Tag: Germany

  • France to Ban Mass Culling of Male Chicks

    France’s agriculture minister has reportedly announced that the country will prohibit the mass culling of male chicks shortly after they hatch and ban the castration of piglets without anesthesia in an effort to support animal welfare. The minister indicated his intention to have the regulations take effect by the end of 2021. Germany previously banned…

  • Online and Mail-Order Sellers Must Obtain Organic Permits, ECJ Rules

    The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that all online and mail-order sellers of organic products—including small producers and sellers that would otherwise be exempt from the requirements—must obtain sales permits to avoid fraud and mislabeling and maintain “consumer confidence” in products labeled as organic. Kamin und Grill Shop GmbH v. Zentrale zur Bekampfung…

  • Plant­-Based Products Cannot Be “Milk, ” ECJ Rules

    The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that plant-­based products cannot use milk­- or dairy-­related terms for product names or in marketing because the terms are “exclusively” reserved for animal-­milk products under EU law. Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb eV v. Tofu Town.com GmbH, Case C­ 422/16 (order entered June 14, 2017). Verband Sozialer Wettbewerb eV,…

  • European, U.S. Courts Split on Compensation for False Outbreak Identifications

    A German court has reportedly ordered the city of Hamburg to compensate a Spanish vegetable grower falsely linked to a 2011 E. coli outbreak that sickened more than 4,000 people in 16 countries. Vegetable cooperative Frunet asserted that it suffered €2.3 million in damages as a result of its incorrect identification as the source of…

  • Health Canada Says BPA in Canned Foods Poses No Risk; Germany Advises Manufacturers to Find Alternatives

    Health Canada’s Bureau of Chemical Safety has released a survey of bisphenol A (BPA) in canned foods that finds low rates of exposure and no risk to public health. Researchers apparently examined samples from 78 domestic and imported canned food products, including pastas, soups, tomato paste, tuna and vegetables. The results indicated that canned tuna…