Nutrition and health

MEPs want Commission to enter the veggie burger fray

European Parliament lawmakers are considering asking the European Commission to step in and help nix any doubts about the terminology used for plant-based meat substitutes, which are gaining in popularity across the EU.

Kyriakides: Investments will match EU’s ambition on sustainable food systems

The EU's determination to become a global leader in sustainability will be matched by investments in solutions to deliver on the commitments set out in the EU's new food policy, Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

Farm to Fork Strategy: What role of nutrients?

Looking at the future of agriculture in general, and the fertiliser industry in particular, the challenges of sustainable food production are apparent. Growing food demand will force farmers to invest in innovative tools to increase production, ensuring maximum efficiency from...

Food security is no longer an issue in the EU, says Commissioner

Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius has cast doubt on the long-standing primacy of food security over environmental aspects in the current EU food system, suggesting that traditional concerns might give way to issues like climate change, sustainability, or biodiversity.

COVID-19 could be ‘straw that breaks meat industry’s back’ says new report

Nearly three-quarters of the world’s largest meat, fish and dairy companies have been graded as a ‘high' pandemic risk and criticised for their inability to prevent the emergence of new zoonotic diseases in a new report released on Wednesday (3 June).

EU food stocks: Should gear up for a rise of food protectionism?

The EU is preparing to change its agricultural storage policy at a time when the COVID-19 health crisis has highlighted the weaknesses of its reserves. EURACTIV France reports.

Farm to Fork strategy softens stance on meat but backs alternative proteins

The EU's pivotal Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, presented on Wednesday (20 May), softened its stance on meat compared to the previous draft versions but offered staunch support for alternative proteins, which campaigners said was the first step in the right direction.

Commission upholds highly ambitious targets to transform EU food system

After several delays, the EU's new flagship food policy was finally released on Wednesday (20 May), confirming the aspiration of the EU executive to transform the European way of producing, distributing and consuming food.

Kyriakides: No mandatory front-of-pack labelling in the Farm to Fork

Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides scaled back the ambition of the EU's new food policy during a meeting with agriculture MEPs on Monday (11 May), revealing that it will not provide a compulsory EU-wide nutritional food label scheme.

EU-wide food label should not fall to the back-burner, say advocates

Advocates for an EU-wide mandatory Nutri-score food label want the European Commission not to overlook the long-awaited harmonisation of front-of-pack nutritional labelling, despite the focus on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

EU food safety passed COVID-19 test, MEP says

The European food supply chain and food safety system are proving to be extremely resilient,  according to Europe's People Party (EPP) coordinator at European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, Herbert Dorfmann, as people still manage to find available and safe food on supermarket shelves even in time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

French farmers and MPs call for the creation of European food stocks

French agricultural producers and MPs are urging the European Commission to set up food stocks to avoid falling prices and the destruction of certain food products. EURACTIV France reports.

COVID-19: France calls unemployed to work in fields as borders stay closed

The French government has called on the technically unemployed French to make themselves available to help farmers with seasonal harvests. But such 'agricultural patriotism' does not bode well with the tightening of containment. EURACTIV France reports.

Coronavirus puts French agricultural production centre-stage

In France, the coronavirus crisis has put the agricultural sector back in the spotlight as concerns persist about the transport of food and seasonal shortages of farm labourers. EURACTIV France reports.

Greenpeace proposes 70% meat consumption reduction by 2030

Three burgers a week: that's the maximum amount of meat Europeans should get used to eating, according to NGO Greenpeace, which has been looking at Europe's eating habits. EURACTIV France reports.

Are Europeans ready for an insect-based diet?

While insect-based foods have so far been quite a niche product, they are viewed as a highly promising solution to the challenges facing the food industry. Although new EU regulations should pave the way for these products - European eating habits might have to change too. EURACTIV Germany reports.

LEAK: EU’s Farm to Fork strategy will be based on five key targets

In addition to longstanding objectives like the reduction of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the European Commission envisages setting three more targets in its new flagship food policy, EURACTIV can reveal.

Food supplements for healthier citizens and a stronger economy in the EU

Food supplements can improve public health and reduce pressure on the sustainability of healthcare systems in the EU. However, to achieve the full potential of the sector, the EU needs a clear political strategy and stable legislative framework write MEPs Simona Bonafè and Pascal Arimont.

EU pressed to address meat reduction, plant-based diet in new food policy

The debate on livestock farming has heated up as a coalition of NGOs urged to EU executive to address the issue of reducing meat consumption in the announced Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy. Meanwhile, a Green MEP has filed a...

Can good food be sold at the smallest price?

Can a pork cutlet which is on special offer be of high quality and still feed the farmer who produced it? Given the current imbalance in Germany's food industry, EURACTIV Germany travelled to Brandenburg to discuss good food and fair prices with one of the region's organic farmer.

How automation can work to support effiency in farming systems

Automation in the farming sector is playing an increasing role in improving the quality of both animal and farmers lives. Pascal Huger, a goat breeder in Thenay in the Loir-et-Cher region, talks to EURACTIV France about his choice to automate on his farm.

New study provides ‘robust evidence’ that sugar tax effective health measure

Soft drinks manufacturers in the UK have lowered the sugar levels in their drinks after the government introduced the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) in April 2018 to help combat childhood obesity and related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, researchers have found.

EU health chief wants more information on gene editing

The new EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides wants more information about the controversial issue of gene editing and for now, she seems less enthusiastic than her predecessor Vytenis Andriukaitis.