Category: Europe
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EFSA Proposes Animal Welfare Measures in Poultry Slaughter
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a scientific opinion on animal welfare considerations during the slaughter of poultry for food. The opinion provides a “comprehensive overview” of “the entire slaughter process from arrival and unloading of birds through stunning to bleeding and killing.” The opinion also identifies hazards that “give rise to welfare…
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“Suicyder” Complaint Upheld
The Portman Group, a U.K. alcohol industry self-regulatory group, has upheld a complaint against the Bearded Brewery for the name of its high-alcohol cider, Suicyder. A member of the public complained about the beverage name’s reference to suicide, calling Suicyder “clearly irresponsible” because it purportedly targets young men—”the group at highest risk of suicide”—and uses…
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Advertising Complaint Upheld Against U.K. Hemp Rum Co.
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against The Cornish Rum Co. against its ads marketing Dead Man’s Fingers Hemp Rum. The complainant asserted that two Instagram posts and an ad in a trade magazine used language linking the hemp-infused rum to cannabis, including “Delicious mixed with coke or ginger ale—serve chilled,…
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EFSA Opens Public Consultation on Aflatoxins in Food
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a public consultation on the risks associated with consuming aflatoxins, mycotoxins produced by two species of Aspergillus that “are known to be genotoxic (capable of damaging DNA) and carcinogenic.” Most human exposure to aflatoxins comes from contaminated grains and derived products, although they can also be found…
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Denmark to Ban PFAS from Food Packaging
Denmark has reportedly passed a law that will ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from cardboard and paper used for food packaging. “These substances represent such a health problem that we can no longer wait for the EU,” Denmark’s food minister is quoted as saying. Recycled paper may continue to be used if the PFAS…
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Illinois Adds Sesame to Allergen-Labeling Regulations
Illinois has passed a law requiring businesses to indicate on food labels whether a product contains sesame. The amended law deems a food misbranded if “it contains sesame, is offered for sale in package form but not for immediate consumption, and the label does not include sesame.” The state representative who sponsored the legislation told…
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Europe, California to Ban Chlorpyrifos
California regulators have reportedly indicated that they will ban the pesticide chlorpyrifos following the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) refusal to ban the substance. “We have to step into the void and take action where the federal government has failed to do so,” the head of the state’s environmental agency reportedly told The Los Angeles Times.…
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UK Prohibits Cheese Ad for Harmful Gender Stereotypes
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint that a television advertisement “perpetuated a harmful stereotype by suggesting that men were incapable of caring for children and would place them at risk as a result of their incompetence.” The ad showed a father leaving a baby in a carrier on a conveyor belt…