Tag: EU
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EFSA Responds to “Urgent Request” for Avian Flu Advice
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a risk assessment in response to the European Commission’s urgent request for scientific advice on the H5N8 avian influenza A virus detected in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Focusing on the role of wild birds as vectors, EFSA plans to release a December 2014 report…
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EU Court of Justice Allows Retailer Liability for Poultry with Salmonella
The European Union’s (EU’s) Court of Justice has determined that the law requires fresh poultry meat to satisfy the microbiological criteria for foodstuffs and that national law may impose a penalty on “a food business operator which is active only at the distribution stage” for placing a contaminated food product on the market. Reindl v.…
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Public Interest Groups Sue FDA over Animal Drug Approvals
The Center for Food Safety and two other public interest organizations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking to overturn its approval of 11 animal drugs containing ractopamine hydrochloride on the ground that the agency failed to undertake the analysis purportedly required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)…
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EU Seeks Comments on Endocrine Disruptors, GM Plant Guidance
The European Commission (EC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have launched public consultations seeking comments on endocrine active substances and draft genetically modified (GM) plant guidance. In accordance with regulations governing biocides and plant protection products, the commission has asked the public “to help define criteria for endocrine disruptors” as part of its effort…
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PETA UK Director Urges Action on Foie Gras in the EU
Animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is currently engaged in a campaign to ban foie gras production throughout the European Union (EU). Writing in the September 17, 2014, issue of The Parliament Magazine, PETA UK Director Mimi Bekhechi urges readers to sign a letter to EU officials calling on them to…
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Russia Takes Further Action on Food Sanctions
Russia has relaxed its food ban against the European Union by clarifying that it will allow imports of salmon and trout hatchlings, potato and onion seed, sugar maize hybrid and peas for planting, lactose-free milk, flavor additives, and food fibers. The move follows criticism from within the country on the effects the import prohibitions would…
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EU and Southern Africa Agree to Protect Unique Food Names
The European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC)—Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland—have agreed to protect each other’s geographical indication (GI) names on agricultural products. The EU lists 251 GIs it seeks to protect for a variety of products, focusing especially on dairy products like cheese, while South Africa’s 105…
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EU Publishes Draft Directive Allowing Member States to Ban GMOs
At the request of 13 member states, the Council of the European Union (EU) has adopted a draft directive granting its member states “more flexibility to decide whether or not they wish to cultivate genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their territory.” In a July 23, 2014, press release, the council states that it sought “to…