The depressingly high rejection rate for ‘article 13.1’ health claims is hardly surprising given the nature of the submission process, according to one member of the expert panel tasked with assessing them.
Manufacturers waiting to find out whether they will be allowed to use terms including ‘no added salt’ and ‘low-Gi’ under the EU health claims Regulation will now have to wait until next year for a decision, it has emerged.
Meat and milk derived from cloned cattle and their offspring is one step closer to being on sale in the UK after scientists agreed that it was “unlikely to present a food safety risk”.
The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) has welcomed moves by the European Commission (EC) to develop a definition of nanomaterials for regulatory purposes, but raised some concerns about the draft definition currently out for consultation.
The latest draft of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs’ (DEFRA’s) new code of practice on country of origin labelling (COOL) advises manufacturers to state the origin of liquid milk used in cheese and butter OR the place these products...
French supplier Roquette is hailing the potential of polyols to boost dental health, following recent article 14 positive opinions for sugar-free gum from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Food business operators have been warned they risk infringing competition law by collaborating on some government initiatives designed to improve the nutritional profile of foods. Companies found guilty could face hefty fines.
After hammering out a definition of the term ‘nanomaterial’ in a draft resolution, the European Commission is now inviting comments from interested parties over the next four weeks.
Armageddon appears to be fast approaching for vast swathes of the functional ingredients trade following the publication of the third batch of ‘article 13.1’ health claims opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Yakult Europe has signalled its desire to talk to EFSA about the evaluation process and scientific criteria that led to the negative outcome of its proposed health claim on upper respiratory tract health, but pledges to take the decision into account...
Somewhere, in some time, there exists a land of beauty and promise for nutricosmetics products, where beauty supplements, foods and drinks can frolic, happy in the knowledge of their justifiable claims.The problem is that getting to this promised land...
Food manufacturers could fall foul of new legislation unless they educate staff about the difference between legitimate corporate hospitality and bribery, Eversheds has warned.
Artisan confectionery manufacturers are being undermined by a lack of clarity regarding the use of the word ‘hand-made’ on labels, according to chocolate maker Chocolaterie Casemir.
New product development is being disrupted by HM Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC’s) increased efforts to claw back value added tax (VAT) on food as the government tackles UK debt, according to lawyers and manufacturers.
The world’s population had doubled to 6bn by the end of the last century. Global food shortages were predicted but averted. But can the food chain meet the challenge of feeding 9bn mouths by 2050? And will genetic modification technology have a place...
Upon learning that responsibility for food labelling in England is to be distributed between three government departments, these words from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado sprung to mind: “but the laws of common sense, you oughtn’t to ignore”.
The European Commission’s decision to stop publishing article 13.1 health claims in batches and carve out botanicals from the process has met with more positive industry responses, as it will create more legal certainty and reduce implementation burdens...
MEP Glenis Willmott is "quite confident" that the European Council will overturn the European Parliament’s (EP’s) decision to scrap colour-coded front-of-pack food labelling in the EU.
All the leading supermarkets, 13 caterers (including McDonald’s), 14 processors/suppliers and eight branded food manufacturers have now signed up to a voluntary code of practice on country of origin labelling (COOL) on pork and pork products.
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is aiming to draw up a new voluntary code of practice on country of origin labelling (COOL) by the end of November.
The firms behind a high-profile ‘article 14’ health claim application about soy protein are hoping the European Commission will “adopt a pragmatic approach” as it reviews a controversial negative opinion on their application from the European Food Safety...
Agreeing on a legal definition of nanomaterials that satisfies food manufacturers, regulators, enforcement bodies and consumers will be hugely challenging, according to experts gathered at a nanotechnology workshop in Leatherhead last week.
Manufacturers and retailers have called for a “shared vision and strategy” with government to ensure the UK’s food and drink industry is sustainable and doesn’t descend into catastrophe.
Private sector standards and self-regulation are set to become far more important than the public sector law for international trade within the food supply chain, predicts a legal expert.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a probe into third-party assurance schemes such as the Red Tractor and Lion Eggs standard in a bid to understand the extent to which they improve compliance with food legislation.
The European Parliament’s (EP’s) call for milk labelled as ‘fresh’ to be under seven days old raises the question of the meaning of ‘fresh’ in relation to any food.
UK food manufacturers are expecting a more consistent approach to the implementation of nutrition policy under the coalition government than under Labour, but many fear next month’s comprehensive spending review could present challenges.
Trade body Dairy UK has urged the UK government to take a more science-based approach to nutrition policy when staff from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) join the Department of Health (DoH) in the autumn.
New Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) powers to monitor and adjudicate on online marketing materials will place web-based messaging for healthy foods under serious scrutiny for the first time, with many likely to fall foul of the agency’s guidelines,...
If a protected geographical indication (PGI) application for Lincolnshire Sausages is not derailed, producers accounting for more than 95% of sales will be excluded from the market, a leading manufacturer has claimed.
Ecclefechan Tart, shortbread, Scottish wild venison, Ayrshire bacon and several regional preserves and speciality cheeses are all prime candidates for EU protected name status, according to a new report.
The European Commission is aiming to finalise the controversial nutrient profiling model outlined in the health claims Regulation by the end of this year, almost two years behind schedule.
Recent announcements about the future of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) dealt with the handover of country of origin labelling (COOL) to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) says it is on track to release its next batch of Article 13.1 health claim opinions in September this year, but there is still no indication as to how many dossiers will be evaluated in the third group.
A clutch of widely-used nutrition claims from ‘no added salt’ and ‘low-Gi’ to ‘10% less fat’ remain in a state of legal limbo as discussions over whether to allow them under the health claims Regulation drag on.
The government has confirmed that a slimmed-down Food Standards Agency (FSA) will survive with a renewed focus on food safety, but will lose its English responsibility for country of origin labelling and policy relating to food composition and nutrition.
As rumours circulate that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) could be dismantled, CEO Tim Smith has underlined efficiency gains and cost cutting achievements in its annual report.
For regulatory purposes, the definition of nanoparticles must address functionality as well as size, according to former Food Standards Agency (FSA) chairman Lord Krebs.
Further questions about the government’s plans for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have been raised this week as the Department of Health (DoH) prepares to unveil a white paper outlining its strategy for the health service.
There is “no evidence” to suggest that the Change4Life initiative has helped to improve the eating habits or lifestyles of the most vulnerable people, according to one health expert.
Mars-owned Wrigley will pay consumers up to $7m after settling a class action that challenged its right to claim its Eclipse gum was, "scientifically proven to help kill the germs that cause bad breath".
Lobbying to prevent the extension of country of origin labelling (COOL) to all meat and poultry products - even when used as minor ingredients in complex processed foods - has stepped up a gear as major food manufacturers have continued to question its...
The national newspapers had a field day in their reporting of the European Parliament's (EP's) rejection of traffic-light food labelling. Reports described the reaction of food and health lobbies as anything between 'dismay' and 'outrage'....
Food industry trade groups are uniting to fight EU labelling proposals that would heap extra work and costs on food processors and potentially confuse consumers.
The controversy surrounding new EU legislation governing the sale of foodstuffs ‘by number’ has descended into farce as a ‘clarification’ issued by the MEP steering it through the European Parliament has raised more questions than it answers.
Yesterday's emergency budget should prove "reasonably neutral" for food manufacturers, and potentially beneficial for exporters, according to City analysts and trade associations.
Always read the small print. Good advice and nowhere more so than in food labelling with today’s increasingly savvy consumers demanding to know what’s in their food, where it came from and what it’s going to do to them.
Aspects of the EU agency workers’ Directive still need further clarification and simplification to help make it easier for employers to navigate, according to the CBI (Confederation of British Industry).
