Food & Drink in the EU

Latest business news about Food Safety and Food Policy in the European Union.

The EU integrated approach to food safety aims to assure a high level of food safety, animal health, animal welfare and plant health within the EU through coherent farm-to-table measures and adequate monitoring, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market. The implementation of this approach involves the development of legislative and other actions: (1)To assure effective control systems and evaluate compliance with EU standards in the food safety and quality, animal health, animal welfare, animal nutrition and plant health sectors within the EU and in third countries in relation to their exports to the EU; (2) To manage international relations with third countries and international organisations concerning food safety, animal health, animal welfare, animal nutrition and plant health; (3) To manage relations with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and ensure science-based risk management.

FACT SHEETS

Food Safety

• General Food Law
• Food and Feed Labelling
• Novel food

Food Trade and Imports

• Trade and Imports of Animal Products - personal consignments
• Plant health: Harmful organisms

EU DG Health and Consumers Contacts

LATEST NEWS

Organic Wine rules - guide — 08 February 2012, 22:55 CET

New EU rules for “organic wine” have been agreed in the Standing Committee on Organic Farming (SCOF), and will be published in the Official Journal in the coming weeks. With the new regulation, which will apply from the 2012 harvest, organic wine growers will be allowed to use the term “organic wine” on their labels. The labels must also show the EU-organic-logo and the code number of their certifier, and must respect other wine labelling rules. Although there are already rules for “wine made from organic grapes”, these do not cover wine-making practices, i.e. the whole process from grape to wine. Wine is the one remaining sector not fully covered by the EU rules on organic farming standards under Regulation 834/2007.

Court rules illegal to mix Viagra with Polish drink Viaguara — 25 January 2012, 14:30 CET

A Polish drinks company was given a giant let-down Wednesday when top European judges ruled they were cheating in trying to trademark a drink named Viaguara" -- too close for their taste to the sex drug Viagra.

EU doubles Sahel humanitarian aid to EUR 95m — 18 January 2012, 21:53 CET

The EU said Wednesday it is doubling humanitarian aid to Africa's Sahel area to 95 million euros in a "race against time" to lift two million people facing food shortages out of danger.

Poles top Europe's fruit and veg charts: survey — 18 January 2012, 13:22 CET

Long reputed to be among Europe's most avid consumers of pork chops and sausage, it turns out Poles eat by far the most fruit and vegetables in a new study of 19 mostly northern European states.

EU stuck on three new GM authorisations — 16 December 2011, 15:59 CET

Failure by EU agriculture ministers to decide on authorisation for three genetically-modified maize and cotton strains overnight left the matter in the hands of the EU executive on Friday.

European Union Register of nutrition and health claims made on food — 07 December 2011, 23:16 CET

This European Union Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods (“the Register”) has been established as foreseen in Article 20 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and is updated regularly. Some sections of this Register are missing and will be completed, as appropriate, following the procedures detailed in the Regulation and depending on the applications for authorisation of health claims.

List of permitted Health Claims for use on Food - guide — 07 December 2011, 23:49 CET

In a meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, EU Member States supported the European Commission's draft Regulation to adopt a list of permitted health claims for use on food.

Fake Italian organic food sold around Europe — 06 December 2011, 20:05 CET

Fake organic products from Italy have been sold around Europe, Italian police said on Tuesday as they announced the results of an inquiry that has led to seven arrests and the seizure of 2,500 tons of food.

Forum for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain — 30 November 2011, 16:45 CET

The European Commission set up a High Level Forum for a Better Functioning Food Supply Chain composed mainly of representatives of selected Member States, of European companies dealing with food production, processing or distribution, of professional associations and of non-governmental organisations representing the citizens' expectations. Vice-President Tajani is leading this exercise together with his fellow Commissioners in charge of Internal Market and Services, Health and Consumer Protection and Agriculture and Rural development.

EU to ban 'horrendous' shark finning — 22 November 2011, 10:45 CET

Stepping in to save endangered sharks, the Commission called Monday for a full ban on shark finning at sea, the practice of slicing off the fins and throwing the body overboard to drown.

Ahold moots EUR 350m saving, plan to boost online sales — 21 November 2011, 12:33 CET

Dutch retail giant Ahold announced on Monday a 350-million-euro cost savings plan as part of a six-pillar strategy including a boost for online sales and a dividend increase.

EU ups urgent Sahel food aid by 10 million euros — 18 November 2011, 22:31 CET

The EU said Friday it is increasing immediately food aid for Africa's Sahel region in an urgent bid to save the lives of half a million people facing shortages.

EU tightens control of Chinese rice over GM fears — 15 November 2011, 18:18 CET

The European Union has tightened controls on imports of Chinese rice products after a growing number of shipments were contaminated by unauthorised genetically-modified rice, the EU said on Tuesday.

Brussels greenlights natural Latin American sweetener — 14 November 2011, 19:53 CET

Brussels gave its green light Monday to the use of the age-old natural South American sweetener, stevia, in foods and drinks across the European Union.

Europe's poorest in bittersweet food-aid victory — 14 November 2011, 20:01 CET

Europe's poorest citizens secured two more years of food aid on Monday -- but still face seeing a free-meals scheme collapse by the end of 2013.

Database on Food Additives — 14 November 2011, 14:08 CET

This database can serve as a tool to inform about the food additives approved for use in food in the EU and their conditions of use. It is based on the Union list of food. This list is in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. The Union list was established after the transfer of the food additives permitted for use in foods under Directives 94/35/EC, 94/36/EC and 95/2/EC, in a new food categorisation system. Some additives and uses which are now longer needed are not entered in Annex II.

Food Additives - guide — 14 November 2011, 14:15 CET

The use of additives in food will soon become safer and more transparent thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted by the European Commission.

Germany backs two more years of food aid to Europe's poor — 14 November 2011, 14:43 CET

Germany said on Monday it will back two more years of food aid delivering meals to 18 million of Europe's poorest, after months threatening an 80-per cent cut in cash value.

Binge drinking more common in northern Europe — 09 November 2011, 13:25 CET

The relationship between drinking and damage to one's health is stronger in the Baltic countries and Sweden than in Italy, new research from Europe shows. The findings, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, suggest that the northern part of Europe tends to report higher alcohol-harm relationships because of a stronger propensity to indulge in heavy episodic drinking, what experts label 'binge drinking'.

2009 European Union Report on Pesticide Residues in Food — 08 November 2011, 17:45 CET

The European Food Safety Authority has published its third Annual Report on Pesticide Residues, which gives an overview of pesticide residues found in food in the European Union during 2009 and assesses the exposure of consumers to those residues through their diets. The report shows that compliance rates continue to rise, with 97.4% of the samples analysed falling within the permitted Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs), a rise of about one percentage point since 2008.

EU register of genetically modified food and feed — 29 October 2011, 00:12 CET

The search tool makes it possible to look for all products corresponding to a search criteria entered in the field. e.g. if you type 'cotton', you will get a list of all products containing cotton in their description. The search searches both in the EU register of GM products established in accord with Regulation (EC) 1829/2003 and the Products subject to Commission Decisions on withdrawal from the market.

Evaluation of the European Union's GMO legislation - guide — 29 October 2011, 00:14 CET

Two independent reports evaluating the European Union's legislation on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) conclude that there is broad support for the legislation's objectives and show that recent legislative Commission initiatives are heading in the right direction. The documents, published today, also note that some adjustments are necessary if we are to meet the objectives of the legislation -the protection of health and the environment and the creation of an internal market- and to ensure that the legislation is properly implemented.

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed — 25 October 2011, 17:48 CET

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) was put in place to provide food and feed control authorities with an effective tool to exchange information about measures taken responding to serious risks detected in relation to food or feed. This exchange of information helps Member States to act more rapidly and in a coordinated manner in response to a health threat caused by food or feed.

Report documents growing importance of the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed — 25 October 2011, 17:49 CET

The European Union's system for quick exchange of information on risks linked to food and feed - an invaluable tool especially at times of crisis - has further grown in importance during 2010, the system's annual report reveals.

EU refuseniks refuse to keep up food aid for poor — 20 October 2011, 21:44 CET

As winter looms, six European states on Thursday refused to budge on a massive reduction in food aid delivering meals to 18 million of Europe's poorest.