An interesting study has recently been issued by the European Commission. The study confirms that the findings of the 2007-2008 evaluation on the production and marketing of plant reproductive material are still valid. However, it also finds that the current GMO legislation is not fit for purpose in terms of new techniques that alter the
European Parliament allows for ‘creamy’ and ‘buttery’ plant-based dairy
Having voted 7 months earlier in favour of banning descriptive terms as ‘buttery’ and ‘creamy’ for purely plant-based products, the European Parliament withdrew draft legislation (the famous Amendment 171).
Implications of Amendment 171 were that the following would be prohibited:
- Familiar packaging formats like a carton for plant-based milk alternatives, or a block of plant
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New era for insects!
The EU Commission confirmed EFSA’s scientific opinion and authorizes the first edible insect, dried yellow mealworm, to be placed on the European market.
The authorisation will provide for the product to be sold in whole, dried form or to be used as an ingredient in other foods and is the first authorisation of its kind.…
Titanium dioxide: An unexpected decision from EFSA
The EFSA recently gave its updated conclusions on the titanium dioxide (E171) food additive. The results were a reassessment of the EFSA’s safety conclusions which were published on June 28, 2016 (which were themselves a reassessment of the EFSA’s original 2009 assessment). The most recent appraisal took into consideration new data that have been discovered…
EC implementation guidelines on the Single-Use Plastics (SUP) directive are finally there…!
Yesterday the long-waited Commission guidelines on single-use plastics (SUP) were published. These guidelines facilitate a correct and harmonised application of the key parts of Directive (EU) 2019/904 on SUP, in particular, on the definition of plastic, of single-use plastic products made wholly or partly of plastic, and the different items covered by the Directive.
Please…
The future of organic in Europe: changes coming to processing and labelling rules
Labelling terms referring to organic production and EU organic logo make it easier for the consumers to identify organic products and ensure organic food meets strict conditions of production and processing, in accordance with EU requirements. In line with the overall revision of organic production, the new Regulation (EU) No 2018/848[1], intended to…
The food safety aspects of edible insects
Recently growing concerns about the environmental effects of food production has led to an interest in the possibility of using insects as a viable nutrient source in both human diets and animal feed (due to the low carbon, water and ecological footprints associated with insect farming and edible insects can be a good source of…
The EU and the definition of “Nanomaterial”
The EU Commission has not decided to harmonize the definition of nanomaterial yet, just to slightly update it. Considering that the issues identified in the current definition in the Recommendation 2011/696/EU might be addressed through minor changes of it, the EU Commission organizes only a second survey to targeted stakeholders (economic operators implementing all relevant…
Brexit and novel food procedures
Now that Brexit is a reality, the way that the UK assesses novel foods may change, with the UK implementing its own procedures separate from those of the EU bloc.
One such example of this is cannabidiol’s status in the UK as a novel food.
Here’s interesting guidance from the UK’s Food Standards Agency, giving…
Brexit and food additive authorisation procedures
When it comes to food and feed, it’s no secret that the Brexit deal has given rise to come big legal questions. What has changed? Which rules remain the same? Will commonalities continue?
General Background:
The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended by the European Union Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020, created a new category…