world to levels of cancer-causing toxins present in
farmed salmon, Europe's head of consumer safety stressed to
politicians that Europe's food...
The European Commission held an orientation debate on GM crops
yesterday, hours after proposing to authorise a GM sweet corn BT11
for food use. From the Commission's point of view, a comprehensive
EU regulatory framework on GMOs...
Laws on GMO traceability for food companies operating in the
European Union moved up a gear on Friday with the Commission
clearing a new system of coding for all GMO varieties.
Organic foods in Europe is the focus of an upcoming hearing
organised by the European Commission with the ultimate aim to
formulate an action plan to boost the sector.
If traceability is at the heart of new food labelling rules in
Europe then the life blood keeping it beating must be risk
management. On the eve of the first ever risk assessment on
genetically modified organisms delivered by Europe's...
Public perception of risk - notably with regards to genetically
modified foods - is the focus of a high-profile conference to take
place in Brussels next week. Senior figures from the worlds of
politics, science and food will explore...
NFU president Sir Ben Gill, meeting key European food industry
leaders over the weekend, has called for international co-operation
between farmer-controlled businesses and trust in the food chain.
The EU Commission this week unveiled €166m in funding for projects
under the food quality and safety priority of the Sixth Framework
Programme (FP6). Thirty-six projects have so far been confirmed.
The European Commission has given the thumbs up to a joint venture
between Danish/Swedish company Arla Foods Ingredients and German
sugar giant Nordzucker.
The draconian measures introduced to reduce the use of one-way
packaging in Germany could still incur the wrath of the European
Commission, despite concessions by Berlin. But even if Brussels is
satisfied, German retailers, drinks...
The European Commission has resolved to ensure that the same
standards of food safety apply to all products, regardless of
origin. Commissioner for health and consumer protection David Byrne
said that food imports into the EU should...
Imminent reforms to the EU sugar regime - likely to be more radical
than estimated - could slice millions off the sugar profits for
Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of British Sugar, and
Danisco next year, predicts a recent...
The European Commission has announced a new set of measures to
limit the presence of the mycotoxin 'patulin' in fruit juices,
particularly apple juice, and other foods containing or derived
from apples.
The European Commission has decided to lift the last remaining restrictions imposed on meat imports from Swaziland and Botswana. The ban was imposed following outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
The European Commission for the first time imposed fines on farmers
unions yesterday. Six French federations in the beef sector
received a total of €16.7 million in fines for taking part in an
agreement to set a minimum price for...
Decoupling would secure significant income gains for EU farmers,
writes the European Commission this week. The comment on the link
between production and subsidy - so called 'decoupling' - is in
response to the release of...
The high profile issue of health continues to grab the spotlight
with the news yesterday that the European Commission is to pour
€312m into a new action programme 'to protect and improve the
health of Europe's citizens'.
The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has
released its opinion on the safety of carrageenan, mainly in
response to work published by Tobacman in October 2001, reports
Reading Scientific Services this week.
As promised last year, the European Commission is now offering
online access to a new database that compiles research efforts on
several topics related to the issue of acrylamide in food.
The European Commission confirmed its commitment to food safety and
the consumer this week when Commissioner David Byrne announced much
tougher measures - including criminal sanctions - to strengthen
food and feed safety controls.
In a two-step evaluation process, the European Commission
Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has confirmed the use of
oligofructose, a prebiotic ingredient with beneficial effects on
gut health, as a safe ingredient in baby food.
It is currently illegal for supermarkets and other retailers to
operate loyalty card schemes in Belgium, a restriction which the
European Commission believes contradicts single market regulations.
As a result, the Belgian authorities...
The European Parliament yesterday rejected a proposal to expand the
list of foods that can be irradiated within the European Union,
increasing pressure for greater caution in the US.
Do you remember the following words from European Commissioner for
health and consumer protection David Byrne? : "I am determined
to ensure that the momentum we have created on food safety
continues… the Commission is forging...
The European Commission's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and
Animal Health (SCFCAH) this week voted in favour of a European
Commission proposal to allow the resumption of imports of certain
fishery products (crayfish and...
In light of recent proposals from the European Commission to
establish pan-European regulations for the use of health claims on
food products, the UK Food Standards Agency this week published a
new report that examines the impact...
When David Byrne, European Commissioner responsible for Health and
Consumer Protection, issued a message of support this week to the
Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) ahead of its 5th annual
meeting, it is unlikely that he anticipated...
Over 5000 exhibitors from 98 countries are boasting their wares in
Paris this week as SIAL, a fantastic celebration of food and drink,
opened its doors on Sunday to an expected 130,000 visitors. One key
issue being discussed here...
All Member States must fully and swiftly implement the 1998
European Directive on the legal protection of biotechnological
inventions or Europe will fall behind its competitors in this
crucial sector - so the European Commission warned...
