European Union

Parliament failed to reach the required majority, leaving the decision in the hands of the commission  ©iStock

MEPs oppose GM approvals but Commission will have the final say

By Louis Gore-Langton

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.

MEPs call on EU to create food quality agency

MEPs call on EU to create food quality agency

By Louis Gore-Langton

Food products sold under the same label continually show inconsistent standards of quality, particularly in Eastern Europe, prompting calls for a new regulatory body in the EU.

'Rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater we just need to look at it and find a way of making sure the vulnerable consumer is protected,' says GSK. ©iStock/EldadCarin

Dispatches from the #SNC16 congress in Frankfurt

Could energy drinks be cut out of the EU caffeine claim loop?

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) is lobbying for two different solutions to the EU caffeine claim hold up, one of which could see use of the claims limited to sports supplements only.  

IPES: Existing EU food policies 'do not fit together, and are not delivering – individually or collectively.' ©iStock

Europe’s Plan B: The ‘Common Food Policy’

By Louis Gore-Langton

An independent think tank, IPES, has been set up to advise the EU and work towards creating a common food policy that would create a sustainable, healthy and profitable food system – a ‘plan B’ to the failures of the current framework.

 Picture credit: ACIST - the European Union database that gathers statistics on detentions of articles that are suspected of infringing intellectual property at borders and in the internal markets.

EU economy loses €35bn a year due to counterfeiting

By Jenny Eagle

Counterfeiting is predicted to increase 3% per year worldwide leading to a rise in the anti-counterfeiting market over the next five years with CAGRs ranging from 12.8% to 16%, says PMMI (Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies).

'The way protein is currently defined in labelling regulation needs to change because this is precisely the root of the protein spiking problem,' says ESSNA vice-chair. ©iStock/ogichobanov

Nitrogen spiking: The loophole jeopardising protein’s podium place

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European sports nutrition industry is calling for a ‘protein spiking’ loophole to be closed, but if there is any Brussels movement it is likely to be slow and this lapse threatens to knock the nutrition staple from the top step of the sports nutrition...

The European Commission would need to draft regulations for any ban on BPA to happen

BPA ban move backed by MEPs

By Joseph James Whitworth

An EU-wide ban of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials (FCMs) has been backed by Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

AB InBev SABMiller shareholders approve megabrew

AB InBev: ‘All required shareholder approvals for the Combination have been obtained’

AB InBev and SABMiller shareholders approve ‘megabrew’ deal

By Rachel Arthur

AB InBev’s takeover of SABMiller has today been approved by shareholders of both companies, and the deal is expected to complete on October 10. 

Coca-Cola HBC's markets include Austria, Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Nigeria. Pic: iStock

Coca-Cola HBC confident of volume growth in 2016

By Rachel Arthur

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company saw volumes grow by 3.5% in its developing markets over the first half of 2016; but a volume decline of 2.8% in its established markets segment. 

Nutrient profiles would send a clear message to the industry: If you plan on using this health claim on X, Y or Z product, don’t bother filing it. © iStock.com / pixinoo

Caffeine claim calamity should give nutrient profiles wings

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Commission has started the first phase of its investigation into the need for nutrient profiles, with a report expected in spring 2017. Yet with the caffeine claim fiasco ongoing, it’s never been clearer how necessary the profiles are.

The €1.62m-project PUReOPE wants to make polyphenols from brewing, distilling, malting and cereals sector waste common place. © iStock.com / mrdoomits

Special Edition: Antioxidants, polyphenols & carotenoids

Pint of polyphenols? Culture shift needed to find value in brewery waste

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The EU has offered up big money for a project to get high value polyphenol compounds from brewing industry waste. Yet the leader of the project says a business culture shift is also needed to take the practice mainstream.

Parliament concerns over energy drinks come to a head as MEPs vote to veto caffeine health claims. © iStock.com / KatarzynaBialasiewicz

MEPs vote to veto 4 caffeine health claims

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Parliament’s Environment and Public Health Committee (ENVI) has adopted a last-minute motion that could see four controversial caffeine claims vetoed in a move the energy drink sector warns could result in yet more years of "legal uncertainty”.

TTIP could damage food safety, protected origin foods and flood the EU market with cheap beef and dairy imports, Friends of the Earth has warned. Photo: iStock

TTIP – a nail in the coffin for EU food producers?

By David Burrows

The big winners of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal will be the corporate food giants and US factory farms with European producers set to lose the most, according to Friends of the Earth. "Entire sectors are at risk...

The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF) voted to back the Commission’s draft proposals in a meeting on Tuesday.© iStock.com / ratmaner

EU committee vote backs 4 caffeine claims

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A member state committee has voted to back the European Commission’s decision to authorise four health claims on caffeine and ban a final fifth. 

The UK will hold a referendum on EU membership in June this year. Pic: iStock

UK wine and spirits companies back EU membership

By Rachel Arthur

The UK’s Prime Minister says that jobs and investment in the wine and spirits industry could be at risk if the UK leaves the EU. Meanwhile, the Wine and Spirits Trade Association has announced that 90% of its members want to stay in the EU. 

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