The hand on the tiller that is food safety in Europe has been left somewhat unsteady by the recent regulatory actions taken by the European Commission on BPA and food colours – moves that are pandering to consumer fear and showing contempt for the food...
EU advocacy group, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), is calling for a ban on BPA in all food packaging, following the news that the European Commission has launched discussions on imposing a ban on the chemical in baby bottles.
EFSA does not believe that a negative opinion is the end of the road for 13.1 health claims, but it expects some to be resubmitted with a new slate of data behind them, according to Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle.
Chemical contamination tops European consumer fears over food related risks, closely followed by antibiotic and hormones in meat, animal cloning and pollutants, according to a new survey commissioned by the region’s top food safety watchdog.
The whey protein industry is gathering data to submit article 13.5 health claims after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) last month rejected a slew of generic, article 13.1 protein and whey protein-related dossiers.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released a guidance document on data exchange as part of a wider project to harmonise data collection methods related to food and feed safety.
International consensus is needed on testing strategies to determine the endocrine activities of substances that may be hazardous to human health such as food and drink packaging component, BPA, claims a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report.
Expert opinion and networking will remain a key element to gathering and analysing data of emerging risks in food and feed, according to a new report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
EFSA has agreed with JECFA that 10 of the latest 22 flavouring substances to undergo re-evaluation pose no safety concern at estimated intake levels, but more info is required to complete assessment on the remaining 12.
Brussels said health uncertainties raised by EFSA over bisphenol A (BPA) could spur future action against the chemical, as it highlighted the need to minimise infant exposure to the substance.
Using hot recycled water as a decontamination technique for meat carcasses is as effective as hot potable water, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
There is no indication that eating meat and milk from cloned animals holds any greater food safety risk than consumption of non-cloned food, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said.
Sweden is the latest EU country to consider banning the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) with government scientists due to meet next week to consider the feasibility of introducing a ban next year.
The flavour industry is taking a suck-it-and-see view of the new guidance on approvals dossiers published by EFSA, but is generally positive that firms can now deliver data to meet panel expectations.
Here’s a radical thought for the marketers - the benefits of antioxidants may not be related to antioxidant activity. Last week’s NutraIngredients Antioxidants Conference suggested some tough choices are ahead.
The meat processing industry has welcomed a report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ruling out the risk of humans contracting the H1N1 virus from pork, pork products, turkey or processing equipment.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is appealing for new data on the health and welfare of cloned farm animals as the debate on their regulatory status continues.
The risk assessment framework for nanotechnology in Europe – like so much else connected to the technology – appears to be in its infancy but developing at a rapid pace.
A European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) survey of acrylamide in food products indicates that voluntary efforts to reduce levels of the carcinogen are working but only in a limited number of food groups.
The EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy has indicated that he supports science-based approaches to sustainability in the food chain, but not at the expense of safety and consumer confidence.
The European Food Safety Authority has launched a public consultation into its new draft communications strategy, which would make dialogue a new key outcome and lay audiences a new target.
The EU Environment committee is taking steps to block the planned approval of bovine and porcine thrombin as an additive to bind together meat morsels into one piece, on the grounds that it could mislead consumers.
An international group of eminent scientist has today called for the banning of bisphenol A (BPA) in food and packaging for children on precautionary grounds.
The use of a new biocide in food contact materials has been given the go-ahead by the European safety watchdog after authorities in Germany called for an evaluation of the chemical.
The European Food Safety Authority published new dietary reference values (DRVs) for carbohydrates, sugar, fibre, fats and water confirming proposals made last year. The final levels have drawn criticism from some scientists.
Leading industry bodies have endorsed a proposal by European safety chiefs to evaluate the safety of non-plastic food contact materials such as inks, coatings and adhesives.
EU food safety bodies have signed up to a plan to develop common methodologies for collecting food consumption data across the bloc, which will allow for more accurate exposure assessment and could reduce compliance cost for industry.
Current authorised maximum use levels of lycopene as a food colour are up for review with its use in fortified foods a critical factor, claims the European Commission following the publication of the revised exposure estimates for the cartenoid by EFSA.
The French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) said it now has all the tools in place for detecting regulated lipophilic toxins in shellfish using a chemical test instead of the unreliable mouse bioassay.
The European Food Safety Authority has completed its review of 11 smoke flavourings in use in the EU, finding only two to have large enough safety margins not to give rise to safety concerns.
More research is needed to assess the environmental impact of Monsanto’s genetically modified MON 810 maize, according to the French government’s advisory council on biotechnology.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has delivered positive opinions on two substances for use in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) food contact materials.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has delivered a positive scientific opinion on polyglycitol syrup, a common bulk sweetener used in bakery products.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has signed a co-operation agreement with its Japanese counterpart as part of a strategy to boost its knowledge pool and ability to track food across the globe.
Two new reports aimed at harmonising the scrutiny and reporting of a pair of bacteria responsible for zoonotic diseases have been published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Food manufacturers may wish to keep an eye on inorganic arsenic levels in ingredients and final products, after the EFSA panel on contaminants concluded that dietary exposure should be reduced.
October 1 was not a good day for many in the functional foods and food supplements business in the European Union as the meaning of life under a highly restrictive health claims regime came more into focus.
EFSA is to bring together experts on novel foods and manufacturers at an event that will help it put together guidance for future applicants under the revised legislation.
Industrial processing could double the level of certain marine biotoxins in shellfish a new report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has revealed, as it called for further research on the issue.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a guidance document outlining what information industry needs to provide for the safety of food enzymes to be assessed.
Not again! As if industry is not struggling enough with the severity of the European Food Safety Authority’s nutrition and health claims rulings so far, the situation has not been helped by the kind of articles that appeared in the UK press today and...
