European Commission and chemicals lobby deny delaying tactics over hormone disruptors

Study: High salt intake could increase dementia & Alzheimer’s disease risk

31 May 2023

A new study about high salt intake has been published, after the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as different non-governmental health-related organizations have warned against high salt consumption – especially of table salt. It is reported that high salt-induced hypertension can also be correlated with emotional and cognitive impairment. The WHO recommends limiting salt […]

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Lidl asks to improve packaging for fruit and vegetables to attract children

26 May 2023

Lidl, the German discount retailer, is urging supermarkets to revamp the design and packaging of their fruit and vegetable products to make them more appealing to children. This appeal comes in response to Lidl’s significant increase in sales of their Oaklands Funsize range, which was introduced in 2017. The Oaklands Funsize range offers fresh fruits […]

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Higher cost of living impacts consumers spending

23 May 2023

According to the 12th EY Future Consumer Index, a recent survey of global consumer sentiment, people around the world are adapting to higher living costs by making changes to their spending habits. The survey gathered insights from 21,000 individuals across 27 countries. It reveals that consumers are actively taking measures to cut down on their […]

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Addressing sugar addiction

17 Apr 2023

Sugar addiction is a serious health issue. It can result in health problems ranging from diabetes and cardiovascular disease to mental health problems such as depression and some experts have suggested that it may be as addictive as cocaine. See FoodNavigator for the full article. However, it is often not considered an addiction. The ICD-10, […]

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European Parliament’s committee in favour of subsidies for the EU School Scheme

07 Apr 2023

Euractiv reported that a few weeks ago EU lawmakers at the agriculture committee (AGRI) overwhelmingly voted in favour of socialist Carmen Avram’s own-initiative report on the EU’s programme to subsidise fruit, vegetables, and milk in schools and public canteens. The EU School Scheme was launched in 2017 and aims to support the distribution of selected […]

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EFSA, nitrosamines in food raise health concerns

29 Mar 2023

According to the assessment conducted by EFSA on the health risk associated with the presence of nitrosamines in food, these compounds may pose a health concern for consumers. Ten types of nitrosamines found in food have been identified as carcinogenic and genotoxic, meaning they can cause cancer and potentially damage DNA. The evaluation focused on […]

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EFSA, mineral oil hydrocarbons in food are a “potential health concern”

21 Mar 2023

While the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) provisionally confirmed that some substances in the group know as mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) are a possible health concern, it also concluded that mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) do not pose a health concern to humans. Following this discovery, the European agency launched a public consultation on the […]

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No obstacles to ban glyphosate – New report by PAN Europe shows that alternatives exist for all uses

14 Mar 2023

Ahead of the EU’s decision on whether or not to re-approve glyphosate at the end of this year, the NGO Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe has just published a report for the European Greens which concludes that glyphosate can be avoided for most uses. The report demonstrates that there are much safer non-chemical alternatives for […]

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Food safety, EU Commission adopts rules to lower arsenic levels in food

03 Mar 2023

The European Commission adopted new rules to lower the presence of arsenic in food products. Lower maximum levels (MLs) are being adopted as an important measure to achieve the objectives of of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan which aims to limit or eliminate carcinogenic risk from chemicals in food. This decision, based on a 2021 scientific report from EFSA, following a call for Member […]

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EU Commission authorises two genetically modified crops as food and animal feed

22 Feb 2023

The European Commission has authorised the use of genetically modified rapeseed and has renewed the authorisation for genetically modified soy, intended for human and animal consumption. The Commission’s authorisation is for food and feed use only and does not allow cultivation in the EU. These genetically modified crops have undergone a complete and rigorous procedure, […]

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Organisations urge the Commission to stick to Sustainable Food System Law timeline

13 Feb 2023

Political resistance against sustainable food policies is threatening to derail the process for an EU Sustainable Food Systems Law. Against this backdrop, 286 organisations have issued an open letter urging European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to ensure the Commission proposal is presented by September 2023, as planned. You can read the letter here.

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ECHA publishes PFAS restriction proposal

09 Feb 2023

ECHA, the European Chemicals Agency, published a restriction proposal on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as ‘forever chemicals’). The proposal was prepared by authorities in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden and is aimed at reducing PFAS release into the environment and enhance the safety of products and processes for individuals. The […]

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European Commission adopts stringent residue limits for pesticides to protect pollinators

02 Feb 2023

The European Commission adopted new rules that aim to lower the Maximum Residues Levels (MRLs) of the pesticides clothianidin and thiamethoxam in food. The European Court of Justice has ruled recently that EU countries should no longer be allowed temporary exemptions for banned, bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides. Assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have […]

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Total copper intakes below new safe level, EFSA says

20 Jan 2023

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established a new acceptable daily intake (ADI) for copper and assessed that the combined exposure to copper from all sources does not pose health concerns for the EU population. The Authority scientific experts estimated for the first time the exposure to copper from all dietary and non-dietary sources. Significant […]

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European Court of Justice bans use of bee-toxic pesticides

19 Jan 2023

The European Court of Justice ruled that EU countries should no longer be allowed temporary exemptions for banned, bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides. These prohibition measures were adopted to ensure the high level of animal health protection sought within the EU, the EU Court explains. Thiamethoxam and clothianidin are neonicotinoid insecticides used in agriculture for seed treatment, […]

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Improved quality and access to drinking water

12 Jan 2023

With a press release, the European Commission announced that, as of today, Europeans can be assured of improved quality and access to drinking water thanks to new requirements from the revised Drinking Water Directive. The new rules aim to be one of the highest standards in the world for drinking water, in line with the zero pollution ambition announced […]

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New rules on  Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in waste 

03 Jan 2023

After the European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement on the Commission proposal to introduce stricter limits for some of the most harmful chemicals in waste, on 29 December, the new Regulation on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) has entered into force. The Regulation provides a legally binding obligation to protect human health and the environment from some […]

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Green light for the new Common Agricultural Policy

15 Dec 2022

The approval of all 28 Strategic Plans (one for each EU country and two for Belgium) by the European Commission marks the start of the new Common Agricultural Policy, scheduled on 1 January 2023. A press release explains that €264 billion of EU funding will support European farmers in the transition towards a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector, […]

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PFAS: European Commission adopts new rules against dangerous contaminants in food  

07 Dec 2022

The European Commission adopted new rules to protect citizens against chemicals that can have negative consequences on the immune system, the development of foetuses and babies, or cholesterol. The new rules limit the levels of four environmental chemicals, perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS), in certain foods (in eggs, fish meat, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, meat and offal of farmed and wild animals). They […]

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Open letter to the European Commission on keeping up the ambition in times of energy crisis

05 Dec 2022

Together with 29 other organisations and associations, Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) sent an open letter to the President of the European Commission, the Executive-Vice-President, the Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries and the Commissioner for lnternal Market on the topic of the current energy crisis. In the letter, the signatories state their concerns regarding the […]

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Revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive

30 Nov 2022

The European Commission has published its long-awaited proposal for a review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. The revision follows up on the European Green Deal, where the Commission commits to ensure that plastic packaging is reusable or recyclable in an economically viable manner by 2030. The newly-proposed EU rules on packaging aim to tackle […]

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Manifesto for establishing minimum standards for public canteens across the EU

31 Oct 2022

Following a policy paper on ‘Sustainable Public Procurement of Food: A Goal Within Reach’, which presented the ‘business case’ for sustainable healthy food procurement, and key policy recommendations for using procurement for a systemic food transformation, a Farm to Fork Procurement Manifesto (‘F2F Procurement Manifesto’) has been produced in the framework of the EU Food […]

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New Anses opinion confirms link between nitrite consumption and cancer

12 Jul 2022

In a highly anticipated opinion published on July 12, 2022, the French national agency for food safety (Agence nationale de sécurité alimentaire – Anses) confirms for the first time the link between nitrite consumption and cancer.  The Authority, which had been seized in June 2020 by the French Ministries of Health and Agriculture to assess […]

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MEP calls for health education in schools to tackle obesity

08 Jun 2022

As obesity continues to rise alarmingly in Europe, MEP Tudor Ciuhodaru (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats – Romania) calls on the European Commission to reinforce health education in schools.   A recent report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on obesity shows that overweight and obesity now affect almost 60% of adults and a […]

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New RAC assessment on the risks of glyphosate

03 Jun 2022

On May 30th, The Risk Evaluation Committee (RAC) from ECHA published the conclusions of its assessment on the various risks of glyphosate. Based on hundreds of feedbacks from various stakeholders and scientific evidence, ECHA assessed the properties of glyphosate against the requirements of the Classification, Labeling and Packaging regulation. As of 2017, The European Chemicals […]

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“WeValueTrueNatural” campaign and green claims: how to ensure consumers are not misled by unsubstantiated claims

30 May 2022

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New report reveals EU’s failure to reduce use of most dangerous pesticides

24 May 2022

Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) just released a new report highlighting that the European Union (EU) is alarmingly going in the wrong direction regarding pesticides use. This report clearly shows that European citizens are facing increasing exposure to pesticides, despite authorities claiming the contrary. PAN Europe’s report demonstrates that, between 2011 and 2019, both the […]

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Study shows the lack of understanding of consumers on food contact materials

15 Apr 2022

German consumer organisation Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV) conducted a study on German consumers’ perception and knowledge of food packaging and food contact materials. This market research highlights the fact that consumers are confused about food packaging safety. While packaging is considered important by most consumers, 6 out of 10 of respondents said they considered themselves not […]

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New WHO study on sugar-sweetened beverage taxes

05 Apr 2022

A recent WHO European Region study published in March 2022 evaluates the state of play associated with national sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes across Europe. The ultimate goal of this study was to understand factors that support SSB taxes at national level in order to identify successful policy paths for other countries of the region.  Taxation of […]

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Acrylamide: A new study reveals the probability of carcinogenic exposure in baby foods

29 Mar 2022

Acrylamide is a heated-induced toxicant generated by a chemical reaction that reduces sugar and amino acids present in foods. Most industrial and cooking methods induce the formation of this chemical compound, the most famous cooking technique is the Maillard reaction. Although the toxicity of acrylamide is well-known in the scientific community, recent studies analyzed its […]

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Microplastic pollution: recent study shows the presence of microplastics in human blood

25 Mar 2022

A pioneering study trying to detect the presence of microplastic pollution in human blood was published this week, showing alarming results. Microplastics were found in the blood of almost 80% of the people tested. Although the impact on our health is still unknown, the research demonstrated that these particles could travel in the body and possibly lodge […]

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Acrylamide in food: the urgent need to reform the current legislation

10 Mar 2022

Acrylamide is a chemical compound generated during high-temperature cooking processes that transform sugar and amino acids present in food products. For many years the scientific community has shown the correlation between the increased exposure to acrylamide and the higher risk of developing cancer. In 2015, in its first full risk assessment on acrylamide in food, […]

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Climate Change threatens food security

01 Mar 2022

The latest IPCC report portrays an alarming scenario for the future of our food systems. Global warming threatens food production and access to food. According to researchers, the exposure to food insecurity will be unevenly distributed, hitting the poorest areas of the world more severely. Asia and Africa are already experiencing the impact of climate […]

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Regulatory challenges: the case of E171 in the EU and the UK

10 Feb 2022

Titanium dioxide, also known as E171 is an additive very commonly used as a white colourant in food, but also in many other products, e.g., paints, cosmetics, toothpaste, etc.  E171 is made of TiO2 (nano)particles that because of their extremely small size can squeeze through natural protective barriers of the human body and constitute a […]

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Joint Letter to MEPs calling for a cross-party consensus on the #BECA report in the plenary vote

04 Feb 2022

SAFE and other 11 organizations (Association of European Cancer Leagues, European Alcohol Policy Alliance, European Chronic Disease Alliance, European Institute of Women’s Health, European Public Health Alliance, European Public Health Association, EuroHealthNet, Smoke Free Partnership) sent a joint letter to the Rapporteur from the Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA), MEP Prof. Véronique Trillet-Lenoir, and […]

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New evidence on a potential correlation between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and early death

25 Jan 2022

The term ‘ultra-processed foods’ refers to products that have undergone a substantial amount of industrial processing and whose nutritional labels generally report a long list of ingredients, including preservatives, sweeteners, or color enhancers. While there is still not enough scientific evidence to attribute health harms to ultra-processed foods, more and more studies have been highlighting […]

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Recent study calls for the need to warn consumers on ultra-processed foods’ harmful effects

13 Jan 2022

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are foods that have been chemically or physically transformed through industrial processing. While most modern foods are processed in some way (e.g. raw rice packaged into dried rice, pasteurised milk), UPFs are recognisable for no longer serving the purpose of solely preserving food but rather to make ready-to-eat, convenient products with long shelf-lives and which are […]

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Plant-based put forward in the EU’s 2022 promotional policy

06 Jan 2022

The EU will support the consumption of plant-based products as reported in the 2022 promotional policy published last December. The policy allocates 185.9 million euros to the promotion of EU agri-food products in and outside the EU and will fund campaigns coherent with the sustainability targets set in the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy. Consequently, […]

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EFSA draft opinion suggests lowering the tolerable Bisphenol A daily intake

22 Dec 2021

In an opinion published in December 2021, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has re-assessed the risks of bisphenol A (BPA) in food, suggesting to drastically lower the tolerable daily intake (TDI) compared to its previous assessment in 2015. EFSA is now recommending that the TDI be changed from 4 micrograms per kilogram of body […]

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Consumers organization calls for a reform of the EU food packaging legislation

21 Dec 2021

Consumers’ concern about the safety of food packaging materials is increasing across Europe. According to data from the Eurobarometer, 86% of European consumers have worries about Food Contact Materials (FCMs) and in particular chemicals commonly used in food packaging, with four in five reporting concerns about chemicals in everyday products. In this context, the European […]

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Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) adopts its INI report on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer

15 Dec 2021

On December 9th, 2021, the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer (BECA) adopted its INI report on how to strengthen the EU’s role in fighting cancer. The report is to be voted on during the Strasbourg plenary in February. In this report, the Committee advocates for a stronger EU commitment to implement policies that […]

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Emmanuel Macron unveils the priorities of the French EU Presidency

10 Dec 2021

French president Emmanuel Macron held a press on conference on December 9th to unveil France’s programme for the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will start on January 1st, 2022. The President exposed France’s 3 axes for the presidency, encapsulated in the motto  “Relance, Puissance, Appartenance” (“Recovery, power, belonging” in English). Calling for a […]

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Recent study sets the research agenda on childhood obesity determinants

02 Dec 2021

Childhood obesity has become a global epidemic and is considered as a major metabolic liability in many countries. The rising concern of this phenomenon is due to its association in adult life with chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. A recent study, funded by […]

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Joint call for the inclusion of whole grain on FOP nutrition labelling

29 Nov 2021

On 29th November 2021, the Whole Grain Iniative (WGI) sent a joint letter to the European Commission’s DG SANTE (Directorate General for Health and Food Safety). The WGI and its joined signatories, among which SAFE, are calling bon the European Commission to consider whole grain as part of its commitment to introduce Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling […]

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French Minister of Agriculture Questions the Relevance of the Nutri-Score Algorithm

26 Nov 2021

The French Minister for Agriculture and Food, Julien Denormandie recently acknowledged the need to review the nutrition rating system known as Nutri-Score; stating that the system is currently based on parameters that do not help consumers make healthy and informed food choices.  In a speech delivered to the Committee on Economic Affairs of the French […]

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New French study on the harmfulness of food additives for human health

17 Nov 2021

Food additives are substances intentionally added to foodstuffs for various technological, sensory, and nutritional purposes (e.g. extending shelf life, sweetening, or stabilizing purposes). Recent evidence has suggested the detrimental effects of several widely consumed additives, revealing the correlation between the consumption of “ultra-processed foods”, which are high in food additives, and the increased risk of […]

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Spain and US take measures against marketing of sweets and soft drinks to children

04 Nov 2021

The days of advertising sweets, junk food and sugary drinks to children are counted in Spain, and in the United States, too, it could soon have a fierce opponent: countermarketing. In both countries, the decision has been taken to get tough after years of more tolerant policies, which have relied heavily on the goodwill of […]

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Food Waste Reduction Targets for 2030 – SAFE’s contribution

29 Oct 2021

On 29 October 2021, SAFE answered to an EC Public Consultation on Food Waste and Losses (FWL) reduction targets. Read our response here and our full contribution here. SAFE welcomes the inclusion of the setting of food waste reduction targets in the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy, and […]

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Sustainable Food Systems Framework – SAFE’s contribution

27 Oct 2021

On 26 October 2021, SAFE submitted a reply to the EC Public Consultation on the Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Framework to be developped by the European Commission as part of the 27 action points described in the Farm to Fork Strategy. Read SAFE’s full contribution here. SAFE strongly welcomes the European Commission’s recognition of the […]

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French Health Agency updates its risk assessment methods after the E171 ban

26 Oct 2021

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) proposed a new assessment method for nanomaterials to assess their risks in supplement ingredients after the recent EFSA scientific assessment on titanium dioxide in food (E171) and the EU ban on that substance. Read SAFE’s opinion on the topic of E171 here. Read […]

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SAFE publishes guidelines for consumers on Food Contact Materials

22 Oct 2021

Researches show the existence of health risks linked to the use of Food Contact Materials (FCMs). New guidelines published by SAFE encompass conclusions from these studies and show the possible safety issues triggered by their misuse. Read our guidelines here: https://bit.ly/3jjFqtW These guidelines have been co-funded by the LIFE programme. Contents and opinions expressed on […]

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CSOs call on the EU to stand by the Farm to fork Strategy

14 Oct 2021

14 October 2021 – On 14-15 October, agri-food stakeholders meet in the Farm to Fork Conference to discuss the progress made to date and the next steps in implementing the Farm to Fork Strategy, the EU’s blueprint for sustainable food and farming. Ahead of this meeting, CSOs (including SAFE) are calling for a vision where […]

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EU CSOs present vision on food environments: a systemic change that can no longer wait

13 Oct 2021

Brussels, 13 October 2021 – European food policy should focus on creating enabling food environments that make the healthy and sustainable food choices the default and most desirable ones. In a joint policy briefing [1] published today, participants in the EU Food Policy Coalition (including SAFE) provide a common, evidence-driven understanding of the central role […]

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Only 1 in 20 of children’s yogurts contain low sugar levels, new Action on Sugar study reveals

31 Aug 2021

SAFE member Action on Sugar recently conducted a study on children’s yoghurts and misleading health claims.  Evaluating over 100 children’s yogurts, the study has shown that only 1 in 20 of yogurts with child-friendly designs contain low sugar levels, with over 63% of these products containing more than a third of the daily sugar intake per portion.  […]

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European Commission redefines maximum levels for cadmium and lead in food

12 Aug 2021

On August 10th, the European Commission announced that new limits will apply for tolerated lead and cadmium levels in food products. These restrictions concern fruits, vegetables, cereals and oilseeds for lead, and infant foods, mushrooms, spices and salt for cadmium. These new rules are set to be respectively introduced on August 30th and 31st and […]

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European Commission releases study on children exposure to marketing of high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) foods

12 Jul 2021

On July 8th, 2021, DG SANTE released its final report on the exposure of children to linear, non-linear and online marketing of foods high in fat, salt or sugar.  The goal of this study was to quantify such a marketing exposure in order to develop instruments to address the problem and ultimately fight youth obesity. […]

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Empowering consumer organisations : the Dual Food Quality Conference

08 Jul 2021

The partners of the ECO-Empowering Consumer Organisations project were proud to present the achievements of their EU-project on Dual Food Quality during the final European Conference held online on the 29th of June from 10:00 to 13:00 CET. The conference provided a chance to both discuss the many aspects and findings of the project, but also gave a chance […]

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New French study on heavy metal exposure in adults and children

07 Jul 2021

On July 1st, 2021 an epidemiological study on heavy metal impregnation in adults and children was released by the French National Public Health Agency. The study – the first of its kind to measure exposure levels in children aged 6 to 17- has shown that almost 100% of both population groups were continually exposed to 27 heavy […]

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Ethylene oxide in foods: still a long way to go in reaching coordination

01 Jul 2021

In the past few months, organisations have revealed that non-compliant products containing ingredients illegally processed with ethylene oxide were still being sold without proper consumer information.  Ethylene oxide is a gaseous disinfectant, originally used for sterilization purposes and for decreasing salmonella occurrence in foods. It is a highly irritating and mutagenic chemical, considered to be […]

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Provisional agreement reached on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy

29 Jun 2021

On June 25th, 2021, a deal was finally found between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the EU Council on the reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).  The reform, which took 3 years to achieve, outlines how the €387 billion budget is to be spent for the 2021-2027 period.  While seeking to […]

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EC Vice-President Timmermans addresses the EU Climate Law in the European Parliament

24 Jun 2021

On 24 June 2021, European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans gave a speech on the brand new Climate Law in the European Parliament. On this occasion, he praised the legislative process up to this point and called this new EU initiative “the law of laws”, highlighting its binding target of 55% GHG emissions reduction (by […]

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Renewal of approval of glyphosate in 2022 : The Assessment Group on Glyphosate releases its draft assessment

16 Jun 2021

In May 2019, the European Commission appointed France, Hungary, The Netherlands and Sweden to act as rapporteur Member States for the next assessment on glyphosate.  Glyphosate is a chemical widely-used in Plant Protection Products (PPPs) to act as a broad-spectrum herbicide. Given the known toxicity of such chemicals, the EU Pesticides Legislation imposes the issuing of […]

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MEPs follow up on EFSA’s opinion regarding E171

31 May 2021

On 31 May 2021, a group of 4 MEPs from 3 different groups asked the Commission about its intent to propose an EU-wide ban on food additive E171 (titanium dioxide). It is still unclear when the Commission intends to submit such proposal, and when discussions will start in the competent committee (Standing Committee on Plants, […]

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E171 no longer considered safe for use as a food additive

06 May 2021

On 6 May 2021, The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published its long-awaited safety assessment of titanium dioxide (TiO2) used as a food additive (E171)[1]. The assessment clearly underlines that TiO2 (nano)particles have the potential to induce DNA stand breaks and chromosomal damage – thus, the agency stated that a concern for genotoxicity could not […]

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CSOs call on EP Committees to support an ambitious F2F report

20 Apr 2021

Today, SAFE together with 23 civil society organisation called on the ENVI and AGRI Committees of the European Parliament through a joint letter detailing 10 priorities to support an ambitious EP INI report on the Farm to Fork Strategy. Read the full joint letter here.

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Bulgaria: Pesticide with EU-banned substance still widely used in Bulgarian agriculture

19 Apr 2021

The investigative journalist Valia Ahchieva published a video showing a sad reality in Bulgaria: The Mocap, a plant protection product containing an ingredient banned by the EU is not only used, but subsidised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture. The ethoprophos contained in this “Mocap” is a highly toxic substance and is used in potatoes […]

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Greenpeace’s report on certification schemes criticised as attacks on palm oil

18 Mar 2021

The recently published report “Destruction: Certified” by Greenpeace claims that many certification schemes, covering cocoa, coffee, biofuels, palm oil, soy, and wood, enable “destructive business to continue as usual”. The NGO concludes that “certification is a weak tool to address global forest and ecosystem destruction”. However, palm oil advocates considered the report as an attack […]

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Italy: Debates arise after new environment minister’s remarks to reduce meat consumption

18 Mar 2021

In one of his first public speeches, the Italian newly appointed environment minister, Roberto Cingolani, claimed that “the amount of animal protein consumed should be decreased and replaced with plant-based alternatives” to support the ecological transition. He also pointed out that animal protein requires six times as much water to produce as the same amount […]

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Spain: Advertising contributes to rising childhood obesity, research shows

09 Mar 2021

A recent study conducted by the Open University of Catalonia found that advertising of food targeting children is an important factor leading to the increase of childhood obesity rate in Spain. The study analyses 355 advertisements from 117 different products on various media channels in Spain, including the internet, television, radio, print, and outdoor advertising. […]

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NGOs call on the Commission and Council to reject restrictions on the labelling of plant-based products

22 Feb 2021

On 22 February 2021, 21 NGOs including SAFE called on the European Commission and the Council of the European Union to reject the 171th and 72th Amendment of the European Parliament in the CMO trilogues. Amendment 171 would introduce unnecessary restrictions on the labelling of plant-based dairy products. Amendment 72 would introduce legal uncertainty that […]

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MEPs call for stringent regulations on the use of “natural” claims for food products

11 Feb 2021

On 10 February 2021, a cross-party coalition of 31 MEPs sent a letter to Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, highlighting the misleading use of the term “natural” on food packaging. The MEPs urged the European Commission to tackle this issue by developing a clear definition of “natural” and stringent legislation to regulate the […]

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EFSA also enters the Front-of-Pack nutrition labelling debate

08 Feb 2021

The EU food safety agency EFSA will provide scientific opinions to help developing the EU-wide system for front-of-pack nutrition labelling of foodstuffs, including setting conditions for nutrition and health claims on foods. This includes the setting of nutrient profiles to restrict the promotion of food high in, for example, salt, sugars and/or fat. Read SAFE’s […]

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The European Commission launches the EU sustainable code of conduct plans for food businesses

08 Feb 2021

The European Commission has taken its first steps towards launching a ‘code of conduct’ for actors along the food chain, as part of its aim to increase the sustainability of the food system. This sustainable code of conduct was much awaited since the publication of the Farm to Fork Strategy and the European Green Deal. […]

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Debates go on concerning Front-Of-Pack nutrition labels

11 Jan 2021

The debate about new FOP nutrition labels and the form they should take are evergrowing. In an article published by FoodNavigator, several commentators added more water to the mill, arguing that FOP nutrition labels using colour codes or scales (such as the now famous Nutriscore) are driven by marketing interests and mislead consumers. While other […]

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Children’s nutrition specialists raise concerns regarding Nutri-Score

15 Dec 2020

Dutch consultancy Voedingsjungle, specialising in children’s nutrition, has criticised front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling schemes with across-the-board algorithms such as Nutri-Score, “whereby a dark green ‘A’ ranking does not neccessarily mean a healthy choice”. Nutri-Score, a FOP nutrition labelling scheme backed by a number of Member States and food producers including France, Switzerland, Belgiums, and Nestle, […]

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European Ombudsman asks Commission to increase transparency in the approval process for pesticides

14 Dec 2020

In a recently published decision, the EU Ombudsman has raised concerns regarding the current procedure for the approval of active substances in pesticides by the Commission. The procedure is criticised for two main issues. First, the Ombudsman questions the Commission’s practice of approving active substances which had been identified either no safe use or critical […]

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NGOs call for revised ISO International Standard for food products suitable for Vegan consumers

24 Nov 2020

On 24 November 2020, SAFE and 4 of its members sent a joint letter to the ISO TC 34 concerning the draft ISO/DIS 23662 on the definitions and technical criteria for foods and food ingredients suitable for vegetarians or vegans and for labelling claims. The signatories urged the technical committee to amend the draft ISO/DIS […]

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#WeValueTrueNatural, a campaign from SAFE to call for a definition of ‘natural’

20 Nov 2020

In the European Green Deal, the Commission presented a strategy aiming at transforming the EU into a resource-efficient and sustainable society by 2050. One of the main initiatives of the Deal is the Farm to Fork strategy which will also support enforcement of rules on misleading information. The current Commission’s ambitions well reflect the rising […]

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UK proposes to ban all online advertisements of junk food

12 Nov 2020

The UK government has recently introduced a proposal to restrict all online advertisements of food products that are high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS). This measure is a part of the government’s strategy to tackle obesity issues in the country. Obesity is a major health problem in the UK nowadays. Nearly two-thirds of adults […]

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UK health professions call for climate tax on food with high environmental impacts

05 Nov 2020

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) has recently published a report calling the government to impose a food carbon tax on all food producers by 2025 if they do not take voluntary actions to reduce climate impacts. Food production emits a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas and studies have shown that red meat and […]

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CSOs call for Withdrawal of the EC proposal for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy

02 Nov 2020

On 30 October, CSOs wrote to EC President von der Leyen to call on the European Commission to withdraw its proposal on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in order to safeguard the European Green Deal. The positions agreed in the European Parliament and Council on the CAP, work against the EU Green Deal (and the […]

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European Parliament rejects ban on ‘veggie burgers’

23 Oct 2020

On Friday 23 October, the European Parliament plenary session rejected AM165 to the Agricultural products’ list within the Common Market Organisation file of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Such an amendment would have prohibited plant-based food products from using meat-derived names (such as ‘veggie burger’, ‘vegan sausage’). The Parliament however supported such a ban for […]

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Microplastic particles can now be found in human organs

21 Oct 2020

Microplastic and nanoplastic particles can now be observed in human organs thanks to a new technique. Microplastics have polluted the entire planet, yet their potential impact on human health is not well-known. Researchers have recently identified chemical traces of plastic in human tissue. The analytical method developed allows to identify dozens of types of plastic, […]

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Report says supermarkets can help tackle obesity

20 Oct 2020

A trial in English supermarkets on placing unhealthy products differently in supermarkets to tackle obesity has shown some promising results. The one year trial led to increased fruit and vegetable purchases and a decrease in junk food sales such as chips and confectionery proving that where products are placed in stores has an effect on […]

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European Commission publishes its chemicals strategy

14 Oct 2020

The EC published its new Chemicals Strategy on the 14th October (read it here). The EU chemicals strategy aims to address the cumulative and combined effects of chemicals, including pesticides, stressing a need to accelerate work on methodologies that ensure existing provisions can be fully implemented. It is intended as a first step towards a zero […]

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England’s Public Health body reports on sugar reduction plans

08 Oct 2020

Food companies have only managed a 3% sugar reduction in food products, Public Health England (PHE) reported in a report assessing its voluntary sugar reduction plan from 2015 to 2019. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL), however, did achieve more significant results with sugar levels in drinks falling by 44% compared to previous years. Sugar […]

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European Parliament supports objections on E171 and Acrylamide

08 Oct 2020

On 7 October 2020, the plenary session of the European Parliament supported two objections opposing two Commission regulation on E171 (Titanium Dioxide in food) and acrylamide. This votes by the EP sends a strong message: consumers must be at the core of all health decisions. For this reason, maximum levels of protection should be applied […]

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Bayer GMO gets EC approval

05 Oct 2020

The European Commission worringly authorised a genetically modified soybean for food and feed, but not cultivation, on 28 September 2020. This soybean, the XtendFlex, was approved after a scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority. The soybean, produced by biotechnology company Bayer, has been developed to confer tolerance to three major herbicides: dicamba, glufosinate-ammonium […]

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EU Court of Justice states that mandatory origin labelling for food is allowed only if ‘justified’

05 Oct 2020

In a ruling on 1 October, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) stated that the EU harmonised framework for food labelling “does not preclude member states from adopting measures providing for additional mandatory particulars regarding the origin or provenance.” However the ECJ added that those national measures need to be justified on one or several […]

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CSOs send Joint Letter to EU leaders calling for better alignment between the CAP and the EU Green Deal

01 Oct 2020

This Thursday 1st October, SAFE and more than 250 Civil Society Organisations sent a joint Open letter to the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union Angela Merkel, and the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament chaired by David Sassoli, calling for full […]

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MEPs call for lower maximum levels of acrylamide in food products for infants and young children

29 Sep 2020

MEPs of the ENVI Committee (@EP_Environment on Twitter) voted in favour (53 votes in favour, 26 against, 2 abstentions) of an objection to the EC proposal concerning maximum levels of acrylamide in certain foodstuffs for infants and young children. The objection will be reported and voted in plenary on the first week of October. A […]

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Joint Letter to Agri Commissioner calling for legumes and high-protein crops promotion in EU policies

29 Sep 2020

SAFE and 6 other organisations (Euronatur Foundation, the European Alliance for Plant-based Foods, The Vegan Society, the Good Food Institute, Compassion in World Farming, HealthCare Without Harm) sent a letter to EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski on Tuesday 29 September. The letter calls for a better alignment between the Common Agricultural Policy and the EU’s […]

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A new EU agency for health considered by the European Commission

24 Sep 2020

The European Commission (EC) is considering strengthening the EU’s competence in health policy in the wake of the covid -19 crisis. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EC would come forward with a legislative proposal to create a new agency, the European Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, in 2021. The new […]

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Single-Use Plastic Directive: still a lot to discuss

13 Sep 2020

Back in 2018, the EU reached an agreement to ban certain types of single-use plastic products with the Single-Use Plastic Directive. The Directive, which will enter into force in 2021, bans single-use plastic items such as cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws and so-called expanded polystyrene food containers. The draft guidelines that will steer the implementation […]

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SAFE welcomes MEPs’ decision to object new EC specifications for E171

08 Sep 2020

SAFE welcomes the positive outcome of the vote which occurred yesterday evening and hope that this democratic decision will encourage the Commission to promote a complete removal of titanium dioxide nanoparticles from our food products.  On Monday 7 September 2020, a majority of MEPs of the ENVI Committee voted in favour of an objection against […]

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EU NGOs suggest ways to promote nutrition in the CAP

03 Sep 2020

On Thursday 3 September 2020, 6 European NGOs (including SAFE and EPHA, ECL, EHN, EMSA and EONS) sent an open joint letter to Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, suggesting 3 ways to havr the current Common Agricultural Policy pave the way towards more sustainable consumption and production of food. With this letter we recommend… Adding a […]

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MEPs urged to repel CAP amendments on denominations of plant-based products

28 Aug 2020

On 28 August 2020, SAFE and 34 other organizations urged Members of the European Parliament in a letter to oppose several amendments forcing the use of terms such as “steak”, “sausage”, “escalope”, “burger” or “hamburger” exclusively for products of animal origin. The adoption of such amendments would mean that it is not possible to use […]

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Retailers join a coalition to meet foodwaste reduction targets

26 Aug 2020

A new coalition of 14 retailers (Coalition of Action on Food Waste), including Nestlé, Tesco or Bel Group (to name but a few) and launched by the Consumer Goods Forum, committed to individual food waste reduction targets. This follows the unveiling by the European Commission of the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy which pledged to […]

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German Scientific Advisory Board recommands using climate labels

26 Aug 2020

The German Scientific Advisory Board on Agricultural Policy, Food and Consumer Health Protection(WBAE) has urged the government to introduce mandatory climate labels on food products. Such labels would display the GHG emissions of these products. These recommandations also include an excise tax on sugar-sweetened products, restrictions on adverts for unhealthy food targeting children, and the […]

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Transparency on Risk Assessment in the Food chain: SAFE’s response to Public Consultation

25 Aug 2020

SAFE replied to a Public Consultation on the Draft Implementing Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 234/2011 on EU Transparency on risk assessment in the food chain on 25 August 2020. SAFE welcomes the feedback session on the Draft Implementing Regulation regarding the rules on applications for food additives, enzymes, and flavourings. We strongly support the […]

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SAFE signs NGO Joint letter on the French Act on the transparency of information on agricultural and food products

15 Jul 2020

In hope to prohibit the use, for products of plant origin, of names that have been typically associated with meat products and preparations, such as “steak”, “sausage” and “hamburger”, SAFE, together with nine NGOs reacted in an open letter to Executive Vice President Timmermans on the French Act on the transparency of information on agricultural and […]

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F2F Strategy: NGOs urge the EC to halve per capita Food Waste at Farm level

09 Jul 2020

Back in May 2020, we welcomed the publication of the European Commission’s Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy for a fair, healthy, and environmentally-friendly food system.  In this regard, SAFE and 9 NGOs (BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, the Ecologic Institute, the European Community of Consumer Cooperatives, the European Environmental Bureau, FeedBack, Health Care Without Harm […]

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New US study shows benefits of Sugar tax models

24 Jun 2020

A study published in the Circulation (official journal from the American Heart Association) showed a simulation model of different designs of taxes on sugary drinks (linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes), suggesting that all tax designs would generate substantial health gains. Boston researchers created a nationally representative microsimulation model to test three types of […]

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New EFSA opinion on welfare hazards in pig slaughters

24 Jun 2020

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a scientific opinion on 17 June in the context of a series of updated assessments on animal welfare at slaughter requested by the European Commission. In light of the recently published Farm to Fork Strategy, EFSA proposed measures to address the welfare hazards most commonly associated with the […]

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COVID-19 crisis could ‘kick off digital revolution in agriculture’

01 Jun 2020

Digital farming is set to boom in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, given its capacity to help the EU farming sector improve its sustainability and recover from the outbreak’s impact. But there are also considerable concerns raised about the pace of this change and whether farmers are adequately prepared for it. Read more here

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The European Commission unveils its Farm to Fork Strategy

20 May 2020

On 20 May at 12.00 CET, the European Commission unveiled its long-awaited Farm to Fork Strategy, along with other communications including a report on front-of-pack nutrition labelling and the EU Biodiversity Strategy. This communication is published after months of debates around the EU Green Deal led by EC President von der Leyen and provides an […]

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NGOs call on the EU Commission to drop GMOs from US trade talks

05 May 2020

On 5 May, SAFE and 73 NGOs sent a letter to EC President von der Leyen to call on the EC to drop GMOs from the EU-US trade deal talks. SAFE would like to once again underline the need to maintain EU food safety standards.Read the full joint letter here.

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Coca-Cola and Pepsi falling short on pledges over plastic – report

27 Apr 2020

Pepsi and Coca-Cola have not publicly committed to reducing this by 2025, or to invest in reusables or refillables as part of this reduction, Tearfund said in its analysis. Read more here

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How to stop the Coronavirus pandemic disrupting a green future

24 Apr 2020

Stimulating the post-Coronavirus economic recovery through investment in climate Action will help set the world back on its green path, explains Vanora Bennett

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Coronavirus and obesity: Doctors take aim at food industry over poor diets

23 Apr 2020

As further evidence suggests that poor diet can be attributed to the root cause of mortality from #COVID19, Cardiologists are blaming the food industry for the normalisation of ultra-processed junk food. Read more here

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EC proposes market measures to assist meat & dairy sectors

22 Apr 2020

Amidst the coronavirus crisis, the European Commission today proposed granting private storage aid for dairy and meat sectors in a so-called effort to help farmers hit by the crisis. the EC also proposed exceptional derogations from EU competition rules in the milk, flower and potatoes sectors, adding that such arrangements will be valid for up […]

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Belgian supermarkets donate 460,000 meals

17 Apr 2020

Belgian supermarkets donated 233 tonnes of food to Food Banks or other social organizations. in view of the unprecedented shift in demand for food redistribution across communities. Read more here

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CSOs urges the Commission not to postpone the Farm to Fork strategy

15 Apr 2020

The Coronavirus (COVID19) crisis significantly highlights the important and urgent need for a Common Food Policy that is forward-looking, precautionary, resilient, social- and health-oriented, with an ambitious EU Fram to Fork Strategy. Today SAFE and 38 Civil Society Organisations called on Commissioners Timmermans, Kyriakides, Sinkevičius and Wojciechowski not to postpone the publication of this strategy, […]

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EU farm ministers seek targeted measures to withstand COVID-19

12 Apr 2020

EU agriculture ministers have called for further specific and targeted measures to address the difficulties faced by the agri-food sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic such as restrictions in the movement of foodstuff, changes in the operation of production systems and insufficient workforce. Read more here.

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EFSA report offers snapshot into pesticide residues on food

11 Apr 2020

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. Read more here

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EFSA chief: EU food safety rules ensure protection against COVID-19

07 Apr 2020

Although coronavirus can survive on surfaces for a limited time, food safety regulations in EU member states ensure a high level of protection against contaminated food, said the chief of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Bernhard Url in an interview. Read more here

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Farmers report dramatic COVID effect on fruit & vegetable producers:

03 Apr 2020

The latest report from Europe’s farming organisations on the impact of the pandemic, highlights a dramatic effect on fruit & vegetable producers, as well as concerns over markets for meat & vegetable oil. There are also reports of concern over unfair trading practices. A trade body with members that trade agricultural goods wants the EU […]

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Titanium Dioxide Classification in force from October 2021, E171 still under review

13 Mar 2020

Titanium dioxide is often found in commonly-used domestic substances such as paint, sunscreen, and toothpaste. However, the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that the chemical is a “possible carcinogen for humans”. In 2017, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) provided an assessment of this substance and proposed classifying all […]

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Researchers declare hazardous chemicals in food packaging a ‘global health threat’

12 Mar 2020

A team of international researchers recently issued a warning concerning chemicals in single-use plastic and food packaging in general. More than 200 NGOs have signed a call to action to raise awareness on this crucial health issue. Read the full story here.

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Researchers call for a rethink of supply chains to tackle food waste at consumer level

05 Mar 2020

According to researchers from Wageningen University, current food waste estimates published by the FAO do not take the effect on affluence on consumer behaviour into account. Incentives to produce more and more food waste exist all along the food chain to contribute to this global issue. Read the full article from FoodNavigator here.

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Junk food advertising: WHO calls for legally binding treaty to end ‘predatory commercial practices’

03 Mar 2020

The WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission is proposing a global, legally binding protocol to prevent brands marketing fast foods and sugary drinks to children. Read the full article here

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

02 Mar 2020

SAFE and 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 parliamentary question asking the Commission to promote the plant-based protein sector too. Read the full article here.

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‘Use by’ or ‘best before’? Nestlé signs food waste pact to tackle label confusion on-pack

10 Feb 2020

The UK’s Food and Drink Federation has repeated its pleas that it wants to keep trading ties closely aligned with the EU’s after British prime minister Boris Johnson dismissed fears about food standards as ‘mumbo jumbo’ and implied that GM food imports from the US would be allowed. Read the full article here

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UK opens door to GM food imports as PM Johnson attacks ‘hysterical fears’ about US food standards

06 Feb 2020

The UK’s Food and Drink Federation has repeated its pleas that it wants to keep trading ties closely aligned with the EU’s after British prime minister Boris Johnson dismissed fears about food standards as ‘mumbo jumbo’ and implied that GM food imports from the US would be allowed. Read full article here

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Short Film Festival Filmdipeso

04 Feb 2020

SAFE is honoured to co-organise the Short Film Festival Filmdipeso 17-18 April 2020 in Latina, Italy With the subject of “Obesity, food, nutrition, and eating disorders“ The festival’s objective is to promote correct eating habits, as well as to increase public awareness of the issues that living with obesity and eating disorders can cause. The […]

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Agrifood manufacturers can do without E171

27 Jan 2020

The last few months have seen a growing awareness amongst the general public about the concerning issue of titanium dioxide in food –food addtive E171– with almost 85,000 persons signing a petition supported by SAFE, ECOS and Agir pour l’Environnement to back the French suspension of this food additive. While EU policy makers are still […]

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Commissioner Kyriakides respond to 34 MEPs’ letter on E171

23 Jan 2020

On 17 December 2019, a cross-party coalition of 34 MEPs sent a letter to Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides to ask for an extension of the French ban on the white colourant E171 to the entire EU. In the response to the MEPs’s letter on 15 January 2020, Commissioner Kyriakides underlined that the […]

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MEPs support the French ban on food additive E171

18 Dec 2019

On 17 December 2019, a cross-party coalition of 34 MEPs sent a letter to Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakides to ask for an extension of the French ban on E171 to the reste of the EU. Read more about this here: Articles from EUobserver, Agence Europe (full article here), Agrifoodtoday.it and IEG Policy. […]

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31 NGOs asking for an ambitious Farm to Fork Strategy

16 Dec 2019

30  civil society organisations have written an open letter in order to highlight the priorities and actions that the F2F strategy should have in order to provide a coherent response to societal concerns about biodiversity, climate change, health, income of all workers in the food chain, social equity and animal welfare, amongst others.  The full […]

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European civil society groups urge EU Commissioner to ban E171 in food

06 Dec 2019

On 5 Dec 2019, European civil society groups have sent a joint letter to Ms. Stella Kyriakides – European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety on the issue of the white colourant E171 (titanium dioxide in food). With this letter, SAFE together with 7 other NGOs strongly urge Ms. Stella Kyriakides, in her lead role […]

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Many food products analysed in the EU market may contribute to unhealthy diets

05 Nov 2019

A recent study of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) reveals that many packaged food products frequently sold in the EU market contain very high levels of sugar, saturated fat, and salt, while levels of fibres are too low, which may contribute to poor diets that lead to obesity and other severe health issues, […]

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Concerns about E171 cross borders

30 Oct 2019

As shown in a test done on 12 different products, titanium dioxide in food (E171) is present in plenty of your food without you even knowing about it. SAFE has launched a petition already endorsed by more than 75.000 EU consumers to back the French decision to ban E171 from the French market as of […]

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Mexico to present new rules to fight against obesity

29 Oct 2019

The Mexican government will soon present new rules which require processed foods containing high levels of sugar, saturated fat, sodium and calories to display warning labels. As obesity problems are severe in Mexico, especially among young individuals, three UN agencies urged Mexico to adopt such measure to tackle the issue of obesity. Previously, the government […]

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Singapore to ban adverts promoting drinks with high sugar content to tackle obesity and diabetes

24 Oct 2019

Singapore will soon become the first country to target aggressive marketing practices as promotion of drinks with high sugar content will be banned from adverts. As diabetes and obesity run rampant in Singapore, it is of the utmost importance that consumers are able to make informed choice in the interest of their own health. We […]

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Petition to extend the French ban on Titanium Dioxide in Food Products (E171)

22 Oct 2019

SAFE, ECOS and Agir Pour l’Environnement have launched a petition to support the removal of controversial food additive E171 (Titanium Dioxide) from the French market. We call for an extension of this measure to the whole EU. Support our petition here. Watch our explanatory video here. Please find an article (in IT) written by il […]

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E171: consumers must be put first

23 Sep 2019

SAFE and other CSOs recently published a press release to urge the European Commission and national expert representatives to uphold the French ban on food colourant E171 (Titanium Dioxide, TiO2). On 23 September, another article from Euractiv recalls that important lobbying activities have been conducted by titanium dioxide manufacturers on this issue. The article also […]

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Call for new EU legislation on Food Contact Materials to be based on five key principles

18 Sep 2019

SAFE and 24 NGOs welcome the European Commission’s initiative to evaluate the EU’s food contact material (FCM) legislation in a joint letter. The evaluation, including the further aim of the Commission to consider what possible steps need to be taken in the future, provides a good opportunity to look forward and discuss how these ineffective […]

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Study Reveals Inaccurate Labelling Information on Food Products: Consumers Being Misled?

17 Sep 2019

The level of micronutrients in a variety of cornflour products in Mexico is significantly lower than which is stated on the products’ package, according to a recent study carried out by the Changing Markets Foundation, Proyecto Alimente and ContraPESO. The report also finds out the lack of consistency between the corporations’ rhetoric and their actual […]

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European civil society groups raise questions about industry-funded study on E171 toxicity and call on decision-makers to support the French ban on unnecessary food additive

12 Sep 2019

A crucial European meeting to discuss the French ban of E171 – the food additive version of titanium dioxide – is due to take place on Monday 16th September. Civil society groups across Europe raise questions about a new industry study released ahead of this meeting and warn against diverting decision-makers’ attention from the already […]

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IPCC latest report calling for global Food Waste reduction in agriculture

27 Aug 2019

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations issued a report in August 2019 highlighting the need for a drastic reduction of Food Waste to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions linked with agriculture and livestock farming. One third of the food produced worldwide is not being eaten and thus wasted, corresponding to […]

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NGOs address the proposal to ban the use of terms such as ‘veggie burger’ in the EU

25 Jul 2019

In an apparent attempt to undermine the growing success of plant-based alternatives to animal products, an amendment was adopted by the Committee on Agriculture (AGRI) of the 8th Legislature on 1st April 2019 within the proposal for a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Regulation establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products (2018/0218 COD). […]

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EFSA extends its deadline to give an opinion on added sugars

23 Jul 2019

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has delayed the release of its opinion concerning added sugar until 2021. As obesity, type 2 diabete, tooth decay or cardiovascular diseases diseases run rampant, firm & quick decisions must be taken at EU level to protect consumers. Read it in details here.

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36 CSOs send Open Letter to the European Commission President (EN/FR/ES)

17 Jul 2019

Civil society organisations, in the areas of farming, fisheries, environment, animal welfare, health, consumers, consumer co-operatives, development, social justice, climate, and forestry, wrote the European Commission President to seek a new direction in the way food policies are made and priorities are set.The time for action is now: daring to change the way we make […]

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WHO Europe highlights high sugar content in baby food and inappropriate industry marketing

15 Jul 2019

Up to 60% of baby foods are incorrectly marketed as suitable for infants under the age of 6 months, according to a new study of the World Health Organisation (WHO) published on 15 July 2019. SAFE took part in the launching event of these studies to share consumers’ concerns about excessive sugar in commercial products. […]

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EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health malfunctions

10 Jul 2019

There is a clear malfunctioning of the EU Platform on diet, physical activity & health, as highlighted by BEUC, EPHA, and 5 other NGOs. SAFE was rejected after 2 years in waiting despite being awarded Best Practice for its Sugar Project by Commissioners Hogan, Navracsics and Andriukaitis during the Tartu Call Award ceremony. Read details […]

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Divided opinions about the French ban on E171

27 Jun 2019

A recent evaluation of titanium dioxide in food from the French national food safety agency ANSES belied EFSA’s assessment of this substance. The evaluation highlighted significant data gaps and recommended limiting exposure to the food colouring E171, which has proved to be potentially carcinogenic. A French decree from 17 April banned the whitening food additive […]

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Food Scandal breaks out in France as distributed burger meat fails to meet quality standards

11 Jun 2019

Another food scandal broke out in France, as it was revealed that beef burgers of Polish origin that failed to meet legal standards were sold to charities tackling food poverty. This alarming piece of news follows the latest food scandals (Polish beef, fipronil in eggs, etc.). Read the whole case here.

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Banana Leaves used in Asian supermarkets to curb Plastic Packaging Waste

05 Jun 2019

Banning or reducing single-use plastic bags in supermarkets is a growing trend in Asia. The amount of plastic waste generated by Vietnamese people is approximately 2,500 tons of plastic waste per day. Supermarkets in Vietnam recently decided to make use of banana leaves instead of plastic as a packaging alternative for fruits and vegetables. Read […]

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FleishmanHillard document rekindles the war on glyphosate

17 May 2019

French news channel France 2 television recently issued a report about a document from the largest Brussels-based consultancy FleishmanHillard showing which politicians, scientists, regulators and journalists are friendly to Monsanto. This unprecedented case of monitoring and record-keeping is yet another spark that will reignite the heated debate about Monsanto’s weed-killer glyphosate and the outrageous extension […]

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NGOs call for a European Commission Vice President to be made responsible for ensuring the transition to sustainable food systems

08 May 2019

In an open letter to the lead candidates, 32 NGOs (including SAFE) call on the next European Commission President to put an EU food policy in place. The organizations also called for a European Commission Vice-President to be made responsible for ensuring the transition to sustainable food systems. Read the full letter here: in EN, […]

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Joint letter to demand the removal of E171 from the EU list of permitted food additives

06 May 2019

On 3rd May, SAFE and 8 EU NGOs (BEUC, CIEL, ECOS, EEB, FoodWatch International, HEAL, HEJ, WECF) sent a letter supported by 30 national NGOs to Vice-President Jyrki Kaitanen urging the European Commission and Member States not to oppose the French decision to ban the white colouring E171 (titanium dioxide), which has frequently been pointed […]

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Food additive E171 banned in food products in France

23 Apr 2019

Last week, we were pleased to hear that France decided to ban the use of titanium dioxide (E171, a substance used to obtain white colouring in food, cosmetics, paint, creams and pharmaceuticals) as a food additive from 1st January 2020 after the country’s health and safety agency (ANSES) reported a lack of evidence to guarantee […]

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Contribution of agroecology to carbon neutrality in Europe – the TYFA scenario

18 Apr 2019

The “Ten Years For Agroecology” (TYFA) report was published by the IDDRI last september, offering scenarios towards more sustainable food & farming systems. Six months after this important publication, IDDRI adds an important contribution to the work in progress in the field with its latest report, to be read here.

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New French Roadmap in the Fight against Obesity: Towards More Ambitious Objectives

26 Mar 2019

On 25 March 2019, a French inter-ministerial committee on Health met to formulate target figures regarding the fight against obesity in France, Le Monde.fr reports. By the end of 2023, adult obesity will have to be 15% down and childhood/teenage obesity will have to drop by 20%. These ambitious objective were set to create a […]

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CAPNGO’s Open letter to AGRI Committee MEPs concerning CAP proposals

21 Mar 2019

On 20th March, the CAPNGO Working Group, gathering around fifteen NGOs to advocate for better proposals for the next Common Agricultural Policy, sent an open letter to Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) ahead of the votes on the CAP Reform on the 2nd & 8th April 2019. As […]

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SAFE sugar project qualified as best practice by DG SANTE

19 Feb 2019

SAFE is glad to announce that its Sugar Project has been indexed by DG SANTE of the European Commission as “best practice” on its portal. More details about the practice can be found here.

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New study finding association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk

13 Feb 2019

A large prospective study from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort further showed a correlation between ultra-processed foods and cancer. A 10% increase in the intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with a significant increase in risks of overall and breast cancer.

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‘TOWARDS A COMMON FOOD POLICY FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION’: IPES-Food latest Report

07 Feb 2019

Shaped by 400+ actors including SAFE during 3 years, IPES Food unveiled its blueprint for reforming European food systems (#CommonFoodPolicy). This enlightening report sheds light on current issues in food systems and makes proposals for sustainable food production, processing, distribution and consumption. Read it here.  

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Coca-Cola funds an Institute to influence obesity policy in China

10 Jan 2019

While obesity rates in China are hitting records, the Coca-Cola Company is putting scientific evidence into Chinese policies to promoto exercise and downplay the role of diets in the strife against obesity, the Guardian reports.  Yet another proof that independent and consumer-centered research is critical in every corner of the world.      

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UN stays silent on fat tax and labelling

19 Dec 2018

Last week, the United Nations adopted a draft resolution on improving global nutrition. The agency called for improved education to tackle obesity, but remained silent on key issues like taxation and nutritional labelling. Read more here.

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Action needed to ensure a higher level of protection from pesticides in Europe

07 Dec 2018

An open letter of EU coalition of concerned citizens and NGOs calls EU regulators for a higher level of protection from pesticides by fulfilling the 15 manifesto demands. Read the manifesto here.

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Joint letter on the EU delegated act on the measurement of food waste

22 Nov 2018

The European Commission will soon adopt a delegated act establishing a common methodology for food waste measurement. However, it appears that the latest draft of the delegated act will not allow a full and accurate measurement of food waste. Thus, SAFE together with 21 other NGOs sent a joint letter to health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis […]

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New report points at reduction of animal products to initiate a Low-Carbon Transition in the food sector

13 Nov 2018

Consumption of animal products such as meat and dairy has increased at an unprecedented pace since 1950s. Less animal products not only means healthier food, but also an earth-friendlier carbon footprint. Read Changing Markets’ full report here.

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Rigorous Science, Safe Food, and a Healthy Environment – A Manifesto

31 Oct 2018

The European Union has one of the best regulations for pesticides in the world – in theory. But it is not implemented in practice. SAFE has joined the new  “Citizens for Science in Pesticide Regulation” Coalition, which has launched a manifesto to call for reform on Pesticide legislation. Read the full manifesto of the Coalition […]

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Tackling Childhood Obesity in the EU: Prospects and Challenges

23 Oct 2018

Floriana Cimmarusti, Secretary General of SAFE, will speak publicly in The international “Tackling Childhood Obesity in the EU: Halting the Rise through Prevention and Closer Collaboration” Symposium on October 30th. Registration and information can be found here.

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About the fast-track approval of 140 new plastic recycling processes: risks and challenges

07 Sep 2018

Is it safe to use recycled plastic in food and drink packaging? Secretary General Floriana Cimmarusti talked to Euractiv about the risks of a fast-track approval of 140 recycling processes.  SAFE calls for an adequate political scrutiny to protect consumer rights. Read the full article here.

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Recycled plastics: ‘There will always be a risk’

03 Sep 2018

Until now, companies have stayed away from using recycled plastics in food packaging because of safety concerns. But times are chaning and they seem ready to reconsider their stance ahead of an EU decision to authorise more than 100 “safe” recycling processes for food contact applications. Floriana Cimmarusti, Secretary General of SAFE, told Euractiv about the […]

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Building momentum: lessons on implementing a robust sugar sweetened beverage tax

20 Jul 2018

This recent report from the World Cancer Research Fund International provides guidance about designing, defending and implementing a robust SSB tax, drawing lessons from countries and local jurisdictions around the world who have successfully passed and implemented a sugar tax. Read the full report here.      

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The pesticide-free town: Sowing the seeds of tomorrow

17 Jul 2018

In 2014 Mals, a small town in the north of Italy, became the first community in the world to ban pesticide use through a referendum. How did these activists triumph over the pesticide industry? Find out in this episode of the video series “Protect & resist”, created by Friends of the Earth Europe to show […]

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Europol: Massive seizure of fake pesticides which could spray the size of the UK

13 Jul 2018

Europol’s annual Operation SILVER AXE III seized the largest-ever amount of illegal or counterfeit pesticides in Europe this week. But the fact that such massive amounts of illegal pesticides are available has raised concerns about both the economic and health costs. Read the article on Euractiv here.

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EU Parliament backs microplastic bans to tackle plastic pollution

11 Jul 2018

On July 10, the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee voted to strengthen the Commission’s overall plans to cut plastic pollution, under the so-called Plastics Strategy. MEPs called for a number of measures that go beyond the Commission’s original proposals, including a ban on microplastics in some products by 2020. Read more here.

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Listeria monocytogenes: update on foodborne outbreak

06 Jul 2018

Frozen corn and possibly other frozen vegetables are the likely source of an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes that has been affecting Austria, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom since 2015. Read more here.  

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New guidance on nanotechnologies in food and feed

04 Jul 2018

EFSA has published its guidance on how to assess the safety of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications. The guidance focuses on the safety assessment for human and animal health and covers areas such as novel foods, food contact materials, food and feed additives and pesticides. Read more here.    

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Le cannucce di plastica permangono nei secoli: 500 anni per distruggersi

02 Jul 2018

Secondo gli studi del centro Enea, oltre l’80% dei rifiuti che invadono i litorali italiani è rappresentato da plastiche, che finiscono poi in mare dove nel corso degli anni diventano «microplastiche». Queste particelle quasi invisibili ad occhio nudo vengono ingerite dai pesci e ce le ritroviamo nella catena alimentare, ovvero nel piatto. Leggi il reportage […]

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Tackling food waste: turning nemesis into a saviour

29 Jun 2018

According to Dr Milka Sokolović from the European Food Information Council (EUFIC), function of food packaging has traditionally been limited to passive protection from external influences, but innovations are quickly changing its role. Packaging is getting active and intelligent, able to monitor and interact with food and environment and maintain food freshness for longer. Read the […]

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Pesticide residues: new advice on foods for infants and young children

28 Jun 2018

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA has made a number of recommendations to further protect young infants from potential risks posed by pesticide residues in food. Read the Scientific Opinion providing a comprehensive evaluation of pesticide residues in foods for infants and young children here.  

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A worldwide shift: profiling the alternative meat market

27 Jun 2018

According to recent research from GlobalData, the majority of the world’s population has adopted a diet that features reduced or entirely absent meat consumption. Changing consumer habits and the rise of ‘flexitarianism’ – eating predominantly, but not strictly, vegetarian – has led to the reduced consumption of meat in favour of vegetables and meat alternatives. […]

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‘Enormous potential for the nutrition of millions’: Savanna Ingredients develops natural sugar without calories

27 Jun 2018

Germany’s Savanna Ingredients has developed a process to produce allulose – “real sugar without calories” – on a mass scale. The group expects to achieve European foodstuffs approval within the next two years. Read the full article on Food Navigator here.

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Avoiding meat and dairy is ‘single biggest way’ to reduce your impact on Earth

20 Jun 2018

Avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet, according to the scientists behind the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet. Read the full article on The Guardian here.

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High risk of food shortages without pesticides, says chemical giant

18 Jun 2018

Head of Syngenta, world’s biggest pesticide maker, says rejecting farming tech could have serious consequences within 20 years. Read the full article on The Guardian here.

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Zucchero, la dose giornaliera da non superare

18 Jun 2018

Resistere allo zucchero sarebbe davvero una gran brutta vita, ma gli studi dell’Organizzazione mondiale della sanità, dell’Agenzia Internazionale della ricerca sul cancro e delle più prestigiose riviste scientifiche hanno accertato che il consumo eccessivo è causa di numerosi problemi. Ma quando è «eccessivo»? Leggi l’articolo su Il Corriere della Sera qui.

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DSM removes benzoate from cheese ripening enzyme to meet clean-label demand

13 Jun 2018

Dutch health and nutrition company Royal DSM says its Accelerzyme CPG, the company’s proprietary enzyme for accelerated cheese ripening, is now benzoate-free. Read the full article on Food Navigator here.

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Les agences européennes précisent la définition des perturbateurs endocriniens

12 Jun 2018

Après l’adoption fin 2017 des critères  d’identification des perturbateurs endocriniens, les agences européennes ont publié le 7 juin un document d’orientation pour leur identification, elaboré en collaboration avec le Centre commun de recherche (JRC) de l’Union européenne. Lisez l’article complet sur Euractiv ici.  

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Food safety in the future EU budget (2021-2027)

11 Jun 2018

On June 7, the Commission adopted a legislative proposal for a new Single Market Programme, which also addresses food policies. Specific objectives include: supporting sustainable food production & consumption by reducing food waste; improving the effectiveness, efficiency and reliability of official controls all along the food chain; supporting policies to increase animal welfare. Read more here.

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Catena italiana di prodotti sfusi apre negozio a Parigi

06 Jun 2018

“Negozio Leggero”, la catena italiana di prodotti senza imballaggi, sbarca a Parigi. Il 23 giugno apre il primo negozio del franchising nella capitale francese, in zona Republique.”Una famiglia di 4 persone che si rifornisce abitualmente al Negozio Leggero può arrivare a risparmiare oltre 200 kg di rifiuti in un anno”, spiega l’ufficio stampa della catena. […]

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Pesticide Dependency Reductions must become one of the success indicators of the Common Agricultural Policy

05 Jun 2018

On the 1st of June, the European Commission has published its legislative proposals and its impact assessment on CAP reform. Within the hundreds of pages of documents, pesticide use reduction is not mentioned once. Read PAN Europe’s press release here.

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European alliance calls for a ‘Common Food Policy’ to replace the CAP

04 Jun 2018

Following the EU Food and Farming Forum of 29-30 May 2018, a group of more than 30 European think tanks, NGOs and farming groups have united to call for a ‘Common Food Policy’ to replace the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. “The policies governing food systems – CAP, trade, environment, health and food safety – are […]

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50 shades of green: Europe’s farm reforms explained

01 Jun 2018

Deep budget cuts and an untested plan to let national governments take the reins are causing jitters across the bloc. Read the full article on Politico here.

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Insufficient consideration for food issue in CAP

30 May 2018

The Commission is due to unveil its next Common Agriculture Policy on June 1st and Olivier De Schutter, former UN Special Rapporteur on the right for food and co-chair of the international expert panel IPES-Food, calls on the European Commission to lay the foundations for a Common Food Policy. The food dimension is not sufficiently […]

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European Congress on Obesity 2018: What’s new in obesity research?

29 May 2018

The 25th European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2018) took place in Vienna, Austria from 23rd to 26th May 2018. This year’s topics included science, treatment and public health, with special sessions on stigma, discrimination and childhood obesity. Check out the short videos interviews with obesity experts whose work further helps tackle obesity here.

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Revealed: majority of politicians on key EU farming panel have industry links

24 May 2018

Research uncovers that 25 out of 46 MEPs of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee have strong links to the farming sector they are charged with regulating. Read the full article on The Guardian here.

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Young people who ‘watch more junk food ads’ consume ‘thousands more calories’

23 May 2018

According to a new study carried out by Cancer Research UK, teenagers who watch an extra junk food advert per week consume an extra 18,000 calories a year. The research will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna. Read more here.

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Glyphosate shown to disrupt microbiome ‘at safe levels’, study claims

17 May 2018

Study on rats said to show that the chemical, found in Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller, poses ‘a significant public health concern’. According to the pilot study, the substance can have disrupting effects on sexual development, genes and beneficial gut bacteria at doses considered safe. Read the full article on The Guardian here.

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Weedkiller products more toxic than their active ingredient, tests show

08 May 2018

After more than 40 years of widespread use, new scientific tests show that some popular weedkilling products, like Monsanto’s widely-used Roundup, have higher rates of toxicity to human cells than their active ingredient by itself. Read the full article on The Guardian here.

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Fipronil: results of follow-up monitoring published

07 May 2018

On 3 May 2018, EFSA published its analysis of food data collected following the widespread detection of fipronil in eggs last summer. The analysis showed that 742 out of 5,000 samples of eggs and chicken contained residues in quantities exceeding legal limits. These products originated from eight Member States: the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Poland, Hungary, […]

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Evolved Nutrition Label to be launched in some EU countries

04 May 2018

Mondelēz International, Nestlé, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever will start to add the Evolved Nutrition Label (ENL) to products in some EU countries, they announced on 3 May. Read the full article on Food Navigator here.

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France bans use of meaty names for veggie food

24 Apr 2018

France looks set to prohibit meat terms from being used to describe plant-based foods, with MPs backing a proposal to ban producers of meat substitutes from using phrases like “steak” or “sausage” to describe meat-free products. Read the full article on Food Navigator here.

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Farmers hail new transparency rules in food safety, still want science-based decisions

18 Apr 2018

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. Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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Landmark new EU food waste laws voted through

18 Apr 2018

On 18 April the European Parliament voted to formally adopt the revised Waste Framework Directive, which will shape the next 13 years of EU action on food waste as part of the Circular Economy Package. EU Member States have two years to transpose the legislation into their national law, by 2020. Read more here.

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Plastic packaging fails to reduce food waste, study warns

12 Apr 2018

One of the main advantages of plastic packaging is that it keeps food fresher for longer, reducing food waste. But a new study by NGOs Friends of the Earth Europe and Zero Waste Europe published on 10 April has revealed that plastic food packaging has not tackled Europe’s food waste problem and may be actually fuelling it. Read […]

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EU Commission wants new powers to vet product safety

12 Apr 2018

On April 11, the European Commission proposed giving itself new powers to request scientific studies on the safety of products, in an effort to quell public concerns that industry has too much influence over the process. If adopted, the new rules will affect all companies looking to approve a wide range of products, including genetically modified […]

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Soft drinks tax is of greatest benefit to poorer households: Lancet

10 Apr 2018

Taxes levied on sweetened drinks and snack foods are of most benefit to the poor in helping to make long-term healthy lifestyle changes, a Lancet study concludes. Read more on Food Navigator here.  

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The edible solutions to the plastic-packaging crisis

09 Apr 2018

A UK startup making water containers from seaweed is one of many businesses thinking of food-based answers to the global problem of plastic. Can they catch on? Read the full article on The Guardian here.

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Taxing soda and booze can spark healthy spiral, experts say

05 Apr 2018

According to a new analysis published in The Lancet medical journal, taxing products such as soda, alcohol and tobacco can steer consumers toward healthier choices and avert a ruinous tumble in which obesity fuels disease and medical costs push people further into poverty. Read the full article here.

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Post-2020 CAP: simplification and investments

26 Mar 2018

The European Commission, steered by Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, has taken a number of initiatives to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and help EU farmers cope with the rising demands. Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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Fakers, bakers and praline-makers fear bite of EU origin labels

21 Mar 2018

Following the Commission’s proposal for new legislation on so-called country of origin labelling, food companies fear that they will be forced to indicate the origin of their primary ingredient on packaging. Read the full article on Politico here.

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Segregating vegetarian food can promote meat consumption

16 Mar 2018

While consumers are being offered more vegetarian meal options, if these choices are segregated it can actually reduce the proportion of people who opt for them, a new study suggests. Read the full article on FoodNavigator here.

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Il y a des particules de plastique dans 93% des échantillons de grande marque d’eau

15 Mar 2018

L’eau en bouteille de nombreuses grandes marques à travers le monde est contaminée par de minuscules particules de plastique dont les dangers sur la santé sont méconnus, indique une étude publiée mercredi. Lisez l’article complet sur RTL INFO ici.

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Report says end meat and dairy subsidies, tax meat in shift to crop protein diet

12 Mar 2018

According to a report released at a debate held at the European Parliament on the 27th of February, the EU and the UK after Brexit should end subsidies for meat and dairy production and tax meat and other animal products, to encourage a necessary shift to growing pulses and other protein crops. Read the full […]

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Big Sugar Versus Your Body

11 Mar 2018

Most of us eat a lot of sugar. We are surrounded by it, and it’s delicious. Unfortunately, sugar also encourages overeating and causes health problems. Research consistently points to the harms of sugar, including obesity, diabetes and other diseases. The only way to eat a healthy amount of sugar is to make a conscious effort. You […]

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Greenpeace: Cut out meat to meet Paris Agreement goals

05 Mar 2018

According to a new Greenpeace report, the world needs to cut the production and consumption of meat in half by 2050 in order to meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement. The report noted that if agriculture stays on its current trend, then it will produce 52% of global greenhouse gas emissions in the coming […]

News

Far From Transparency

05 Mar 2018

Last February 21st, the European Parliament’s Committee for Economic and Monetary Affairs approved an amendment proposed by Italian MEPs Fulvio Martusciello and Alberto Cirio. The amendment requires food companies to specify in advertising or on labels only substances and ingredients present in the product, thus forbidding to indicate the absence of ingredients and substances not […]

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Obesity is a greater threat for millennials than cannabis. It’s absurd

26 Feb 2018

In  the UK, seven out of 10 millennials are expected to be “overweight or obese” by their late 30s – compared with an already alarming half of baby-boomers. The well-documented burden on the NHS from type 2 diabetes alone will be crippling. It is therefore a legitimate concern of the state. Yet, the government continues […]

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Des OGM interdits découverts dans des aliments pour animaux

21 Feb 2018

Un vent de panique souffle sur la Commission européenne. Selon des documents officiels auquel Le Monde a eu accès, des produits destinés à l’alimentation animale ont été conçus en France à partir d’organismes génétiquement modifiés (OGM) non autorisés et distribués illégalement en Europe pour nourrir vaches et porcs. Révélé par Le Monde, ce cas montre une faille […]

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Are we poisoning our children with plastic?

20 Feb 2018

The chemical BPA is widely added to food and drink packaging, and more than 80% of teenagers have it in their bodies. But how dangerous is it? Read the full article on The Guardian here.

News

In Sweeping War on Obesity, Chile Slays Tony the Tiger

07 Feb 2018

Facing skyrocketing rates of obesity, the Chilean government is waging war on unhealthy foods with a phalanx of marketing restrictions, mandatory packaging redesigns and labeling rules aimed at transforming the eating habits of 18 million people. New regulations require explicit labeling and limit the marketing of sugary foods to children. Read the full article on […]

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MEPs back down from EU bisphenol ban

12 Jan 2018

The European Parliament has 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.   Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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Public consultation: sugars in food

10 Jan 2018

EFSA is seeking feedback on the approach it plans to take for its upcoming assessment of dietary sugars. The aim of the assessment is to establish a cut-off value for intake of “free” sugars that is not associated with adverse health effects. Read more on EFSA’s website here.

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Jamie Oliver leads calls to ban energy drink sales to U16s

08 Jan 2018

Read the full article on Food Navigator here.

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Six member states call for glyphosate alternatives, exit plan

05 Jan 2018

Six member states that opposed the re-authorisation glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used weedkiller, sent a letter to the European Commission last month asking the EU executive to conduct a study and look into alternatives to the controversial substance. Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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New organic rules and animal welfare: Meeting social expectations or not?

04 Jan 2018

The EU organic logo brings certain guarantees about high standards of animal welfare, and EU institutions ought to show strong commitment to address weaknesses in regards to animal welfare rules, writes Olga Kikou. Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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Why sugar and why so much? WHO investigates the food industry’s sweet tooth

07 Dec 2017

It’s the ‘gold standard’ for sweetness, competitors use it and artificial sweeteners aren’t clean label. Unfortunately, there are more incentives to make sugary food in Europe than there are to avoid it, says a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, which offers six insights to create a healthier food system. Read the full article on Food […]

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Food (labeling) fights

04 Dec 2017

Calorie and ingredient labels for alcohol and labels indicating the amount of fat, salt, sugar and other things in food are at the center of controversy. Read the full article on politico here.

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The Future of Food and Farming – for a flexible, fair and sustainable Common Agricultural Policy

30 Nov 2017

Read the full press release from the European Commission on the Future of Food and Farming here.

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German vote swings EU decision on 5-year glyphosate renewal

28 Nov 2017

EU member states agreed on Monday (27 November) on a five-year renewal period for the controversial herbicide glyphosate, used by Monsanto in its Roundup product. The decision was taken by EU member states’ experts, with 18 votes in favour, nine against and one abstention. Read the full article on EuObserver website here.

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Member states approve new organic rules ahead of Parliament vote

22 Nov 2017

EU member states agreed on Monday (20 November) to a new set of rules for organic farming, simplifying the system and creating a level playing field for EU produce and imports. The European Parliament’s agriculture committee will vote on the rules on Wednesday.   Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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MEPs demand glyphosate phase-out, with full ban by end 2022

24 Oct 2017

Parliament backed a full ban on glyphosate-based herbicides by December 2022 and immediate restrictions on the use of the substance, on Tuesday.   Read the full article on Europa.eu here.

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Andriukaitis: ‘Enough’ with member states hiding behind the Commission on glyphosate

10 Oct 2017

The member states should stop hiding behind or even pointing the finger at the European Commission regarding the re-authorisation of the world’s most commonly used weedkiller, glyphosate, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis told EURACTIV.com. Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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Policymakers push for healthy eating choices at lunchtime

02 Oct 2017

It can be easy to make the wrong food choices during your lunch break. But policymakers are trying to make lunchtime a more satisfying, healthy experience for employees. Read the full article on Euractiv here.

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EU report on weedkiller safety copied text from Monsanto study

19 Sep 2017

Exclusive: EU’s food safety watchdog recommended that glyphosate was safe but pages of report were identical to application from pesticide maker. Read the full article on The Guardian here.

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Netherlands finds second banned chemical on chicken farms as cost of scandal spirals

30 Aug 2017

The tainted eggs scandal deepened once again on Thursday (24 August), as Dutch Health Minister Edith Schippers said traces of a second banned insecticide had been found on Dutch poultry farms. Read the full article on EurActiv website here.

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Food industry upset over obligatory labelling of origin of pasta and rice

30 Aug 2017

Italy’s decision to impose mandatory labelling on pasta and rice packaging has triggered protests from the food industry, which has called on the European Commission to cancel the measure. Read the full article on EurActiv here.

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E621, E171: pourquoi certains additifs sont bannis de nos aliments

12 Apr 2017

Les distributeurs font pression sur leurs fournisseurs pour éviter des additifs potentiellement dangereux dans la composition de leurs produits. Le groupe Carrefour en a ainsi éliminé 60. Article complet en français sur le site de Le Soir accessible ici.

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France enforces ban on unlimited fizzy drinks in crackdown on obesity

07 Mar 2017

Restaurants in France face prosecution starting today if they offer unlimited soda drinks to customers in the latest Gallic crackdown on obesity. France had already slapped a tax on sweet drinks in 2012. Now, a new decree makes it illegal to sell unlimited amounts of drinks with sugar or sweetener at a fixed price or for […]

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Medical community alarmed by global rise in diabetes cases

15 Dec 2016

The rise of diabetes is causing avoidable deaths and imposing substantial costs on ailing healthcare systems. Alarmed, lawmakers are attempting to improve prevention and get the emerging pandemic under control. Read the full article on EurActive website.

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‘TTIP may come back from the dead,’ warns expert

12 Dec 2016

Opposition to the EU’s transatlantic trade deals is alive and well. According to activists, TTIP is far from dead and CETA can still be stopped. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) may have looked dead and buried, but this is far from certain. This was the concern expressed by a group of NGOs at […]

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NGOs: Commission’s acrylamide regulation has ‘wrong’ legal basis

22 Nov 2016

Food and consumer organisations claim that the European Commission’s draft regulation on acrylamide is based on a wrong regulation and this has a direct effect on the lack of maximum levels, EurActiv.com has learned. Read the full article on EurActive website.

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Slow Food address EU Commissioner over meat promotion

10 Nov 2016

Following the recent declarations of Phil Hogan, European Agriculture Commissioner, announcing his plan to allocate 15 million dollars a year to promote meat consumption in Europe, plus another 4 million starting next year to open new markets for European beef abroad, Slow Food has decided to take the lead of a broader coalition of organizations […]

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Health risks of materials in contact with food: tighter EU safety rules needed

21 Oct 2016

EU-wide safety rules are needed for more materials in contact with food, such as those used in packaging, kitchen utensils and tableware, say MEPs in a non-binding resolution voted on Thursday. They note that only some of these materials, such as plastics and ceramics, have been fully tested for safety for human health. Others, including […]

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Politico: Food activists attack new EU rules on cancer-causing chemical

29 Sep 2016

Newly proposed EU rules on an obscure carcinogen found in everything from chips to coffee have sparked a battle between health campaigners and lobbyists representing companies such as McDonald’s and Burger King. At the heart of the standoff are the targets proposed by the European Commission on how much acrylamide is acceptable in foods such […]

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Open Letter to Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis and First Vice-President Frans Timmermans on the Commission Draft Regulation on the application of codes of good practice to reduce the presence of acrylamide in food

16 Sep 2016

SAFE- safe food advocacy Europe, CEO – Corporate Europe Observatory and WeMove.EU welcome the much-needed initiative of DG SANTE to adopt measures to reduce the levels of acrylamide in food. However, we believe that the Draft Regulation developed by DG SANTE will not reduce the presence of acrylamide in food and, worse, may prevent individual […]

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Endocrine disruptors: science is more potent than politics

14 Sep 2016

A large group of scientists from across various sectors are supporting an appeal to the European Commission regarding its proposed regulation to establish criteria for identifying endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Read more on Euractiv’s website.

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Paris to tackle obesity with junk food tax

06 Sep 2016

France is raising the tax on all high calorie foods in an attempt to tackle its increasing weight problem. According to the ObEpi-Roche 2012 survey, 32.3% of French citizens are overweight, with 15% classified as obese. While the country performs better than may other OECD members in this regard, the situation is steadily getting worse. […]

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UNEP: Assessing the environmental impacts of consumption and production 

12 Jul 2016

“What do I do first?” It is a simple question, but for decision-makers trying to determine how they can make a meaningful contribution to sustainable consumption and production the answer is more complex. Today’s environmental debate highlights many priority issues. In the climate change discussions, energy production and mobility are in the spotlight, but when […]

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EFSA: Chemical mixtures – debating the issues

15 Jun 2016

Researchers, scientists, stakeholders and policymakers from around the world gathered recently to discuss issues surrounding the risk assessment of chemical mixtures in Europe. Read more here on EFSA’s website.

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Vast majority of MEPs demand legislation on origin labelling

13 May 2016

EU politicians have upped pressure – once again – on the European Commission to bring in mandatory country of origin labelling (COOL) for lightly processed meat and dairy products in a vote yesterday. Read more here.

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UK obesity soars as government inaction ‘disappoints’ campaigners and industry

03 May 2016

Levels of obesity in the UK have almost doubled since the early 1990s, with 58% of women and 65% of men overweight or obese. Obesity-related hospital admissions for children have almost doubled in the past 10 years, which makes the government’s failure to take action a “huge tragedy”. Click here to read more.

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Greenpeace to publish 248 pages of TTIP leaks

02 May 2016

Greenpeace said yesterday (1 May) it was in possession of leaked documents showing that a planned huge free trade deal between the United States and the European Union poses “major risks for climate, environment and consumer safety”. Read more here.

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Food safety watchdog won’t discuss funding shortfall with Health Commissioner

27 Apr 2016

The EU’s food safety watchdog faces a funding shortfall over the next five years but will not discuss the issue with Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis when he visits its Parma headquarters for the first time today (27 April). Read more here.

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EFSA wants to review the chemical BPA, again

27 Apr 2016

A new report on the chemical compound Bisphenol A (BPA) has forced the EFSA, the EU’s food safety watchdog, to review the effects of the chemical on human health once more. Read more here.

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Dutch voters now demanding referendum on TTIP

15 Apr 2016

EXCLUSIVE / Dutch voters want a referendum on the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), throwing into doubt the future of the US-EU free trade deal, nine days after the country’s ‘no’ vote in a plebiscite on an EU-Ukraine association agreement. Read more here.

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Endocrine disruptors’ link to infertility confirmed

11 Apr 2016

More and more women are finding it difficult to get pregnant, with mounting evidence suggesting chemicals used in plasticisers and pesticides are responsible. The consequences are estimated to cost the EU €1.4 billion per year. EurActiv Germany reports. Read more here.

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Obesity on the rise, WHO targets in jeopardy

04 Apr 2016

Obesity is on the rise globally and current trends suggest that health targets are in danger of not being met, according to a new study. EurActiv Germany reports.

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ECJ rules against pro-sugar advertising

18 Mar 2016

Should companies such as German firm Dextro Energy be allowed to advertise the sugar content of their products in order to promote physical performance-enhancing qualities? The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has said no. EurActiv Germany reports.

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Brussels promises hormone disruptors definition ‘by this summer’

04 Mar 2016

The European Commission has responded to criticism over its weaknesses on health and food safety with a series of goodwill gestures on hormone disruptors and glyphosate during a visit in Paris. EurActiv France reports.

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Negotiators aim to sign TTIP this year

27 Feb 2016

Negotiators on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) claimed on Friday (26 February) that they were making progress towards reaching an accord by the end of the year as they completed the latest round of talks. Read more here at Euractiv.

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Ombudsman criticises Commission’s handling of pesticides

24 Feb 2016

European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has strongly criticised the European Commission’s regulation of pesticides. In early 2013, O’Reilly’s predecessor, Nikiforos Diamandouros, was contacted by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe and Générations Futures regarding the Commission’s approach towards pesticides. In particular, its granting of authorisation even in lieu of all the necessary data relating to security, the […]

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CAP and animal welfare: Simply incompatible

23 Feb 2016

Livestock production has been at the centre of the intensification in agriculture brought by Europe’s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), writes Olga Kikou. These policies have put farmers under pressure, and created conditions for overproduction, she says. Olga Kikou is European affairs manager for Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), an international NGO working on the welfare […]

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Study: Reducing meat and dairy consumption required to meet climate goals

23 Feb 2016

Europeans need to eat less beef and consume less dairy products in order to reach the EU’s climate goals, according to a new study by Swedish researchers. Deep cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural production will be required in the EU if member states are to meet the 2 °C climate target set by […]

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Draft guidance on applications for novel foods and traditional foods from third countries: public consultation and stakeholder meeting

19 Feb 2016

EFSA has launched a public consultation on two draft guidance documents in the area of novel foods. EFSA developed the documents following the adoption in November 2015 of the EU Regulation on novel foods. Read more here.

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GMOs and pesticides could be tolerated in organic food under new EU rules

12 Feb 2016

MEPs have voted not to strip organic agricultural products of their certification if they are contaminated with GMOs or pesticides, as the majority of cases of contamination are accidental. EurActiv’s partner Journal de l’Environnement reports, read more here.

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MEPs object to three GM soybean authorisations

03 Feb 2016

The EU Commission should not authorize the use of glyphosate-tolerant GM soybeans in food and feed, said Parliament on Wednesday. MEPs note that glyphosate, a herbicide, is classified as “probably carcinogenic” by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and that GMOs are being authorized in the EU without the support of member states. Click here to […]

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EFSA: Food contact materials – building on scientific developments

28 Jan 2016

EFSA’s experts recommend refining the safety assessment of substances used in food contact materials, including the introduction of a more comprehensive approach to estimate consumer exposure, particularly for infants and toddlers. In the future, EFSA intends to update the Guidance on data requirements for the evaluation of these substances. Click here to read the whole […]

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Eating less meat will save the planet, study says

28 Jan 2016

Euractiv – The overconsumption of meat will inevitably push global temperatures to dangerous levels, a recent study has warned, urging reluctant governments to take action. Click here to read more.

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Baby food: “Let’s boot out excess sugar, babies are sweet enough already”

28 Jan 2016

MEPs have forced the European Commission back to the drawing board after rejecting its plans that would have allowed baby food to continue to contain up to three times more sugar than is recommended by the World Health Organization. UK Green MEP Keith Taylor, who drafted the resolution to turn down the plans, explained: “Obesity […]

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EFSA: Pesticides – breakthrough on cumulative risk assessment

27 Jan 2016

EFSA and its European partners have taken a major step forward in their work on assessing the cumulative risks from exposure to pesticides. A software tool has been developed for carrying out exposure assessments of multiple pesticides. In a pilot study, consumer exposure assessments are now being performed with the tool on groups of pesticides […]

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EU food safety watchdog hits back at scientists in glyphosate spat

13 Jan 2016

The head of Europe’s food safety watchdog has written to a group of nearly 100 senior scientists strongly rejecting their criticisms in an ongoing row about the safety of weed-killer ingredient glyphosate. Read more in this article by Euractiv.

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Glyphosate: EFSA responds to critics

13 Jan 2016

EFSA has replied to criticism of the EU assessment of glyphosate that was overseen by the Authority last year. Read their reply here.

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TTIP: The downfall of EU agriculture?

11 Jan 2016

A new study has concluded that TTIP threatens to completely change the way small and medium sized farms operate, through the use of more genetic engineering and more hormone-treated meat. EurActiv Germany reports.

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EU aims to crack down on unsustainable palm oil and illegal logging

10 Dec 2015

In the next five years, the major European players, including Germany, want palm oil production to become 100% sustainable and to see an end to illegal logging. EurActiv Germany reports.

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USA: Big Food aims to kill mandatory GMO labels before year’s end

09 Dec 2015

Food makers want the US Senate to pass a bill that would make labeling voluntary and supersede state-level laws. There’s no doubt about it: The food industry is counting on you to be distracted at this busy time of year, what with all those visions of sugarplums, etc., as it tries to make a stealth […]

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Jeremy Rifkin: ‘Number two cause of global warming emissions? Animal husbandry’

09 Dec 2015

An estimated 40% of all the agricultural land in the world today is used to grow feed grains for beef production, a trend that is set to worsen with the rise of the middle class in Asia, warns Jeremy Rifkin. Click here to read the full article at Euractiv.

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Agriculture Secretary: Geographic protection ‘not an easy issue’ in TTIP

02 Dec 2015

Tom Vilsack, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, said that Washington “respects” Europe’s claim for geographic protection of food in the transatlantic trade talks. But he said this should not prevent similar US products from being marketed under brands used on the American market. Read more here.  

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EU scientists advise higher safety limits on glyphosate weedkiller

12 Nov 2015

Glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which proposed higher limits on Thursday (12 November) on the amount of residue of the weedkiller deemed safe for humans to consume. Click here to read the full article.

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Parliament rejects national GMO bans proposal

28 Oct 2015

A draft EU law that would enable any EU member state to restrict or prohibit the sale and use of EU-approved GMO food or feed on its territory was rejected by the European Parliament on Wednesday. Members are concerned that the law might prove unworkable or that it could lead to the reintroduction of border […]

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EU agri-food industries draw ‘red lines’ in TTIP battle

16 Oct 2015

European agri-food business organisations have drawn their “red lines” ahead of the eleventh round of EU-US trade talks taking place next week, expressing serious concerns over access to the US market for their products. Read the full Euractive article here.

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Call for a legislative limit for the amount of industrially produced trans-fats in foods

15 Oct 2015

BEUC, CPME, EHN, EPHA, Kellogg Company, Mars, Mondelēz and Nestlé are concerned about the health effects of trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils. There’s an important evidence base on the adverse health effects of consuming trans fats, notably by increasing the risk of heart attacks or heart disease. Read more in their open letter.

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Animal welfare at heart of European organic farming proposals

07 Oct 2015

Organic farming standards across Europe could be tightened up with a greater emphasis on animal welfare when the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee meets on 13 October to discuss proposed amendments to existing regulations. An article by Chloe Ryan at GlobalMeatNews

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Commission’s proposal for stricter thresholds in organic farming opposed

07 Oct 2015

The European Commission is considering stricter pesticide limits for organic products. The organic sector and the European Parliament are not in agreement. Read more here.

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Hormone disrupters found in two thirds of French lettuce

25 Sep 2015

An investigation has found that the majority of French lettuce contains traces of hormone disrupting chemicals, some of which are banned. Journal de l’Environnement reports. Click here to read more.

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EU court ruling toughens regulations on chemicals of ‘very high concern’

14 Sep 2015

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on 10 September to strengthen the obligations of manufacturers to declare the presence of ‘substances of very high concern’ in their products. Journal de l’Environnement reports. Click here to read more.

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European Parliament: Victory for cloning opponents

12 Sep 2015

MEPs supported the total ban on cloning farm animals in Europe and on the import of cloned food and feed. Source: EP

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Cloning vote splits EC and European Parliament

08 Sep 2015

The European Commission (EC) has attacked the European Parliament’s vote  (8 September 2015) to completely ban use of cloned animals and their descendants for domestic and imported food across the EU. Read more here.

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Cloning for food: MEPs vote on plans to ban the practice

07 Sep 2015

Should cloning for food be banned because of animal welfare concerns? On Tuesday 8 September MEPs debate and vote on amendments to a European Commission proposal to ban the cloning of farm animals in the EU. The MEPs in charge of steering the plans through Parliament support the ban, but want to add provisions on […]

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France boosts efforts to tackle food waste

31 Aug 2015

France’s Minister for Ecology, Ségolène Royale, has obtained a series of commitments from French supermarket chains to limit food waste. She also hopes to change the EU’s expiry date system for certain foods. EurActiv France reports. Read more here.

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Germany initiates move to ban GMO crops

25 Aug 2015

Germany has instigated a move to stop the growing of genetically modified crops under new European Union rules, according to official documents. Read more here.

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EU wastes tonnes of food, and UK is the worst offender

13 Aug 2015

The European Union wastes about 22 million tonnes of food a year and Britain wastes the most, according to a study by European Commission-backed researchers. Read more here.

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British lawmakers demand action from Juncker on food waste

24 Jul 2015

The House of Lords, along with 16 member states, sent a letter to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on 22 July demanding that the EU crack down on food waste. Read the Euractiv article here.

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Minister Coveney: Common Agricultural Policy simplification will ease the burden on farmers

20 Jul 2015

Simon Coveney, Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, was a lead negotiator of the 2014-2020 Common Agricultural Policy during his country’s EU presidency in the first half of 2013. Click here to read his interview with Euractiv.

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GMO imports: MEPs object to draft law allowing national bans, call for plan B

16 Jul 2015

A draft EU law that would enable any member state to restrict or prohibit the use of EU-approved GMO food or feed on its territory was strongly opposed by MEPs from all political groups in a debate on 15 July 2015. Members were concerned that the draft did not include an impact assessment, that member […]

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Foodwatch boss: ‘Europeans will not stomach TTIP anymore’

03 Jul 2015

The EU-US free trade agreement, TTIP, is a big lie, says Thilo Bode, the director of the NGO Foodwatch, discussing his latest book on the transatlantic trade deal. Click here to read the article at Euractiv.

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Dossier: GMO cultivation in Europe – A decade of legal battles

03 Jul 2015

The European Union has agreed on a new approach to the cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) which allows member states to ban or restrict GMOs in their territory. The agreement should mark the end of a decade of legal problems, but in the context of ongoing EU-US free trade negotiations, vocal GMO opposition from […]

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WHO re-classifies Agent Orange herbicide as ‘carcinogenic’

30 Jun 2015

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified the common herbicide 2.4-Dichlorophenoxyacet acid as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. Read EurActiv France report here.

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EP: Consideration of plenary amendments on TTIP

25 Jun 2015

[25-06-2015] During extraordinary meeting on 29 June, INTA will consider the plenary amendments and related requests, for split and separate votes, that were tabled to the report containing recommendations of the European Parliament to the Commission for the negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP), (A8-0175/2015). In a procedure under Rule 175, […]

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EuroparlTV: Cloned animals – would you eat them?

22 Jun 2015

In Europe, cloned animals haven’t made their way into the food supply chain – yet – but they’re not banned from it either. EU legislation on cloning is proving a hard nut to crack. Click here to watch the video.

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Ban not just animal cloning, but cloned food, feed and imports too, say MEPs

18 Jun 2015

EP Press release – Agriculture / Public health A draft law to ban the cloning of all farm animals, their descendants and products derived from them, including imports, in the EU was voted by the Environment and Agriculture committees on Wednesday. MEPs beefed up the European Commission’s initial proposal, citing high mortality rates at all […]

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Circular economy: “systemic change” needed to address resource scarcity

17 Jun 2015

European Parliament Press release – Environment Binding waste-reduction targets, revamped ecodesign legislation and measures to break the link between growth and the use of natural resources are the chief demands set out in a resolution passed on 17 June by environment MEPs,who call on the Commission to table new legislation by the end of 2015. Click here […]

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EP vote and debate on TTIP recommendations postponed: what’s next?

11 Jun 2015

The debate and vote on Parliament’s recommendations on the ongoing Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations were postponed because of the high number of amendments tabled. What does this mean and what happens next? Click here for an explaining video. And read more on the EP’s website.

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New experts join EFSA’s Scientific Committee and Panels

08 Jun 2015

EFSA has renewed the memberships of eight of its scientific Panels and its Scientific Committee, boosting its scientific excellence with a new intake of experts. The 167 scientists – about half of whom are joining EFSA for the first time – will start their three-year term on 1 July 2015. Their CVs and declarations of […]

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EFSA: Acrylamide in food is a public health concern

05 Jun 2015

Following a comprehensive review, EFSA has published its scientific opinion on acrylamide in food. Experts from EFSA’s Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) have reconfirmed previous evaluations that acrylamide in food potentially increases the risk of developing cancer for consumers in all age groups. This conclusion has not changed since the draft opinion […]

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Animal health: “The principle is the same whether you are taking care of a dog, a cat or 3,000 pigs”

02 Jun 2015

A proposal to streamline and simplify complicated animal health rules in the EU was informally agreed by MEPs, the European Commission and the national governments on 1 June. Marit Paulsen, the Parliament’s lead negotiator, described the result as “fantastic”: “Its most important principle is to prevent rather than to cure.” We talked to Paulsen, who […]

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MEPs want healthier eating habits in school

28 May 2015

A majority of MEPs on Wednesday (27 May) backed the Commission’s proposals for the EU’s merged fruit and milk scheme in schools, in order to promote healthier eating habits among young people. Read the full article here.

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European Commission and chemicals lobby deny delaying tactics over hormone disruptors

21 May 2015

The European Commission and the chemicals industry have rejected claims, revealed by leaked emails in a new NGO report, that they actively sought to slow down work on the definition of criteria for regulating hormone disrupting chemicals. Read the full article at Euractiv.

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Standards to better inform about food security decisions

20 May 2015

In the context of Expo Milano 2015, on 20 May 2015, the JRC and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development host participating agencies of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global initiative which provides common scale for classifying food insecurity situations. Find here more on the European Commission’s website.

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Regulators urged to promote trust in Europe’s food chain

11 May 2015

As the agricultural sector faces mounting pressure to raise production, consumer trust in the safety of the food supply chain has been eroding, a European Commission official warned. Click here to read Euractiv’s special report.

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US to open TTIP “reading rooms” across EU

29 Apr 2015

The US government will open “reading rooms” in its embassies across the European Union, so that national politicians can read secret documents related to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Read more at Euractiv.

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Germany sceptical of national import ban on GM foods

24 Apr 2015

Despite overwhelming public disapproval of genetically modified crops, the Merkel government is reluctant to prohibit imports of GM soy and corn. Read the report by EurActiv Germany here.

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EU proposal on GMO food criticised by Greenpeace, industry

22 Apr 2015

The European Commission’s proposed new rules on the approval of food derived from genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), published on Wednesday (22 April), have immediately attracted criticism from both environment NGOs and the agribusiness sector. Read more at Euractiv.

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Officials accuse Timmermans of delaying EU health, food safety rules

22 Apr 2015

A growing number of officials in the European Commission’s health unit are complaining that health and food safety legislation is being delayed due to slow decision-making from Frans Timmermans, the Commission’s First Vice-President in charge of Better Regulation. Read more at Euractiv.

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Ombudsman: EU must interrogate US over TTIP transparency

21 Apr 2015

The United States’ resistance to greater transparency in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks, poses a problem to a European Commission that must answer demands for more openness from civil society if it is to seal the trade deal, the European Ombudsman has told EurActiv in an exclusive interview. Emily O’Reilly is the […]

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Opinion: What will EU parliamentarians vote on TTIP?

20 Apr 2015

If EPP members are mobilised, and a small number of S&D MEPs break the group line (or simply don’t vote), then a narrow majority may push through a softened ISDS, writes Doru Frantescu. Doru Frantescu is director and co-founder of VoteWatch Europe. This article was first published on Votewatch on 16 April.  

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EFSA: Chemicals in Food – Establishing safe levels

17 Apr 2015

Video by EFSA: Our bodies, our environment and our food are all made up of chemicals. Most of the chemicals in food are harmless or even beneficial such nutrients like proteins, fats and fibre. However, some chemicals in food can pose a risk if we are overexposed to them. That is why scientists establish ‘health-based […]

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European Commission clarifies new GMO import rules

16 Apr 2015

An internal document seen by EurActiv discloses Commission plans to give member states the final say on whether or not to accept GMO imports. EurActiv France reports. Click here to read the article.

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MEPs want health excluded from TTIP talks

16 Apr 2015

On 14 April, Members of the Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) voted in favour of an opinion which calls for five health-related areas to be excluded from the Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP) negotiations between the EU and the United States. Read more at Euractiv.

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Agriculture poses immense threat to environment, German study says

10 Apr 2015

Conventional agriculture is causing enormous environmental damage in Germany, warns a study by the country’s Federal Environment Agency, saying a transition to organic farming and stricter regulation is urgently needed. EurActiv Germany reports. Click here to read the article.

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Commission prepares minimal reform of GMO imports

09 Apr 2015

The European executive plans to present a new legal framework for GMO imports by the end of the month. Member states could be given the final say over imports, a possibility that disappoints environmentalists. Click here to read the report by EurActiv France.

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UN cancer agency issues warning about five pesticides

23 Mar 2015

The UN’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said Friday (20 March) that three pesticides were “probably” carcinogenic and two others, which have already been outlawed or restricted, were “possibly” so. More at Euractiv.com

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Euractiv: EU to step up TTIP communication efforts

16 Mar 2015

European leaders want to step up communication efforts around the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, the EU-US trade talks that have been marred by controversy. Click here to read more at Euractiv.

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EFSA: Over 97% of foods in EU contain pesticide residues within legal limits

12 Mar 2015

More than 97% of food samples evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) contain pesticide residue levels that fall within legal limits, with just under 55% of samples free of detectable traces of these chemicals. The findings are part of EFSA’s 2013 annual report on pesticide residues in food, which includes the results for […]

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MEPs to grill Commission over delays in tackling hormone-disrupting chemicals

09 Mar 2015

Plenary sessions : Growing worries that endocrine disruptors can damage your health will be raised in MEPs’ questions to health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis on Monday, 9 March, at 19.00. Scientists link these chemicals, present in many everyday products, to a rise in foetal and genital abnormalities, cancer and infertility. MEPs will ask the Commission to […]

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Video: MEPs & NGOs at odds over effect of Europe’s GMO stance on developing world

28 Feb 2015

It took Europe three years to break the deadlock on Genetically Modified Organisms. The European Parliament decided last month to give member states the choice to ban or allow the cultivation of GM crops. A video by Euractiv

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Euractiv: Parliament divided over meat labels

10 Feb 2015

Most of the parties in the European Parliament want to see stricter labeling of the meat used in ready meals, but the implementation costs remain uncertain. EurActiv France reports. Click here to read more.

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Strong demand from citizens for an obligatory transparency register

05 Feb 2015

A new transparency register has been in force since 27 January, allowing everyone to find out which interest groups have been lobbying the EU institutions. However, the register, which is used by the Parliament and the European Commission, is not yet obligatory. Sylvie Guillaume, a French member of the S&D group, is the vice-president responsible […]

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European Parliament: Trade committee debate on new recommendations for TTIP talks

21 Jan 2015

The Parliament must use its influence on framing the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) rules to ensure that they serve all EU citizens, not just a few economic players and must therefore insist that the talks are more democratic and more transparent, said trade committee chair, Bernd Lange (S&D, DE), on 21 January 2015. […]

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Food safety MEPs call for country of origin labelling of meat in processed foods

21 Jan 2015

Meat used as an ingredient in processed foods, such as lasagne, should be labelled by country of origin as is already the case for bovine fresh meat, said Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee MEPs on 21 January 2015. They call on the European Commission, which published a report on the issue in late […]

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SAFE concerned about EFSA decision on Bisphenol A

21 Jan 2015

From today’s press release by the European Food Safety Authority: “EFSA’s comprehensive re-evaluation of bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and toxicity concludes that BPA poses no health risk to consumers of any age group (including unborn children, infants and adolescents) at current exposure levels. Exposure from the diet or from a combination of sources (diet, dust, […]

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Agriculture Commissioner promises GMO labelling, despite TTIP

17 Jan 2015

If a product contains genetically modified corn, it will still be labelled as such in the future, assured EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan, seeking to dispel fears that consumer protection standards could suffer under planned trade agreements with the US and Canada. EurActiv Germany reports. Read the full article here.

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HEAL: ‘Endocrine disruptors are one of the biggest public health threats of this century’

16 Jan 2015

Although hormone-disrupting chemicals are recognised as a global public health threat by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission’s public consultation on the matter, which closed on 16 January 2015, is only meant to delay action and regulation, argues Génon K. Jensen, director of the not-for-profit organisation Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL). Read the full […]

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European Parliament backs GMO opt-out for EU member states

13 Jan 2015

New legislation to allow EU member states to restrict or ban the cultivation of crops containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their own territory, even if this is allowed at EU level, was passed by MEPs on 13 January 2015. The legislation, informally agreed by Parliament and Council in December, was originally tabled in 2010 […]

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Waste Legislative package (COD) – Exchange of views & Public Hearing

06 Jan 2015

An exchange of views with the European Commission, represented by Director General Mr Karl Falkenberg, on the review of six waste directives (Waste Framework, Packaging & Packing Waste, Landfill, Batteries & Accumulators Waste, End-of-lifeVehicle, Waste Electric & Electronic Waste), followed by a public hearing on the same topic will take place on Thursday 22 January […]

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New EU labelling information for consumers: good or bad news?

18 Dec 2014

Several new labelling rules are included in the EU Regulation on Food Information to consumers and are made mandatory as of 13 December 2014. SAFE welcomes the new labelling information for consumers, but unfortunately those new rules will not provide all the information which EU citizens need to receive before buying food products. So, is it […]

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Without correct and complete labelling there is no choice!

14 Nov 2014

On the 11 of November 2014, the Italian Presidency of the EU organized in the European Parliament in Brussels a conference titled “Food safety and quality towards Expo 2015”. SAFE was present and here below you will find a short summary of the main issues discussed by the panelists. During the meeting, only the position […]

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EU project to encourage debate on sustainable diets

27 Oct 2014

LiveWell for LIFE is a project funded through the EU’s LIFE Programme for the Environment and will be implemented over three years (2011-2014) by WWF (WWF-UK, WWF European Policy Office ) and Friends of Europe. LiveWell for LIFE plays a role in the European sustainable diets debate. The project looks at health, nutrition, carbon and affordability […]

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Meeting on the outcome of the public consultation on “Acrylamide in Food”

25 Oct 2014

When: 10 December 2014 Where: Brussels More: Here In line with EFSA’s policy on openness and transparency, on 1 July 2014 EFSA launched an open consultation on the draft scientific opinion on acrylamide in food developed by the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM). This is the first full risk assessment of […]

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Threshold of Toxicological Concern – EFSA meets stakeholders

23 Oct 2014

When: 2 December 2014 Where: Brussels More: Here The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have embarked on a project to review the science underlying the concept of the Threshold of Toxicological Concern  (TTC). EFSA and WHO will convene a stakeholder event on 2 December 2014 to provide an opportunity […]

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