"I am deeply troubled by this misunderstanding', said EU
Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler in response to allegations made by
US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and US Trade Representative
Robert Zoellick that the EU intends...
EU launches bold WTO initiative to protect products with unique
geographical indications, from Stilton cheese to Basmati
riceProtecting basmati rice and Darjeeling tea.
"EU citizens want safe food and a healthy environment from farm
policy", said the European Commission this week in anticipation
of the amendments to the Common Agricultural Policy. The claim
follows the latest Eurobarometer...
To the delight of Greek dairy farmers, and after several years in
court, the European Commission has adopted a proposal for a Council
regulation on the registration of the Greek "Feta" cheese as a
Protected Designation of...
Food manufacturers keen to use the positive image of olive oil will
have to follow strict guidelines laid down by the European
Commission on Thursday. The Commission has adopted new rules that
detail clearer marketing standards for...
The European Commission has indicated its intention to amend the
food additives framework directive 89/107/EEC more substantially
than originally planned.
The Danish press this week covered a heated debate about a fat
replacer, called Salatrim, from Danish ingredients company Danisco.
The vice president of the group responded to allegations in a press
statement on Tuesday.
Germany tries to reassure its trading partners of the safety of its
organic foodstuffs amid fears that the European Commission is
planning to ban them because of the nitrofen contamination scare.
Trade friction between the European Commission and the United
States threatened to worsen yesterday as officials rejected
Washington's demand for an outright end to farm export subsidies
within a strict deadline.
An advisory committee to the European Parliament has ruled that
draft rules on the labelling of genetically modified foods should
be toughened, to the delight of anti-GM campaigners throughout the
Union.
The European Commission has told Spain it must change its rules on
organic food labelling in order to ensure that all products
labelled Bio are organic.
A new brand of organic bread has been launched in Belgium which
will also help protect the environment via a link up with the
Belgium arm of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The future of the vitamins unit of Swiss drug group Roche could be
decided soon, with German press reports suggesting that DSM is the
leading candidate to buy the business.
Consumers need clear information about genetically modified (GM)
food, but tough European Commission proposals planning compulsory
labels for all food products made from gene crops are unworkable, a
UK parliamentary report said.
French oilseed and protein producers have condemned the new US farm
bill that boosts crop and dairy subsidies and urged the European
Commission to fight back.
Meat from Polish, Zimbabwean and South African cattle over 30
months old may pose a slightly higher BSE risk than other imported
beef says a British watchdog.
As the integration of Central and Eastern European candidate
countries into the European Union draws closer the Confederation of
the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA) this week welcomed
the Slovakian food and drink federation...
An adviser to the European Union's highest court has given UK
supermarket chain Asda permission to carry on slicing its Parma ham
outside of the Parma region in Italy, a ruling which, if confirmed,
could have implications for...
A further step towards the implementation of the new European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA) took place this week when the European
Commission announced a short list of 30 candidates, from which 14
members of the Management Board of...
Poland, the largest candidate for entry to the European Union, may
miss out on liberalisation of farm trade between the bloc and
applicant countries unless it changes its policy, an EU official
said last week, reports Reuters.
Following a series of recalls across the world, European Union food
health officials decided in March to remove a sweet called jelly
mini-cups from European markets
China warned the European Union yesterday against destroying meat
and seafood cargoes over health concerns, as the two signed deals
worth more than 30 million euros.
Two European Commissioners, representatives from farmers, retailers
and consumers together with CEO's from large European food
companies will participate in the upcoming Sommet Alimentaire
Europeen (European Food Summit) that...
Environmental groups Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth (FoE),
together with the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), recently
urged EU governments and the European Commission to safeguard
European agriculture and biodiversity by...
The European Commission this week applauded a series of measures by
Thailand aimed at overcoming recent discoveries of harmful
antibiotics in Thai shrimp and chicken exported to the EU, an AFX
news story reports.
Following a series of recalls across the world, European Union food
health officials decided on Tuesday to remove a sweet called jelly
mini-cups from European markets amid fears that an ingredient could
cause fatal choking in children.
Steps towards an improved food safety system in the European Union
are being made almost on a weekly basis. It is natural that
consumers in the 15 Member States may be concerned about the impact
EU enlargement will have on current...
The European Commission has presented a proposal to improve
protection for geographical indications and designations of origin
for a variety of agricultural products and foodstuffs, to include
Prosciutto di Parma, Roquefort cheese...
The vitamin price fixing affair which has already seen a cartel of
some of the world's major producers fined by the European and US
authorities is continuing in other parts of the world. This week
saw the Australian Federal Court...
In Europe, approximately 75 000 citizens die from colon cancer each
year which is a significant financial and social burden on Member
States. Recent studies have revealed a link between the preventive
effect of naturally occurring...
Since the hearing of November 2001 on the challenges facing the
fish processing industry, a wide-ranging debate has taken place in
this sector, an area of economic activity with a longstanding
tradition in the European Union.
Today will witness the second reading of the European Union's draft
proposals for a directive on food supplements, sparking a new round
of condemnation from supplement manufacturers and retailers across
the Community.
Parma has ruled out hosting the new EU food safety agency jointly
with another city, its provincial government chief said this week,
dismissing ideas it could share the prize with Finland's Helsinki.
Nearly one year since the implementation of EU directive 2000/63/EC
requiring the elimination of cysteine derived from human hair in
foods, many manufacturers in Europe are still unaware of the
difference between synthetic cysteine...
China is to tighten use of a potent antibiotic in food after
Germany joined other nations in complaining about the safety of
Chinese products, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
The Norwegian government has reportedly given up its long-running
fight against the EU regulations permitting the addition of
minerals, vitamins and amino acids to baby food.
Anglo-Dutch consumer products group Unilever said on Thursday it
plans to open 75 Ben & Jerry's stores in Spain as a first step
to expand the ice cream maker's presence in Europe.
The European Commission moved one step closer this week to
establishing the food safety edifice for the European consumer with
the launch of the hunt for an Executive Director to head up the new
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Governments and companies the world over are feeling the impact of
biotechnology on society. In a recent collaborative research
project, funded by the European Commission, social scientists from
16 European countries, Canada and the...
The European Commission, within its Fifth Framework Programme and
linked to the Fair-Flow 4 project, has funded a 3-year project
entitled "Virus Safe Seafood", with the overall objective to
provide useful and rapid tools...
Food-borne diseases are increasing in Europe and a rapid alert
system needs to be extended across the continent and beyond to
protect consumers, delegates at a United Nations conference in
Budapest said this week.On the rise are diseases...
The European Commission has approved plans by Swiss food and drink
manufacturer Nestle to purchase German company Schoeller, a
producer of ice cream and frozen foods.
The European Union has made recommendations to end the strict
controls on hormone-free beef products imported from the US, having
found no traces of hormones or other banned substances in recent
tests.
The European Commission has unveiled a sweeping reform of food
safety legislation, giving itself more powers to take emergency
steps in crises such as the dioxin poisoning scare.
