Category: Europe
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EFSA Concludes BPA Exposure “Lower Than Previously Estimated”
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a draft assessment of consumer exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), provisionally concluding that “for all population groups diet is the major source of exposure to [BPA] and exposure is lower than previously estimated.” According to a July 25, 2013, news release, EFSA used exposure modeling and new human biomonitoring data to refine…
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ASA Upholds Complaint Claiming Beer Ad Condoned Alcohol Consumption at Football Stadium
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld two complaints alleging that a recent advertisement for Heineken beer “condoned or encouraged the consumption of alcohol in a football stadium within sight of the pitch, which was an illegal activity,” and “condoned or encouraged people to take glass bottles into a football stadium, which was not…
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UK Government Rejects Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcoholic Beverages
The U.K. Home Office has issued its response to a public consultation on its alcohol strategy, laying out a number of new measures but stopping short of instituting a scheme that would have priced alcoholic beverages per unit of alcohol. Under the new strategy, the government has vowed, among other things, to (i) take action…
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EFSA to Complete Draft Opinion on Acrylamide in 2014
Responding to a request from the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has announced plans to complete a draft scientific opinion on acrylamide by mid-2014 using “hundreds of scientific studies” as well as new data from food business operators, consumer organizations and other stakeholders. According to a July 15, 2013, news release, EFSA’s Panel…
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FSA Issues Final Report on Horse Meat Investigation
At the behest of the U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA), an independent reviewer has issued a final report on the agency’s response “to the adulteration of processed beef products with horse and pork meat and DNA.” Authored by Pat Troop, former chief executive of the Health Protection Agency, the report evaluates FSA’s “relevant capacity and…
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EFSA Finalizes Guidance on Pesticide-Related Risk to Bees
Following a request from the European Commission concerning the declining health of bees in Europe, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published new guidance for assessing the potential risks to bees from the use of pesticides. Noting that a previous risk assessment for honeybees did not fully account for risks from chronic or repeat…
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FSA Seeks Comments on Omega-3 Rich Oil
The U.K. Food Standards Agency (FSA) has requested public comments about a novel foods application submitted by a U.S. company seeking permission to use refined oil from Bugglossoides arvensis seeds in its food products. The company suggests in the application that the oil is a rich source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and could…
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UK Advertising Standards Authority Takes Action Against PETA Ad
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against a print advertisement by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Foundation alleging that meat consumption raises heart disease and cancer risk. According to ASA’s report, the poster under review featured a child smoking a cigar and the following text: “You Wouldn’t…