Food safety
Industry questions WHO’s conviction about health impact of sugar taxes
The industry believes that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has no evidence to back its claim that sugar taxes are an effective way to improve public health. Instead, the industry says, taxes only lead consumers to cheaper brands with similar or even higher calorie content, which may undermine any positive health outcome.
Amended Commission food proposal ‘completely inadequate’, says foodwatch
The European Commission continues to serve the interests of big companies rather than consumers, and this will lead to new food scandals soon, the European consumer organisation foodwatch said on Tuesday (10 July).
Polish project aims to stop food travelling more than you do
One EU-funded project in Poland all started with a girl allergic to food additives and ended up with an innovative start-up, which connects 150 farmers with 100,000 people who want to eat healthy food straight from the producers. EURACTIV Poland reports.
Commission throws the ball to EU capitals on future of short food chains
The development of short food supply chains (SFSC) is constantly gaining ground in the EU. Producing and consuming locally is seen as a way to achieve fairer remunerations for farmers and higher quality local food products.
EU farmers: Prevention is better than cure for sustainable livestock
Prevention is far better than cure when it comes to animal diseases and creation of sustainable livestock. Vaccination may play a role in reducing the need for antibiotics, but it needs to be accompanied by other "tools", like education and training, farmer representatives and EU politicians have told EURACTIV.
Insufficient consideration for food issue in CAP
Olivier De Schutter, a co-chair of the international expert panel IPES-Food, calls on the European Commission to lay the foundations for a Common Food Policy. EURACTIV.fr reports.
Farmers hail new transparency rules in food safety, still want science-based decisions
EU farmers have welcomed the European Commission’s new rules on transparency in food safety assessments. However, it is still uncertain to which extent this will ensure that future decisions will actually be based on science.
Plight of the bees hits unaware businesses
Declining numbers of bees, butterflies and midges could leave companies facing the prospect of reduced crop quality and a shortage of raw materials. A United Nations-backed study found that most businesses surveyed were unsure of what action to take.
Safety first: Food packers shun recycled plastics, for now
Tetra Pak, the iconic Swedish maker of beverage cartons, is currently staying away from using recycled plastics in the inside lining of its packages – the most sensitive bit that comes in contact with drinks. But this could all change under EU proposals due this year.
Survey: Major retailers and producers in Germany back binding meat label
A number of major retailers and meat producers see the idea of a legally binding label on meat in positive light, according to a Greenpeace survey published on 27 March.
Land degradation threatens wellbeing of two-fifths of humanity, major report warns
Land degradation caused by human activities undermines the well-being of at least 3.2 billion people, costs more than 10% of annual global GDP in lost ecosystem services and endangers food security, warn a hundred experts from 45 countries in a three-year assessment report published yesterday (26 March).
Why Poland plans to build a 1,200 km wall
Poland has decided to build a wall on its eastern border by 2020 to effectively tackle swine fever. The aim of the wall is to prevent wild boars carrying the disease from entering the territory, a decision that is far from convincing experts.
Greenpeace: Commission and member states playing ‘hide and seek’ on neonics ban
The European Commission is playing hide and seek with member states regarding a ban on neonicotinoids, and this benefits pesticide manufacturers who keep on killing bees and the environment, Greenpeace claims.
Greece authorises Monsanto’s Roundup for five years
The Greek ministry of agriculture officially approved on Tuesday (6 March) the re-authorisation of the world's most commonly used weedkiller, Monsanto’s Roundup, which contains controversial chemical substance glyphosate.
Salmonella on the rise again, EU officials admit
The incidence of Salmonella in humans was almost halved between 2004 and 2009 but new figures show that it has re-appeared, causing worries for food producers and health workers, but also for EU policymakers.
EU renews toxic pesticide amid safety uncertainty
The European Commission and the member states extended once again the authorisation for copper sulphate, a controversial pesticide used in organic farming, which is on the EU’s “substitution” list and its effects on consumers are still unknown.
France to exempt farmers from glyphosate ban when no alternative
France will exempt farmers from a ban on using the weed-killer glyphosate in three years time where there is no credible alternative to the most widely used pesticide in the world, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday (25 January).
MEPs back down from EU bisphenol ban
MEPs have shied away from demanding a full ban on Bisphenol A, instead approving measures that will lower the amount of the chemical that can be part of food packaging.
EU kebab-ban? All smoke and no roast
An objection aimed at banning phosphate from kebab meat, to be voted in the European Parliament on Tuesday (12 December), has started a Europe-wide controversy, fuelled by a German conservative MEP and fake news. EURACTIV France reports.
Bayer to grant access to product safety studies to rebuild public trust
German chemical firm Bayer will next week launch a transparency initiative providing EU consumers with access to the safety data of its products, aiming to restore the dwindling trust in the sector, EURACTIV.com has learnt.
Spain reports another case of mad cow disease
A case of "mad cow disease" has been discovered in northwestern Spain, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday (27 November).
The ins and outs of the European food chain
The 44 million workers in the EU’s food chain are vital to ensuring European citizens have access to sufficient quantities of high quality food. From farmers to retailers, the sector is constantly evolving to keep up with the major challenges of the future.
Pro-glyphosate states refuse to back re-approval of less than 10 years
The EU member states led by the UK, which are in favor of glyphosate’s re-authorisation for at least ten years, refused at a meeting today (25) to support the renewal of the substance for a less period of time, EURACTIV has learnt.