Tag: EU
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EU Committee Proposes Tougher Penalties for Food Fraud
The European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee has approved a draft report of legislation that calls for stronger policing of the food industry and tougher penalties for fraud. With an aim to strengthen procedures for detection and prevention of fraudulent practices in the European food chain, the legislation calls for, among other…
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EFSA Reviews Study Linking Phosphate Additives to Cardiovascular Risk
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a statement finding that a published review of observational studies ultimately failed to establish a causal relationship between high intakes of phosphate additives in food and increased cardiovascular risk in the general population. In addition to considering the data on the association between serum phosphate levels and…
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FDA Issues Industry Guidance on Acrylamide Reduction
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued draft guidance for the food industry “to help growers, manufacturers and food service operators take steps to reduce levels of acrylamide in certain foods.” A chemical formed in some foods during high-temperature cooking, acrylamide has been characterized by the National Toxicology Program as “reasonably anticipated to…
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Corporate Europe Observatory Criticizes EFSA Ahead of Transparency Conference
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) recently joined a coalition of nongovernmental organizations in criticizing the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) ahead of the agency’s October 3, 2013, stakeholder meeting on transparency in risk assessment. Led by CEO and backed by groups such as Cancer Prevention and Education Society, Friends of the Earth Europe and GMWatch, the…
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EC Amends Nano Elements of Food Information and Labeling Rule
The European Commission (EC) has issued a draft rule amending Regulation 1169/2011—a food information and labeling rule adopted in 2011—with regard to use of the term “nano” to describe food additives. The amended rule requires adherence to the definition of “engineered nanomaterial” provided in Recommendation 2011/696/EU, because this rule “reflects the technical and scientific progress to…
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French President Vows to Continue Ban on GM Corn Crops
According to news sources, French President François Hollande has said that the country will maintain its prohibition on growing genetically modified (GM) corn sold by Monsanto, despite a Council of State court ruling reversing the moratorium on the ground that it had little legal basis. The ban on MON810 corn has been in effect in…
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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 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…