The media described the recent incident concerning dioxin in pork and egg products from animals fed with dioxin-contaminated feed as ‘a scandal’. But this is compounded by the needless and wasteful slaughter of expensively reared animals and the destruction...
The European Commission is still unable to say when the controversial nutrient profiling model in the EU health claims Regulation will be finalised, two years after food manufacturers were told it would be published.
UK manufacturers have been warned they must switch caged egg supplies now to legitimate sources ahead of changes to EU rules from next year or face serious consequences.
The European Commission (EC) has finally addressed the thorny issue of nutrition claims that remain widely-used but are now technically illegal under the health claims Regulation, a year behind schedule.
The European Commission (EC) has launched a proposal to merge and clarify the existing European rules on protecting national and regional foodstuff names.
The regulatory hoops and time it takes manufacturers to get novel foods or health claims approved are putting the future of the EU’s food and drink sector in jeopardy, the new president of the Food and Drink Federation has warned.
A change to EU legislation means that terms such as 'artificial' and 'nature identical' used to describe flavours will no longer exist as of January 20, posing problems for manufacturers making claims on their products, such as 'no...
Last week's meeting between industry stakeholders and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on gut health claims has left Danisco feeling 'slightly more positive', although many firms were left feeling disappointed by the lack of specific...
Big multinational food companies, such as Nestlé, claim they face particular difficulties in meeting the health claim requirements in different parts of the world.
Food companies want the potential benefits of novel foodstuffs to be weighed against their food safety risks when they are being considered for approval by the regulatory authorities.
Polish legal researchers have slammed the 2002 Food Supplements Directive (FSD) for being so vaguely and badly written that it is retarding one of its stated aims – to harmonise and boost trade across the European Union’s 27 member states.
The depressingly high rejection rate for ‘article 13.1’ health claims is hardly surprising given the nature of the submission process, according to one member of the expert panel tasked with assessing them.
Manufacturers waiting to find out whether they will be allowed to use terms including ‘no added salt’ and ‘low-Gi’ under the EU health claims Regulation will now have to wait until next year for a decision, it has emerged.
Meat and milk derived from cloned cattle and their offspring is one step closer to being on sale in the UK after scientists agreed that it was “unlikely to present a food safety risk”.
The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) has welcomed moves by the European Commission (EC) to develop a definition of nanomaterials for regulatory purposes, but raised some concerns about the draft definition currently out for consultation.
The latest draft of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA’s) new code of practice on country of origin labelling (COOL) advises manufacturers to state the origin of liquid milk used in cheese and butter OR the place these products...
French supplier Roquette is hailing the potential of polyols to boost dental health, following recent article 14 positive opinions for sugar-free gum from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Food business operators have been warned they risk infringing competition law by collaborating on some government initiatives designed to improve the nutritional profile of foods. Companies found guilty could face hefty fines.
After hammering out a definition of the term ‘nanomaterial’ in a draft resolution, the European Commission is now inviting comments from interested parties over the next four weeks.
Armageddon appears to be fast approaching for vast swathes of the functional ingredients trade following the publication of the third batch of ‘article 13.1’ health claims opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Yakult Europe has signalled its desire to talk to EFSA about the evaluation process and scientific criteria that led to the negative outcome of its proposed health claim on upper respiratory tract health, but pledges to take the decision into account...
Somewhere, in some time, there exists a land of beauty and promise for nutricosmetics products, where beauty supplements, foods and drinks can frolic, happy in the knowledge of their justifiable claims.The problem is that getting to this promised land...
Food manufacturers could fall foul of new legislation unless they educate staff about the difference between legitimate corporate hospitality and bribery, Eversheds has warned.
Artisan confectionery manufacturers are being undermined by a lack of clarity regarding the use of the word ‘hand-made’ on labels, according to chocolate maker Chocolaterie Casemir.
New product development is being disrupted by HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC’s) increased efforts to claw back value added tax (VAT) on food as the government tackles UK debt, according to lawyers and manufacturers.
The world’s population had doubled to 6bn by the end of the last century. Global food shortages were predicted but averted. But can the food chain meet the challenge of feeding 9bn mouths by 2050? And will genetic modification technology have a place...
Upon learning that responsibility for food labelling in England is to be distributed between three government departments, these words from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado sprung to mind: “but the laws of common sense, you oughtn’t to ignore”.
The European Commission’s decision to stop publishing article 13.1 health claims in batches and carve out botanicals from the process has met with more positive industry responses, as it will create more legal certainty and reduce implementation burdens...
MEP Glenis Willmott is "quite confident" that the European Council will overturn the European Parliament’s (EP’s) decision to scrap colour-coded front-of-pack food labelling in the EU.
All the leading supermarkets, 13 caterers (including McDonald’s), 14 processors/suppliers and eight branded food manufacturers have now signed up to a voluntary code of practice on country of origin labelling (COOL) on pork and pork products.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is aiming to draw up a new voluntary code of practice on country of origin labelling (COOL) by the end of November.
The firms behind a high-profile ‘article 14’ health claim application about soy protein are hoping the European Commission will “adopt a pragmatic approach” as it reviews a controversial negative opinion on their application from the European Food Safety...
Agreeing on a legal definition of nanomaterials that satisfies food manufacturers, regulators, enforcement bodies and consumers will be hugely challenging, according to experts gathered at a nanotechnology workshop in Leatherhead last week.
Manufacturers and retailers have called for a “shared vision and strategy” with government to ensure the UK’s food and drink industry is sustainable and doesn’t descend into catastrophe.
Private sector standards and self-regulation are set to become far more important than the public sector law for international trade within the food supply chain, predicts a legal expert.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a probe into third-party assurance schemes such as the Red Tractor and Lion Eggs standard in a bid to understand the extent to which they improve compliance with food legislation.
The European Parliament’s (EP’s) call for milk labelled as ‘fresh’ to be under seven days old raises the question of the meaning of ‘fresh’ in relation to any food.
UK food manufacturers are expecting a more consistent approach to the implementation of nutrition policy under the coalition government than under Labour, but many fear next month’s comprehensive spending review could present challenges.
Trade body Dairy UK has urged the UK government to take a more science-based approach to nutrition policy when staff from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) join the Department of Health (DoH) in the autumn.
New Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) powers to monitor and adjudicate on online marketing materials will place web-based messaging for healthy foods under serious scrutiny for the first time, with many likely to fall foul of the agency’s guidelines,...
If a protected geographical indication (PGI) application for Lincolnshire Sausages is not derailed, producers accounting for more than 95% of sales will be excluded from the market, a leading manufacturer has claimed.
Ecclefechan Tart, shortbread, Scottish wild venison, Ayrshire bacon and several regional preserves and speciality cheeses are all prime candidates for EU protected name status, according to a new report.
The European Commission is aiming to finalise the controversial nutrient profiling model outlined in the health claims Regulation by the end of this year, almost two years behind schedule.
Recent announcements about the future of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) dealt with the handover of country of origin labelling (COOL) to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says it is on track to release its next batch of Article 13.1 health claim opinions in September this year, but there is still no indication as to how many dossiers will be evaluated in the third group.
A clutch of widely-used nutrition claims from ‘no added salt’ and ‘low-Gi’ to ‘10% less fat’ remain in a state of legal limbo as discussions over whether to allow them under the health claims Regulation drag on.
