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‘Consumers Come First’ Conference 2021

07 October 2021

On November 10, SAFE held a conference to analyse the important challenges hampering proper food information to consumers, trying to understand how to shift towards a more sustainable food system. To ensure such a transition, all actors of the chain (from production to consumption) need to be involved and to collaborate for the realisation of healthier food environments.

Several questions are currently present in the political debate concerning food information to consumers. The conference focused on how to ensure sustainability through food information to consumers, and how consumers could better understand what “sustainable” is. The main objective was to address the issue of products sustainability for consumers, as often, information on ecological impact or environmental footprint are not fully understood and correctly transmitted.

The conference notably explored three issues relating to food information to consumers which require specific synergies between sectors and actors:

  • Labelling and nutrition – how to ensure sustainable and healthy diets?
  • Food Contact Materials (FCMs): opportunities and challenges for a safe regulatory framework
  • Protecting consumers from misleading use of the term “natural” on food products

This event intends to collect high level stakeholders’ views on the challenges and opportunities related to each of these issues in order to identify trends capable of fostering better food environments for consumers and ultimately facilitate the shift towards a more sustainable food system.

TimeSessions
This conference will be moderated by Natasha Foote (journalist, Euractiv)
14.00 Registration
14.05Welcome & Opening remarks
Stella Kyriakides (Commissioner for Health and Food Safety)
Floriana Cimmarusti (Secretary General, Safe Food Advocacy Europe)
14.15Panel #1: Food information to consumers – how to ensure sustainable and healthy diets?
·        Herbert Dorfmann (MEP, EPP)
·        Dirk Jacobs (Deputy Director, Food&DrinkEurope)
·        Sabine Pelsser (Head of Unit Food Information and composition, European Commission)
·   Nikolai Pushkarev (Policy Coordinator, EPHA)
15.05 Q & A
15.20Break
15.30Panel #2: Food contact materials and health protection – what challenges remain to be addressed?
·       Piernicola Pedicini (MEP, Greens/EFA)
·       Alberto Mantovani (Director of Research, Istituto Superiore di Sanità)
·       Jonathan Briggs (Policy Officer, European Commission)
·       Stefan Scheuer (Chief EU Policy Advocate, ChemTrust)
·       Sidsel Dyekjær (Regulatory Manager, Varefakta)
16.20Q & A
16.35Panel #3: Protecting consumers from misleading use of the term “natural” on food products
Francisco Guerreiro (MEP, Greens/EFA)
Representative of the Australian Government (name TBC)
Livia Menichetti (Director General, EHPM)
Bruno Viano (Managing Partner, ETHICA srl)
Federica Dolce (EU Policy Manager, SAFE)
17.25Q & A
17.35Closing remarks
Floriana Cimmarusti (Secretary General, Safe Food Advocacy Europe)

Conference Replay is available below and on SAFE’s Youtube channel!