Five years ago the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) became law. Around the bloc, hopeful EU healthy foods and supplements stakeholders submitted more than 44,000 health claim applications.
The European Commission has proposed higher maximum cadmium levels for dark chocolate as more of the heavy metal is found in chocolate with high cocoa content.
Nestle has become the first food company to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories as the company said that it would almost certainly be the case.
Researchers at the University of Toronto have published a study review that claims chewing xylitol- based chewing gum five times a day can reduce acute middle ear infections (AOM) in young children.
The Association of the Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery of Europe (Caobisco) has called for buffer stocks to be extended to cover the supply of commodities like wheat, skimmed milk powder and butter oil as part of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy...
Italian confectioner Ferrero has been ordered by a German court to change the labelling on its Nutella brand or face €250,000 fines per individual case.
Health ingredients firm Biothera has been granted novel foods approval in the EU for its immune health ingredient yeast beta glucan and said there were prospects for manufacturers in a variety of food formulations.
Coca-Cola said it has no reason to drop the artificial sweetener aspartame from its low or zero calorie beverage brands in the European market as it welcomes last week’s approval by the European Commission for the use of the natural sweetener stevia in...
Gum giant Wrigley has been granted novel food approval in the EU for an extract to be used in chewing gum and mints that will allow it to introduce new products with perceived breath-freshening benefits.
Post-market monitoring of stevia use levels in food and drink products could see the European Commission broaden the current authorised food categories, claims a stevia trade body.
A decision is not expected until spring 2012 on whether the EU Ecolabel would be extended to food and drink products, reports the EU, following the publication of a feasibility study last week.
The US-based Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) has warned parents of children involved in trick-or-treat to be wary of potential adulteration of gummy bears or other confectionery with alcoholic drinks such as vodka.
Instability in the European sugar market is set to continue in the near future though further deregulation anticipated for 2015 could help bakery and confectionery manufacturers, according to a report from financial services provider Rabobank Group.
The EU food and drink manufacturing sector has welcomed Brussels decision to abolish the EU sugar quota system by 2015, claiming it will allow a more market-focused sugar regime.
The French Health Minister has given his backing to a law that would outlaw the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in all food packaging from 2014 – as well as proposing that the chemical should be banned in all packing aimed at children from 2013.
A recent GM honey ruling could have huge cost implications for the European food industry, with the UK’s food safety agency calling for greater clarity from Brussels on the interpretation of the European Court of Justice’s decision.
Mars has announced that Maltesers will be its first brand to carry the Fairtrade mark from June 2012, the commitment follows similar moves from Cadbury and Nestle.
Last week, hundreds of confectioners and bakers gathered on Capitol Hill, the meeting place of the US congress, to call for an end to the sugar price support programme, which they claim is keeping sugar prices artificially high and forcing food companies...
New research is hoping to determine whether the rising demand for ‘free from’ foods is driven by a real need or a fad, while also identifying the potential opportunities for food and drink makers.
The EU is set to abolish the system of sugar production quotas for the bloc as well as guaranteed minimum prices from 2016, according to a Brussels source.
A decision is awaited from the Commission on the use of Sunset Yellow FCF (E 110) in non-alcoholic flavoured drinks following a revised exposure assessment from EFSA showing some children in the UK could still be over the ADI levels for the additive.
Allergen labelling comes under the spotlight in the UK, with a new Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey aiming to get insight into the relevance of current approaches.
Innovia Films said extensive tests have demonstrated its cellulose-based compostable films provide an effective barrier against the migration of mineral oil residues from recycled cardboard packaging into food.
Union the Unite is seeking assurances about UK jobs and production at Kraft and Cadbury’s, following the announcement that Kraft is set to split its business into two independent companies.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set the 2011-2012 sugar tariff rate quota and allowed extra specialty sugar to be made available from August 5, in response to increased demand for organic sugar.
The 20-year-old non-profit group, Toothfriendly, says its efforts to promote dental health have been boosted by recent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) positive opinions – including non-European, developing world nations.
Hungary will introduce a fat tax as of September 1 this year -a move the food industry says is unnecessary and ineffective in achieving widespread dietary shifts.
European food makers are beginning to utilise positive article 13, general function health claim opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), precipitating a flood of potentially meaningless claims, according to one industry observer.
Prospects look brighter for the “Toothfriendly” logo in Europe following positive opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for Toothfriendly International’s claims under article 13.1 of European health claims legislation.
UK retailer Sainsbury’s is putting the emphasis on allergens in the production of own-brand foods supplied to its stores, as part of its academy training.
The long journey to European Union acceptance for the natural, intense sweetener, steviol glycoside, shortened significantly yesterday when the EU’s 27 member states backed its safety at a European Commission (EC) committee meeting.
The European Food Safety Authority last week delivered the fifth batch of article 13, general function health claim opinions bringing the total issued to 2723. There are just 35 to go – to be published next month in a final mini-batch that will conclude...
A health claim for sugar-free chewing gum sweetened with xylitol and defence against pathogens in the middle ear and another claim for gum and dental health were rejected by EU risk assessor in its fifth batch of general function claims, released last...
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed it has access to 112 studies about aspartame, most of which were conducted in the 1980s, which had been feared lost.
November 2011 should see steviol glycosides get regulatory backing for use in food in drink products in the European market, according to a European Commission (EC) representative.
Consumer advocates Foodwatch say a chocolate product from Ferrero has the ‘most misleading advertising’ by any food manufacturer this year; the chocolate maker has rejected the claim.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published new research showing that most participants with 'life threatening' nut allergies believed that products without allergen advice boxes posed no danger.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected a claim by supermodel Naomi Campbell that a Cadbury advert comparing her to a chocolate bar was racially offensive.
The European Commission has defended its decision to release thousands of tonnes of sugar on to the market after accusations that the move would have a detrimental impact on the yeast industry.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has denied a suggestion by two MEPs that it may have lost data relating to a previous safety evaluation of the high intensity sweetener aspartame (E951) and that it failed to examine it properly in the first place.
Confectionery manufacturers in Germany are faced with sugar supply gaps and dramatic price rises despite EU regulatory intervention on the crucial food ingredient, argues the German chocolate and confectionery industry association.
Hershey’s has dropped a trademark infringement case against Mars, in which it had accused the rival candy maker of using packaging for Dove peanut butter Promises similar to that of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
European Commission measures to open a further 200,000 tonne import quota for raw or refined sugar at zero import duty and the possibility for further imports at reduced import duty via a tendering system have been backed by member states.
Food and drink manufacturers are ‘shooting themselves in the foot’ by continually advertising products with ‘no artificial’ labels, says Hans Heezen, chairman of the International Sweetener Association.
A host of major food companies will be among those eagerly watching developments after antitrust officials from the European Commission raided a number of container liner shipping firms over suspicions that competition rules had been breached.