Greencore, the ingredients and food service group, said EU sugar
reform would force it to pull out of the sugar sector this year,
effectively spelling the end of sugar processing in Ireland.
The EU's packaging industry association has called on the European
Commission to crackdown on members states who break the rules under
the bloc's harmonised system of law.
Europe has no time for national champions if it is to compete in
the world, warned the European Commission president Wednesday, as
French president Jacques Chirac dismissed claims that France was
protectionist.
A controversial agreement to protect Europe's traditional wine
names like Champagne and Port from use by American winemakers has
been officially signed by the US and European Union.
Danisco says that the finalisation of the new EU sugar regime and
the recently announced transitional measures will not affect the
firm's planned efficiency drive.
Philippe Brunet, the European Commission's deputy head of cabinet,
has been unveiled as the keynote speaker at a pivotal conference on
the future of vending in Europe.
Regulators and industry representatives from across the EU
yesterday wrapped up a meeting in Rotterdam debating standardised
system for food labelling across the bloc.
Militant winemakers attacked train and phone lines in southern
France Wednesday as thousands of fellow vintners protested through
the streets at the crisis they say is strangling their industry.
Commodity products like butter and skimmed milk powder are likely
to lose out to higher value products in Europe, as the Common
Agricultural Policy reform takes hold, predicts the European
Commission.
The European Parliament yesterday approved legislation deregulating
package sizes for most pre-packed products, but excluding staple
beverages and foods.
Scientists from the European Space Agency are peering at satellite
images of Italy's Frascati wine region as part of project to use
space technology to improve wine industry management.
The British pint of milk is unlikely to be at risk when the
European Parliament votes on proposals to change EU packaging laws
for consumer goods this week, says a spokesperson to
www.DairyReporter.com.
Soft drinks firms will voluntarily ban advertising to children
across the European Union in an effort to curb public criticism
amid the bloc's growing obesity problem.
France has announced plans to rip up more than 16,000 hectares of
vines in an attempt to dig its wine industry out of trouble, but it
seems likely that more will have to follow.
Designated food "clusters" in the EU will receive a boost in
funding to help the bloc's researchers develop innovative foods and
processing techniques.
A 3.1 per cent growth in UK exports of food and drink during the
first half of 2005 indicates that the industry is on track to break
the £10bn barrier for the first time in a decade.
A UK company has applied for approval of its noni juice products on
the grounds that it is 'substantially equivalent' to other products
that have already been authorised.
In a bid to meet World Trade Organisation demands, the European
Commission plans to make it easier for non-EU companies to gain
geographical indications (GI) protection for speciality brand
names.
A senior official said the industry was not consulted on the
European Commission proposal to re-categorise spirit drinks, but
welcomed plans to update production regulations.
French prime minister Dominique de Villepin said the plan would
help to dig France out of wine crisis, yet under-pressure
winemakers are planning more protests.
Kraft Foods, the US snack and dairy firm, has agreed to remove all
genetically modified ingredients from its products in China, in a
sign anti-GM attitudes are on the increase.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has received the primary
data for Ramazzini Foudation's recent study on the sweetener
aspartame and is commencing its risk assessment as a matter of
priority.
Scientific evidence indicates that the presence of the ink chemical
isopropylthioxanthone (ITX) in packaged foods does not pose a
health risk, an EU regulator said today.
The oft-said adage that there are two things people don't want to
see being made - sausage and legislation - falls apart at the doors
of the EU's parliament.
French wine sector leaders have launched a battle plan to tackle
the industry crisis, including fixed minimum prices and vineyard
conversions, as militants re-launch their campaign in the south.
EU processors will have to wait longer to find out if they can
continue to use aspartame, after the EU's food safety regulator
said it had still not received evidence from an Italian research
centre indicating that the artificial...
A EU food safety committee is meeting in Brussels today to discuss
the contamination of milk and other products with a chemical used
by Tetra Pak in its packaging process.
If the EU keeps hiding its agriculture sector behind huge pay
cheques instead of devoting more time to food research funding, the
bloc's whimpering and wailing will only get worse.
The EU is confident that the sugar reforms announced last week give
producers a long-term competitive future, though firms such as Tate
& Lyle remain cautious.
Sugar users in the UK have cautiously welcomed the Council of
Ministers' agreement to lower European sugar prices, but have
demanded a more competitive future marketplace.
The EU and US have signed off the first stage of their wine
agreement as France's agriculture minister tells annoyed winemakers
the deal is not as strong as it could be.
The UK department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra)
claims that there is strong support for EU sugar reform, though
opinion across Europe remains divided.
The higher cost of bringing alcohol into the UK is still making the
country an attractive den for fraudsters as the industry and
government prepare to up their battle against bootleg booze.
More Chinese people are livening up their traditional, green tea by
adding a shot of Scotch Whisky, as Asian markets help the Scots to
break the £1bn export barrier in the first half of 2005.
The French food safety authority is advising consumers not to drink
more than 30 ml of noni juice per day as some studies have linked
it with hepatitis.
It will be cheaper for firms to apply for trademark protection
across the European Union from the start of November, yet the
privilege will remain pricey compared to other regions.
As the EU announces another €450m round of subsidies for member
states to restructure their vineyards, plans are already being laid
for major reforms to Europe's wine sector next year.
Russian scientists say they have devised a cheaper and more
sustainable way of producing the common sugar substitute xylite, or
xylitol, by using left over grains from the brewing and spirits
industries.
Sugar reform may yet hijack December's WTO talks as Australia,
Brazil and Thailand again accuse the EU of shirking its obligations
by planning to increase sugar exports by two million tonnes.
A new centre-right government in Poland is unlikely to curb the
country's strong opposition to EU sugar reforms as Commission
representatives look for common ground to break the 'no' camp.
