Restrictions on packaging may apply following a European Commission meeting tomorrow, which is in response to advice issued by EFSA on the hazards associated with the use of 4-methylbenzophenone (4MBP) in packaging ink.
Owen Warnock, partner and food law expert at international law firm Eversheds, checks the fine print on calls for legislation in the UK regarding country of origin meat labelling.
The Commission is not prohibiting any bread and has no intention to regulate the salt level in bread, says EU spokesperson in a bid to stem reports that German bread is under attack from 'Brussels'.
The divisive GM issue rumbles on at a European level with an EU expert committee failing to reach an agreement to lift French and Greek national bans on the cultivation of a Monsanto maize crop.
Debate is heating up about the best way to present nutrition information on food labels throughout the EU as lawmakers hammer out the details of new legislation. The Food and Drink Federation gives a view from industry.
Employers of clandestine immigrants will be penalised throughout the EU, as a new Directive laying down standard penalties, from fines to prison terms, to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings has received backing by MEPs.
The UK food and drink sector claims the vote today by the European Parliament in favour of ending the opt-out clause in the EU Working Time Directive (WTD) will not serve industry well during the current economic slump.
One of the most fiercely debated and amended pieces of European Union food law history is playing out before our eyes, and its effects are beginning to be felt.
New pest management legislation in Europe could result in crop production shifting to other countries and prices for commodities shooting up, a study has warned.
UK food manufacturers claim the outcome of this week’s vote supporting tighter pesticide usage by the European Parliament’s environment committee fails to fully recognise the potential gravity of the emerging situation.
Although there is no evidence yet linking the current economic downturn to exploitation of temporary workers in European food production, a UK government agency says it is concerned over the possible impact on their welfare.
Green issues pervaded last week's SIAL food exhibition and much in evidence was the food industry's response to burgeoning consumer demand for products that breathe life into sustainability, from ingredients to packaging.
A framework to ensure sustainability and quality of fish supplies was top of the agenda at the recent assembly of European fish processing industry association members (AIPCE).
Danish company GlycaNova is waiting for a final opinion from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) on its proposed lentinan-rich extract from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes).
The European Commission cleared the acquisition of the baker’s yeast division of Gilde Bakery Ingredients by Associated British Foods on Tuesday following ABF’s acceptance of conditions to ensure that sufficient market competition is retained.
Imperfect as they may be, the European Union’s regulatory efforts in the food area have attracted the attention of regulators around the world, some of whom view what is being done in the bloc as a legislative template.
Green organisations have instigated legal action over the new maximum legal limits on the level of pesticides allowed in food items sold in the European Union.
As California moves a step nearer to outlawing the use of the chemical Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in food packaging, European regulators say they are not currently reassessing their own opinions on the chemical.
Falling numbers of migrants could have a disastrous effect on the UK food and drink sector, warns a new study from the skills council for the industry, Improve.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has opened a public consultation on Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) as it continues to work toward establishing common European Union-wide recommended nutrient levels by the end of 2009.
UK industry bodies are calling for an analysis on the effects of proposed pesticide regulation amendments amid concerns that cereal yields could be cut by 30 per cent.
Bakers and snack makers must remain vigilent in the face of food safety as the European alert system last week throws up negligence in the supply chain.
European corn starch producer Hungrana ramps up production for this
popular thickening agent, announcing the completion of a major €100
million expansion project at its Szabadegyháza facility.
The European Parliament has adopted a legislative package that will
see products containing any of six artificial colours labelled with
a health warning for children.
The need for new European legislation on nutrition labelling has
been called into question by the CIAA (Confederation of Food and
Drink Industries in Europe), as a survey indicates that uptake of
its voluntary scheme has been significant.
New guidelines concerning the recycling of plastics intended for use in the packaging of foods have been published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
A new study provides a roadmap for consumers, food manufacturers and government through potential US regulatory issues for nanotechnology-enabled food packaging, claims the report's author.
The acrylamide-reducing enzyme Preventase has been granted approval
for use in Switzerland, marking a new step down the road towards
industry-wide adoption for biscuits and other baked goods.
The European Union has slapped anti-dumping duties on Chinese
imports of citric acid after an investigation concluded two
European producers have been injured by unfair competition.
French sugar and food solutions company Tereos has confirmed it is
hoping to acquire Danisco's sugar business, and that it is bidding
against Germany's Nordzucker.
There is evidence that European potato starch suppliers are losing
out to Chinese competitors, as anti-dumping measures drive rampant
growth for leading Chinese starch maker.
Leading sugar and starch producer in Central and Eastern Europe,
Agrana has announced it has acquired, subject to regulatory
authority approval, 50 per cent of the shares in the sugar sales
operations of the Studen Group, Vienna.
Rules authorising enzymes need to be updated and simplified, and
enzymes should be authorised only where the consumer benefits, said
Europe's Environment committee, clearing the next hurdle in a
new legal framework for enzyme...
Ingredients firm Tate & Lyle has entered an agreement with Fiji
Sugar Corporation for the supply of 300,000 tonnes of raw sugar per
year till 2015, amid developments in the EU sugar regime.
Kraft Foods announced on 24 April that it has signed agreements to
sell its Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Barcelona-based
bakery Panrico and its Balaton chocolate trademark in Hungary to
Nestle.
Ingredients firm Cargill yesterday completed the expansion of its
Polish wheat processing facility, designed to meet consumer demand
across the European bloc.
The European Commission opened an in-depth investigation today into
Associated British Foods' plan to buy parts of Dutch yeast producer
GB Ingredients.
EU member states must recognise erythritol as an approved sweetener
by tomorrow, which is expected to increase its use in low-calorie
products across Europe.
The European Commission yesterday outlined reforms the bloc's
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), proposing further
measures aimed at weaning farmers off handouts and boosting
commodity supplies.
Boosting innovation, improved processing techniques and
productivity, better access to foreign markets and raw materials,
and reducing the impact of safety legislation and retailer power,
are some of the issues the EU needs to address...
The European Commission sets total CO2 allowances at
2.08bn tonnes for the 2008 to 2012 trading period, a 10 per cent
cut from the amounts requested by the bloc's governments.