The cost of sugar has increased sharply in recent years. Now researchers believe gene editing could boost supplies. But how, and what does this mean for manufacturers?
UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, the Brussels-based trade association representing the non-alcoholic beverage sector, has published its manifesto with key ambitions and policy priorities for the 2024-2029 EU political term.
A total of 23 trade bodies have called for the swift approval of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, which will make it easier to export EU agri-food products including key dairy commodities to Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and vice versa.
New wine labelling requirements come into force in the EU this week: requiring a list of ingredients and nutritional information to be included on wine labels. Beer and spirits, however, aren't covered by this regulation. What’s going on?
An aluminium product projected to have a carbon footprint 50% lower than the European average will soon hit the drinks packaging market following a collaboration between Amcor Capsules and Aludium.
spiritsEurope and wine industry organization Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins (CEEV) have submitted formal complaints asking the European Commission to open an infringement procedure against Ireland for allegedly 'breaching EU law' with...
The European Commission is planning to introduce a mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL) - but sports drinks may be penalised by a system that does not take into account their specific use, writes Dr Adam Carey, Chairman of the European...
The European Commission and US Government have reached an agreement on the Section 232 dispute on steel and aluminum: resulting in the lifting of all retaliatory tariffs on spirits after three years.
The EU’s wine and spirits industries are together launching a new e-label platform: which will provide consumers with information on ingredients, nutrition information, responsible drinking guidelines and sustainability.
This week, the UK’s advertising watchdog has pulled up four hard seltzers for making - or simply implying - health or nutritional claims on their products. So how should such brands navigate this territory?
European spirits producers are making progress with their commitment to provide energy information on labels: with around 1 in 4 bottles now displaying such information.
On-trade beer sales in Europe plunged 42% in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Getting the hospitality industry back up and running will be key to the beer industry’s recovery in 2021, says the Brewers of Europe.
UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, a trade organization representing the non-alcoholic beverage sector, has set targets for European beverage packaging to be fully circular by 2030. This will be achieved by using rPET, refillable bottles, and boosting collection...
Europe’s soft drinks industry has reduced added sugars in drinks by an average of 14.6% between 2015 and 2019; contributing to a reduction of 26% since 2000.
The EU is adding new tariffs on US rum, brandy, vodka and vermouth today; following on from tariffs imposed by the US last year. Industry representatives on both sides of the Atlantic warn the alcohol industry is suffering from the ongoing Airbus/Boeing...
Alcohol industry organisations are calling on the South African government to provide a clear timeline of its coronavirus alcohol ban: not only because of the effect on the local economy, but also because of the constraints placed on international trade.
Wine, olive oil and cold meat products will be the worst affected by Brexit, according to the MD of FIAB (the Spanish Food and Drink Industry Federation) but uncertainty is over, now that UK PM Boris Johnson has a stable Government with a working majority,...
The EU and China have concluded negotiations on a bilateral agreement to protect 100 European Geographical Indications in China; and 100 Chinese Geographical Indications in the EU.
The recycling rate for beverage cartons in the EU28 rose to 49% in 2018: representing a small increase of 1% on the previous year, according to The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE).
The US is set to impose a 25% tariff on French wine, Scotch and Irish whiskies, and other food and beverages: with the sectors taking a blow as a result of EU and US aviation disputes.
A higher consumption of both sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened soft drinks has been associated with a higher risk of mortality, in a European study published this week.
As the EU and Australia negotiate a free trade agreement, the EU has given Australia a list of more than 200 spirit names with geographical indicators that it wants protected as part of any deal.
European beer production reached an eight-year high of nearly 39.7 billion litres in 2017: with the region now boasting 9,500 brewers. Around three-quarters of these are microbreweries and SMEs, helping boost a shift towards greater diversity and choice....
The European Federation of Bottled Waters (EFBW) has set targets to use an average of at least 25% rPET in plastic bottles, and collect 90% of all PET bottles, by 2025.
The first Europe-wide strategy to reduce plastic pollution was adopted by the European Commission yesterday as part of its efforts to promote a circular economy model in the bloc.
A decision by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to lower and not ban bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging has been called ‘regrettable’ and a ‘missed opportunity’ by health groups.
German hard discounter Aldi was not taking unfair advantage of the denomination Champagne when it sold a sorbet containing origin-protected Champagne, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.
Swiss food giant Nestlé is calling for a more collaborative approach between the public and private sectors to develop a circular economy as it works to meet its 2030 environmental impact targets.
The European Commission has accused AB InBev of abusing its dominant position in Belgium's beer market, by hindering cheaper imports of its Jupiler and Leffe beers from the Netherlands and France into Belgium.
Almost 60% of the European plastics converting companies find it hard or very hard to get a supply of rPM (recycled plastics materials) in an acceptable quality, according to the European Plastics Converters Association (EuPC).
The European Commission has tightened the rules around bisphenol A (BPA) by banning it in the manufacture of packaging for infants and young children 0-3 years.
At the end of the month, the EU sugar regime will end, liberalising the market after nearly 50 years of production quotas. But one MEP is questioning whether the Commission has considered the impact on Europeans’ health as manufacturers switch to isoglucose.
The European soft drinks industry will voluntarily cease sales of drinks with added sugars to secondary schools in the European Union, industry association UNESDA announced today.
Scotland is emphasising the need to protect the Scotch whisky industry following Brexit, calling for the current EU definition of whisky to be applied into UK Law.
Last week the EU and Japan agreed to a bilateral trade agreement, which will set significant duty-free quotas on EU exports of ingredients such as starch, butter, whey and processed foods.
The Estonian Parliament are to introduce a levy to limit the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks to try to rein in rising cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
The European Commission has approved the proposed merger between US-based chemical companies Dow and DuPont on condition of the divestiture of DuPont's pesticide business, including its R&D organization.
Scotch whisky exports increased by £79m ($100m) in the first quarter of 2017, coming in as one of the top two UK export products by value, along with Scottish salmon.
Manufacturers are misleading consumers with images of fresh fruit on packaging when the actual fruit content is minimal or even zero, says trade group Freshfel, as it calls for a legal minimum threshold.
