Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - EuropeUS edition | Asian edition

Mafia grip on Italian food sector putting industry at risk, report

23-Jan-2012 - Mafia involvement in the Italian food industry is rife, with revenue from the agriculture and food sector generating 5.6% of the entire organised crime business in the country, finds a new parliamentary report.

Danish meat group claims 'fat tax' violates EU law

20-Jan-2012 - A Danish meat lobby group is suing the Danish government over the country’s recently introduced 'fat tax' on foods, claiming the levy fails to comply with EU legislation.

Dutch MEP questions reliability of EFSA aspartame review

20-Jan-2012 - An MEP has questioned the validity of the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) review of aspartame following what she claims was support from the agency’s scientists for a statement backing the safety of the sweetener.

Retailer consultation urged for effective nutrition labelling research

19-Jan-2012 - Retailers need to work with manufacturers and regulators to track the impact of systems such as traffic light labelling on consumer purchasing behaviour of food and drink products, stresses a Brussels-based consumer information group as it releases a new report.

FrieslandCampina told to remove healthy foods logo from pack

13-Jan-2012 - Dutch dairy manufacturer FrieslandCampina has been cautioned about the use of a healthy foods logo from packs of its reduced fat ham and cheese.

EFSA should review ’growing up’ milks before regulations change, says EU infant foods group

12-Jan-2012 - The European Union should put the brakes on any mooted changes to rules governing milks targeting 1-3 year olds until a scientific review can be conducted, according to the EU group that represents infant food makers.

Chocolate giant submits cocoa flavanol-blood health claim to EFSA

10-Jan-2012 - Barry Callebaut has submitted an article 13.5 health claim dossier to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) linking cocoa flavanols and healthy blood flow.

Industry lobbyists urge Danish presidency to bin food taxes and tighten up trade

09-Jan-2012 - A Brussels-based food industry body, setting out what it sees as priorities for the new Danish Presidency of the EU Council, again calls for an end to food taxes, greater support for SMEs, tighter trade relations and a more transparent commodities market.

News in brief

Sales ban lathered on chocolate doppelganger

09-Jan-2012 - The European Commission has ordered a sales ban on a bar of soap deemed to be too similar to a chocolate bar.

Probiotics and stevia extracts among new FCC proposed standards

05-Jan-2012 - US Pharmacopeia has drafted new ingredient quality standards for inclusion in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), for probiotics, steviol glycosides, benzoates, infant formula and flavoring ingredients, and is seeking industry comments.

European SME association oppose ‘sin taxes’

05-Jan-2012 - The European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (UEAPME) has stated its support for industry members opposed to ‘burdensome’ food taxes introduced by some European nations.

MEPs back PARNUTS amendments to prompt EU baby milk law reforms

03-Jan-2012 - Pro-breast feeding advocates and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are throwing their support behind mooted amendments to the European Union PARNUTS Directive they believe can improve the safety, quality and marketing transparency of infant formulas and other products.

French authorities approve soda tax legislation

03-Jan-2012 - French lawmakers have approved legislation for the proposed tax on sugar sweetened beverages in the country – effective from January 2012.

EC gluten-free labelling regulations enter full force

02-Jan-2012 - A European Commission regulation requiring products labelled ‘gluten-free’ to contain below a maximum gluten content level came into full force yesterday.

Natural flavours ‘identified in nature’ to have major industry impact – report

02-Jan-2012 - EC regulations implemented last year that require natural flavouring substances to be identical to something found in nature will greatly impact the industry, according to a report assessing the new regulation.

Exclusive interview

Beneo: Prebiotic health claim rejections have put prospects “on hold”

21-Dec-2011 - The second part of this exclusive interview sees Beneo executive board member, Yves Servotte, explaining the cooling but not crushing effect of EU prebiotic health claim rejections on its inulin-chicory business.

Exclusive interview

Beneo board: “Let us not forget that functional food responds to a clear demand of the consumer”

20-Dec-2011 - In the first part of this exclusive interview, Beneo Group executive board member, Yves Servotte, explains how European Union health claim rules have informed strategic thinking at one of Europe’s biggest and most vocal ingredient vendors.

Report damns online junk food advertising to children

20-Dec-2011 - Inconsistencies exist in advertising regulations across different media, enabling companies to market high in fat, salt and sugar products (HFSS) to children online, claims new report.

EFSA head votes Yes in our poll - the agency should block its staff from taking up revolving door jobs

16-Dec-2011 - Poll results: 66% of readers say the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should block its staff from taking up ‘revolving door’ jobs …. and the head of the EU risk assessor agrees.

FSA call for consultation on food additives regulations

15-Dec-2011 - The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has opened its consultation period for stakeholders to provide comments on the provisions of new draft regulations on food additives and on the extraction of solvents.

‘Consumer friendly’ juice labelling rules approved by EU Parliament

15-Dec-2011 - The European Parliament (EP) has approved new labeling rules for fruit juices and nectars that it says aim to prevent ‘potentially misleading’ names for mixed juices and ‘no added sugar’ claims.

EFSA health claim opinions

EFSA issues mixed bag for sugar beet fibre as barley beta-glucan’s claim success

14-Dec-2011 - Barley beta-glucan’s have won two separate article 14 opinions for cholesterol lowering and heart health, while its mixed news for sugar beet fibre claims and digestive health in the latest round of EFSA claim opinions.

EU ombudsman finds against EFSA in 'conflict of interest' case

13-Dec-2011 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is failing to ensure transparency in how it carries out its duties, claims a German non-for-profit group, after the European Ombudsman ruled in its favour over a complaint it filed against the Parma-based agency.

News in brief

Six month rejected health claim transition period will cause stock shortages, says EHPM

13-Dec-2011 - The six-month transition period for rejected, article 13, general function health claims is too short to give companies’ the chance to change their labeling and...