Search Results for: food

THE EUROPEAN Commission has called in a green paper for European Union (EU) member states to reveal the beneficiaries of Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) subsidies, whose management is shared by national governments and EU institutions. Brussels’ anti-fraud Commissioner Siim Kallas has been informally asking member states for a year to unveil data on subsidy claimants, because that would discourage fraudulent applications by farmers, food processors and storage facilities.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Parliament today (Tues) approved last week’s deal with European Union (EU) ministers over two key EU food regulations: on health claims and adding nutrients. The former clarifies claims such as ‘low energy’, ‘low fat’, and ‘high fibre’, while the latter approves more than 100 vitamin forumulae as additives, banning them in unprocessed fresh foods.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

FOOD, biotechnology and agriculture research projects will command budgets of Euro 1.9 billion from 2007-13 under a draft rewritten European Union (EU) seventh framework programme (FP7). Other targeted research budgets under the Euro 54.5 billion scheme proposed by the European Commission of potential relevance to the food sector include Euro 5.9 billion on health, Euro 1.8 million on environmental research, plus Euro 3.4 billion on nanotechnology, materials, and manufacturing.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

Agreement has been reached on two key EU directives covering respectively nutrition and health claims for food and the addition of vitamins, minerals and other substances to foods. The deal, which has already attracted criticism from consumer groups as being too weak, was struck this week between the Austrian EU presidency, representing the 25 EU member states, and the European Parliament and will be formally voted on by the Parliament next Tuesday.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Parliament and European Union (EU) ministers have agreed two key EU food regulations: on health claims and adding nutrients. The former clarifies claims such as ‘low energy’, ‘low fat’, and ‘high fibre’, while the latter approves more than 100 vitamin forumulae as additives, banning them in unprocessed fresh foods.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A PLASTICS ingredient linked to phthalate chemicals banned in the EU for toys can continue to be used by the food industry, because it is currently rarely utilised in Europe. It is monochloroacetic acid, used as an anti-microbial additive and a can coating for food packaging

ENDS…

BY MARK ROWE

THERE is no doubt that nanotechnology is having a huge bearing on thinking, research and production in the edible oils sector. The reason for this is clear enough: new developments could offer huge coast savings for companies, improve shelf life, taste and even offer health benefits.…

BY STEVEN SWINDELLS, in Johannesburg

SUB-SAHARAN Africa’s biggest cotton producer Mali is mulling GM cotton trials, a development which could open up cheap cotton supplies for the textile and clothing trade.

But resistance from local farmers to high seed costs and tough times for existing GM cotton growers in South Africa – the only African country where GM is commercially grown – may mean that Africa’s potential as a key supplier is still some way off.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

INTRODUCTION

WITH the approval in May of two key regulations covering respectively nutrition and health claims and the addition of vitamins and minerals to foods the EU has taken an important step forward in setting the legal framework for the food industry in Europe.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

STANDARDS across the Bosnia & Herzegovina food industry should rise following the injection by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) of Euro 25 million into the country’s leading food retailer VF Komerc. This Euro 16 million loan and Euro 9 million equity investment will help refit existing stores and enable Komerc to acquire new stores across Bosnia & Herzegovina.…