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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]