Food & Drink Guides

EU adopts list of approved flavouring substances by EUbusiness — last modified 02 October 2012, 14:12 CET

Flavouring substances in food will become even safer and more transparent thanks to two pieces of legislation adopted today by the European Commission. Only those flavouring substances featuring on the approved lists will be permitted for use by the food industry. Used to alter the taste and/or odour of food, flavourings substances have a long history of safe use in a wide variety of foods, such as soft drinks, confectionery, cereals, cakes and yoghurts, and have now been evaluated at EU level. These two new pieces of legislation will clarify and harmonise the use of flavouring substances within the single market: The first Regulation1 provides for a new EU wide list of flavouring substances which can be used in food and will apply from 22 April 2013, giving time for the EU food industry to adapt to the new rules. All flavouring substances not in the list will be prohibited after a phasing out period of 18 months. The second Regulation2 concerns transitional measures for other flavourings such as flavourings made from non-food sources and will apply from 22 October 2012. The new list includes over 2,100 authorised flavouring substances. A further 400 will remain on the market until EFSA concludes its evaluation. These have been used for a long time and have already been assessed as safe by other scientific bodies.

Food quality labels: faster delivery, better protection, clearer information by EUbusiness — last modified 13 September 2012, 22:50 CET

The time it takes to obtain an EU quality label for farm produce from a given geographical area, or produced in a traditional way, could be halved by a regulation endorsed by Parliament on 13 September. The new rules, agreed by EP Agriculture Committee MEPs and Council negotiators in June, would also introduce a new label for "mountain" products. Labels for island produce and farm gate sales may follow soon.

List of permitted Health Claims on food products - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 16 May 2012, 17:38 CET

Health claims on food labelling and in advertising, for example on the role of calcium and bone health or vitamin C and the immune system, have become vital marketing tools to attract consumers' attention. EU consumers now expect accurate information on products they buy, in particular on the health claims the products may put forward. Today, a list of 222 health claims has been approved by the European Commission. This list is based on sound scientific advice, will be used throughout the EU and will also help to remove misleading claims from the market before the end of the year.

Organic Wine rules - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 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.

List of permitted Health Claims for use on Food - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 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.

Food Additives - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 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.

Evaluation of the European Union's GMO legislation - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 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.

Report documents growing importance of the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed by EUbusiness — last modified 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.

Food labels: clearer information for consumers - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 06 July 2011, 23:02 CET

Food shoppers will be able to make better informed, healthier choices as the result of new EU food labelling rules approved by MEPs on 6 July. Labels will have to spell out a food's energy content as well as fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt levels, in a way that makes them easy for consumers to read.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) - guide by EFSA — last modified 05 July 2011, 23:39 CET

EFSA publishes report from its Task Force on the E. coli O104:H4 outbreaks in Germany and France in 2011 and makes further recommendations to protect consumers

More consumer friendly labelling for European foods - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 22 June 2011, 20:45 CET

On 22 June 2011, EU Member States confirmed the compromise that was hammered out by the Hungarian Presidency with the European Parliament (EP), on the way food information will be indicated to consumers in the future. Agreements like on mandatory nutrition information and legibility will enable consumers to make healthier dietary choices.

Cloning - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 19 October 2010, 17:27 CET

The European Commission has announced that it will propose a temporary suspension of animal cloning for food production in the EU. The Commission also plans to suspend temporarily the use of cloned farm animals and the marketing of food from clones. All temporary measures will be reviewed after five years. The establishment of a traceability system for imports of reproductive materials for clones, such as semen and embryos of clones is also envisaged. The system will allow farmers and industry to set up database with the animals that would emerge from these reproductive materials.

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 13 September 2010, 19:42 CET

In 2009 the number of notifications in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) reached a total of nearly 8000, a 12% increase compared to 2008 and an all-time-high number. The record number was established because RASFF members sent more follow-up notifications, also for less urgent problems. There were 557 alert notifications reporting on serious risks found in products on the market, a small increase compared to 2008.

EU's new approach to the cultivation of GMOs - guide by EUbusiness — last modified 13 July 2010, 13:57 CET

The European Commission has proposed to confer to EU Member States the freedom to allow, restrict or ban the cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) on part or all of their territory. While keeping unchanged the EU's science-based GM authorisation system, the adopted package consists of a Communication, a new Recommendation on co-existence of GM crops with conventional and/or organic crops and a draft Regulation proposing a change to the GMO legislation. The new Recommendation on co-existence allows more flexibility to Member States taking into account their local, regional and national conditions when adopting co-existence measures. The proposed regulation amends Directive 2001/18/EC to allow Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GMOs in their territory.

European Commission DG Health and Consumers Contacts by Ina Dimireva — last modified 21 January 2010, 12:46 CET

Contacts of the European Commission Directorate-General for Health and Consumers.

Plant health: Harmful organisms by Ina Dimireva — last modified 11 May 2010, 16:35 CET

The aim of the Community plant health regime is to prevent the introduction into the community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products or their spread within the Community. In order to meet the this aim, rights and obligations are placed upon Member States to regulate the movement of plants or plant products within their territory and to regulate the introduction of plants or plant products into the Community from third countries. Obligations are placed upon third countries which want to export plants or plant products to the Community.

Trade and Imports of Animal Products - personal consignments by Ina Dimireva — last modified 21 January 2010, 12:46 CET

Personal consignments containing meat, milk or their products and brought into the EU continue to present a real threat to animal health throughout the EU. Hence pathogens could be introduced into the EU if personal consignments containing meat, milk or their products are sent by post or carried in the baggage of travellers arriving from countries outside the EU, where such pathogens may be circulating.

Novel food by Ina Dimireva — last modified 21 January 2010, 12:46 CET

Novel foods are foods and food ingredients that have not been used for human consumption to a significant degree within the Community before 15 May 1997. Regulation EC 258/97 of 27 January 1997 of the European Parliament and the Council lays out detailed rules for the authorisation of novel foods and novel food ingredients. Foods commercialised in at least one Member State before the entry into force of the Regulation on Novel Foods on 15 May 1997, are on the EU market under the "principle of mutual recognition". In order to ensure the highest level of protection of human health, novel foods must undergo a safety assessment before being placed on the EU market. Only those products considered to be safe for human consumption are authorised for marketing.

Food and Feed Labelling by Ina Dimireva — last modified 21 January 2010, 12:46 CET

In the EU rules are put in place on the labelling of foodstuffs to enable European consumers to get comprehensive information on the contents and the composition of food products. Labelling helps consumers to make an informed choice while purchasing their foodstuffs. For certain foods it is considered particularly important that the products should also be of a specific quality. In such cases legislation has been established defining specific rules on, for example, composition.

General Food Law by Ina Dimireva — last modified 21 January 2010, 12:47 CET

The aim of the General Food Law Regulation is to provide a framework to ensure a coherent approach in the development of food legislation. At the same time, it provides the general framework for those areas not covered by specific harmonised rules but where the functioning of the Internal Market is ensured by mutual recognition. It lays down definitions, principles and obligations covering all stages of food/feed production and distribution.