EU health commissioner David Byrne has expressed his confidence in
the food chain as a contamination scare highlights the value of
traceability and the progress made in reducing risks to the complex
food production industry.
For the first time in Europe's history, and in the face of strong
opposition, European countries will be able to grow GM maize in
their fields as Brussels waves through a biotech corn into the EU's
catalogue.
The world's watchdog for food rules has given the green light to
over 20 new and amended food standards covering animal feeding,
milk products and a newly adopted definition for traceability.
Accreditation of Genetic ID's testing for detection of genetically
modified materials in raw foods, processed foods, and animal feed
has been renewed by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service
(UKAS).
Governments on both sides of the Atlantic need to better understand
how consumers perceive risk if they are to form better food safety
policies. The issue of bioterrorism however is helping to establish
a growing consensus among policy...
Countdown to the integration of 10 new member states in Europe this
April begins under the aegis of the Irish presidency. For
manufacturers, a clear understanding of the marketplace in these
countries will be vital to pitching the...
Monsanto will have to wait a little longer to find out if it will
be granted permission by the European Union authorities to import
its genetically modified (GM) maize NK603 into the trading bloc.
MEPs last week voted to adopt a contentious report calling for
rules to be established at the community level on the coexistence
of genetically modified (GM) crops with ordinary crops. A move that
squares up against the Commission...
The EU is to take a vote next week on seed thresholds. With rules
for growing gene crops and legislation on feed containing GMOs
already in place, the Commission's standing on the subject is to
become clearer.
The Council of Ministers yesterday formally adopted two European
Commission proposals on genetically modified organisms,
establishing a clear EU system to trace and label GMOs in food and
feed products.
The baton has been passed - and not too soon either. The European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has, at last, appointed the body of
scientists charged with the responsibility of scientific assessment
of food safety issues in Europe,...
With the aim of improving scientific understanding in the European
Union, in November this year Brussels witnessed the launch of one
of the biggest research programmes in the world - the Sixth
Framework Programme (FP6). A slice of...
With falling livestock numbers across Europe, feed antioxidant
manufacturers are suffering from lower volumes and lower prices -
causing them to look at the natural antioxidant market in an effort
to increase revenues. The category...
The US has complained to the World Trade Organisation about the
recent decision in the EU to tighten the labelling restrictions for
GM products, increasing the likelihood of a new trade war between
the two blocs, warns Friends of...
EU committee backs Commission proposals to reverse enforced testing
of fish products from China. In March this year Member States
blocked certain Chinese products over fears of banned antibiotic
chloramphenicol.
The European Food Safety Authority finally started work this week,
but despite the hype it still has no permanent headquarters and no
executive director.
The European Union said on Tuesday it was investigating a growing
food scare in several member nations surrounding the discovery of
synthetic hormones in soft drinks and pork products.
Germany tries to reassure its trading partners of the safety of its
organic foodstuffs amid fears that the European Commission is
planning to ban them because of the nitrofen contamination scare.
An advisory committee to the European Parliament has ruled that
draft rules on the labelling of genetically modified foods should
be toughened, to the delight of anti-GM campaigners throughout the
Union.
Consumers need clear information about genetically modified (GM)
food, but tough European Commission proposals planning compulsory
labels for all food products made from gene crops are unworkable, a
UK parliamentary report said.
The vitamin price fixing affair which has already seen a cartel of
some of the world's major producers fined by the European and US
authorities is continuing in other parts of the world. This week
saw the Australian Federal Court...
The European Commission has unveiled a sweeping reform of food
safety legislation, giving itself more powers to take emergency
steps in crises such as the dioxin poisoning scare.
A consignment of fishmeal feed produced in Germany using some
ingredients contaminated with an antibiotic presents no danger to
public health, the Lower Saxony state agriculture ministry in
Germany said yesterday.
Britain's trade ministry asked the European Commission last week to
allow it to study the impact of Cargill Inc's proposed acquisition
of French starch maker Cerestar , because of UK competition
worries.
European Union countries on Thursday agreed on new rules on
labelling animal feed, in a move to tighten existing laws after a
series of food scares in recent years, the European Parliament said
on Thursday.
The Hungarian Government is pushing for a full lifting of the ban
on meat and food product shipments to Russia, according to Péter
Balás, Deputy State...
The European Commission has submitted to the Member States a
working paper on the future strategy on the use of meat-and-bone
meal (MBM) in Europe which...
The European Commission has granted regulatory clearance to the
acquisition by Cargill Inc. of Agribrands International, a
U.S.-based producer and marketer...
