Food labelling
Food labelling proposal will be data-led, Commission says
Information on the sustainability of food products in the EU's forthcoming harmonised front-of-pack labelling will heavily rely on data collected by producers, an EU official has said. Other stakeholders were quick to point out, however, that sustainability is only one factor in the complex labelling process.
Eco-score makes its entry in EU’s front-of-pack labelling debate
The European Commission registered on Wednesday (30 June) a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) calling for a "European eco-score" to inform consumers about the ecological impact of different products amid growing support for such a move in France. EURACTIV France reports.
Steam rises as India and Pakistan take basmati battle to EU
From biryani to pilau, Pakistan and India's shared culinary landscape is defined by basmati, a distinctive long-grain rice now at the centre of the latest tussle between the bitter nuclear rivals.
Commission awards historic EU protection for African food
South Africa's 'rooibos' dried leaves and stems, used to produce the eponymous herbal-infused tea, have become the first African food to receive the status of geographical indication (GIs) in the European Union.
EU cautious on Danone’s shift towards ‘best before’ date marking
The European Commission has urged caution about the expiry date marking of highly perishable food after multinational food concern Danone announced plans to get rid of the 'use by' reference for its dairy products.
Report: majority of consumers want compulsory labelling on all genetically modified food
A majority of European consumers want to see compulsory labelling on food products containing genetically modified crops, according to a recent Ipsos report, but industry players insist that this is impossible to implement.
Nutri-Score food labelling plan is not panacea, EU official says
The proposed colour-coded Nutri-Score labelling system should not be seen as a panacea for consumers to assess the healthiness of food, according to a member of the cabinet of EU's agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski.
French dairy farmers sour after milk origin labelling scrapped
A decision by France's top court to annul the obligation to label the origin of milk has provoked outrage in France. Dairy farmers and politicians are particularly sour about the move, calling it an "unacceptable step backwards." EURACTIV France reports.
New report reiterates there is no East-West divide in food quality
A new study on food quality has found detectable differences between European products but said they were not correlated with geography, lending weight to the idea that there is no East-West divide in food quality discrimination in Europe.
Scientists renew support for Nutri-Score amid a ‘Mediterranean’ uprising
A group of scientists made another plea for making the colour-coded nutrition label mandatory at the EU level while Mediterranean countries are still up in arms against it.
Geographical indications offer clear added value, says Commission
Geographical indications offer a clear added value to agrifood products and are an "important asset" of rural territories, a new study, released by the European Commission last week, has concluded. EURACTIV France reports.
Italy, Slovenia await Commission to settle balsamic vinegar dispute
Italy is up in arms, trying to defend the world-famous balsamic vinegar of Modena from an attempt to 'standardise' its production made by Slovenia, and the European Commission appears to have until 3 March to settle the issue.
EU regions’ advisory body proposes ‘Mediterranean diet’ label
An ad hoc label for food products belonging to the Mediterranean diet is the latest suggestion in the EU-wide food labelling fray to cope with negative effects caused by colour-coded Nutri-score.
Level of food security in the EU is not uniform, report shows
European countries performed differently in a study that measures the state of global food security, showing an internal discrepancy within the bloc that put Europe behind North America in the ranking of regions.
EU goes easy on alcohol in cancer plan
Alcoholic drinks have been treated differently to tobacco products in Europe's Beating cancer plan, as overuse, not its use, will be targeted by the Commission's initiatives.
EFSA to add its flavour to nutrition labelling debate
The EU food safety agency EFSA is to provide scientific advice to support the development of a future EU-wide system for front-of-pack nutrition labelling of foodstuffs, including setting conditions for nutrition and health claims on foods.
EU Court leaves Cyprus on the grill as halloumi trademark rift heats up
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has dismissed the claim of a Cypriot producers' organisation who challenged the trademark validation of Bulgarian halloumi-sounding products arguing that they could deceive consumers.
Ministers approve blueprint for animal welfare label, verdict still out on nutritional labels
EU agricultural ministers have given the green light to an EU-wide animal welfare labelling system, although plans for front of pack nutrition and origin labelling have been shelved for the moment.
Agrifood Brief, powered by EIT Food: Last push on labelling
Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet. This week, we speak with: Aneta Zachová from EURACTIV Czech Republic about the latest...
Germany introduces long-awaited ‘Nutri-Score’
Companies in Germany will be able to use the so-called "Nutri-Score" as of Friday (6 November) despite it having been a controversial matter for some time. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Plant-based naming and labelling: How draft regulation fits into the Farm to Fork strategy
The plant-based food market is booming in Europe and predicted to grow further in the coming years. The market is expected to increase to 2.4bn euros in 2025, from 1.5bn euros in 2018. In the EU, terms like “almond milk”...
Majority of consumers have no beef with meat names for veggie products, says study
Consumers group BEUC has weighed in on the debate over the naming of plant-based products, saying that 80% of surveyed consumers had no issue with meat or dairy-like terms being used for alternative products.
EU Court: Origin labelling for food allowed only if ‘justified’
National measures requiring mandatory labelling of origin and provenance for foodstuff are allowed under the EU law but needs to be justified, Europe's highest court has found.