Over two-thirds of websites investigated by EU Member State authorities are selling non-authorised novel foods and food supplements, says a new report published today by the European Commission.
All food and drink produced or packaged in Italy must give the name and address of the processing factory on pack, or face a heavy fine. We asked food manufacturers how it will affect them.
Member States and Commission agree on measures following fipronil
Member States and the Commission have agreed on a raft of measures to reinforce action following the fipronil scandal including the possible creation of a 'food safety officer' in each Member State.
The European Commission is preparing guidelines to help national authorities identify and put an end to the "totally unacceptable" and discriminatory practice of dual quality foods, Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said yesterday.
EU member states yesterday voted against the introduction and renewal of GM grains in Europe but failed to reach a binding majority, leaving the president of the Commission Jean-Claude Juncker to make the final decision.
The European Commission’s proposed new regulation on acrylamide is “meaningless” and won’t make any difference to consumers’ exposure to the substance, say campaigners.
The European Commission delayed making a decision on glyphosate yesterday as four member states, including the EU Presidency-holding Netherlands, said they would vote against renewing Monsanto's licence, leaving campaigners claiming a temporary victory.
Manufacturers of processed foods containing fruit and milk are eligible for EU funding under a healthy eating programme for schools, approved by the agriculture committee yesterday, but maximum levels for salt, sugar and fat levels may be lowered by the...
The European Parliament today comprehensively rejected the European Commission’s compromise proposals allowing European Union (EU) member states to restrict or ban the use of genetically modified feed and food on their territories.
Certain HACCP concepts are not clearly understood leading to inconsistencies in implementation and controls, according to a Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) report.
Food and drink trade increased in most of Europe last year – though production in a few member states could have been better, said a representative at FoodDrinkEurope.
The Intergroup on the Welfare & Conservation of Animals has called on the European Commission to phase out slaughter methods that it claims cause immense suffering to animals.
Russia may lift its ban on some imported products from Europe, and the Commission has urged in talks this week for Member States to remain unified in their demands.
The EU Food Information to Consumers (FIC) regulation has been the biggest challenge for snack makers during 2014 and difficulties aren’t over yet, says the European Snacks Association (ESA).
The European Parliament and member states have agreed rules to allow member states to ban or restrict the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops, even when they are approved at EU level.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to allow individual countries within the EU to ban the cultivation of genetically modified food crops on their soil, even if the EU has already approved them for wider cultivation.
The Council of the European Union has published the negotiating directives for EU-US trade talks (TTIP) after months of criticism from NGOs and campaigners over an alleged lack of transparency.
Member states have endorsed European Commission proposals to tighten identification rules for horses as part of post horsemeat scandal efforts to clean up food chains.
Legislation on the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops must be made “watertight” to avoid GM-opposing member states being taken to court, the European Parliament has urged in a European Council debate this week.
"Fraudulent practices must be tackled to target the weakest links in the food supply chain": EU commissioner.
Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Latvia, Hungary, Portugal and Slovenia have all tested positive for horse meat labelled as beef in the latest round of DNA tests conducted by the European Commission.
"Environment Council has just broken the deadlock on the GMO cultivation proposal": Commission
The European Commission’s Environmental Council has “broken the deadlock” on GM crop cultivation proposals with a political agreement around how member states can restrict or ban such crop production on their soil.
Pan-European research shows that while higher bee colony mortalities do exist in some parts of the EU due to cold winter weather, bees are neither disappearing, nor is colony collapse disorder taking place.
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) – an NGO that monitors lobbying activities – has accused Syngenta and Bayer of ‘furious lobbying’ against a European proposal to suspend use of three neonicotinoid insecticides in order to protect bees.
The European Commission (EC) has warned 10 EU Member States that have failed to comply with the Regulation banning battery-caged hens that they could be facing legal action.
The European Commission has said it has no intention of pursuing harmonisation of fat taxes but there are hints that it could be welcome further down the line.
The percentage of animal by-products not complying with EU standards on antibiotic residues has been stable for the past three years, reaching 0.33% in 2010, the European Commission has revealed.
The European Commission is currently evaluating the costs of implementing harmonised campylobacter control measures, as the number of cases increased by 7% in 2010.
EU environment ministers have rejected a compromise proposal from Denmark that bid to break the deadlock over the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe.
Hundreds of boxes of noodles have been withdrawn from sale in Germany after levels of benzophenone almost three times above the European legal limit were found to have migrated from the packaging.
Ten years after the first European Commission reports were handed in, with little in the way of demonstrable obesity-reduction results, the European Union Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health is taking “a flexible approach” over coming years...
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.
A new report setting out best practice for segregating GM and conventional maize has been presented to the Agriculture Council, but plans to allow member states to decide on GMO planting in their own territory proved controversial.
The Italian food industry federation Federalimentare is lobbying for the deletion of chapter VI of the draft food information regulation, on the grounds that it will harm competitiveness and confuse consumers.
The European Parliament has finally voted in rapporteur’s report on the proposed new nutritional labelling regulation, appearing to favour a loose set of general rules. The idea of making traffic light mandatory is out – as is a ban on co-existent national...
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.
A proposal to allow individual countries in the European Union to opt out of growing genetically modified (GM) crops is to be tabled this week at a top-level meeting at the European Commission.
Ugly and misshapen fruit and vegetables are to be permitted for sale in Europe for the first time – but equal rights are still a dream for many grocery items covered by separate regulations.
The European Commission will now make the final decision on whether
to allow three new GM maize's onto the EU market after agricultural
ministers failed to reach a majority vote in Brussels yesterday.
Europe continues to lag behind in the use of irradiation, with only
10 member states approving facilities to process foods, according
to the latest European Commission report released yesterday.
There will be no special measures to cover food products from
cloned animals in the EU, member states have agreed, following news
the offspring of a cloned cow was growing up in the UK.
The past 12 months have seen several important developments on the
European regulatory scene, which will play a big role in shaping
the supplements and health foods industries for the future.
The EC's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health has
now discussed the possible illegal GM contamination of long grain
rice imports from the US.
Scientific experts from European Union member states yesterday met
with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to discuss ways to
strengthen scientific co-operation in the risk assessment of GMOs.
