Search Results for: food

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERIM report on corruption allegations regarding the UN Iraq Oil for Food Programme has accused its executive director Benon Savan of “ethically improper” conduct”. The report found he helped African Middle East Petroleum (AMEP) handle 7.3 million barrels of Iraqi oil, sold at a US$1.5 million profit, whist he led the UN programme.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States Trade Representative has notified WTO that it intends to raise tariffs on a number of EU food exports following a hike in European duties on brown rice imports. Yoghurt, processed cheese, mandarins, saffron, truffles and Brussels sprouts, are amongst the EU foods attracting extra American duties from March 1.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A DRAFT code of hygienic practice for meat has been issued by international food standards body Codex Alimentarius, covering cleanliness while slaughtering, in feed, transport, lairage and veterinary inspections. Approved by Codex’ committee on meat hygiene, member governments can make comments until April 30.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
GUIDANCE on how to ensure foodstuffs can be traced from original producers to manufacturers, distributors and retailers has been released by the European Commission. *http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/foodlaw/guidance/index_en.htm…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
COMPREHENSIVE tests into the safety of goat meat will be staged following the conformation that a goat in France died of BSE. The European Food Safety Authority has stressed “important information gaps do not allow, at this stage, the quantification of BSE-related risks”.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GROUP of major European plastics producers have promised to abide by an internationally recognised standard when manufacturing biodegradable plastics, to minimise their environmental impact. Germany’s BASF, the USA’s Cargill Dow, Italy’s Novamont and the Netherlands’ Rodenburg Biopolymers and others, supplying 90% of the EU biodegradable plastics market, made the pledge in a voluntary agreement with the European Commission.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EU has suspended 14% retaliatory duties on a wide range of American food products after Congress abolished foreign sales corporations giving illegal tax breaks to US exporters. Products covered include meat, dairy, vegetables, fruits, nuts confectionary, cereals and others.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has struck a trade deal with Jordan, allowing EU food buyers to source Jordanian citrus fruits at zero import duties and strawberries at 40%, within large quotas, expanding until 2009.

ENDS…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research project is seeking to improve knowledge of what causes food allergies, a significant problem for the seafood sector. The EuroPrevall project will try to identify risk factors (environmental, microbial, genetic) that cause allergic reactions, helping pinpoint the circumstances sparking these problems.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

DECEMBER 2005’s semi-successful World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Hong Kong means that the sacrifice forced upon the European Union’s (EU) well protected sugar sector the month before will – largely – be worth the pain. Unlike the previous big WTO meeting, in Cancun, Mexico, trade ministers did not leave in rancour having achieved little.…