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