Search Results for: food

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FIRST formal call for proposals under the European Union’s Euro 16.2 billion Sixth Framework Programme for research have been issued; they include a Euro 167 million budget for studies into food quality and safety. *Full details:

http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cfm?CALL_ID=16…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ENVIRONMENT committee of the European Parliament wants a review of the safety levels of food additives used in confectionery to check whether they are safe for children. It backed a report by Swedish liberal MEP Marit Paulsen, which calling for a European Commission act within three years, because such additive levels are set with the health of adults in mind.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GROCERY Manufacturers of America group has applauded a new trade agreement between the United States and Chile. The GMA says the pact will spur freer trade of processed food to south America, and singles out the agreement’s proposed reductions in tariffs for such items as breakfast cereals, pasta and french fries.…

BY PHILIP FINE

THE UNITED States Food Safety and Inspection Service has begun posting the names and addresses of US companies that have more than twice sold livestock or poultry that had unallowable levels of chemical residues. Producers are placed on an alert list for one year.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government has called at the EU Council of Ministers for an EU-wide strategy to reduce the potential health risk from the production of acrylamide in certain categories of food, such as bread and chips.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed a European Union (EU) ban of the plant protection product ingredient Aldicarb, which has been shown to be potentially lethal to small birds and possibly damaging to earthworms. It has asked ministers to approve a prohibition on the sale of pesticides containing Aldicarb within six months of a decision and an immediate block on any future approvals of other plant protection lines containing this chemical.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
WORLD food standards body Codex Alimentarius has asked for comments on proposed revised draft standards for infant formula and cereal based foods for infants and young children, plus draft guidelines for vitamin and mineral supplements.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union is to lay down maximum concentrations for 15 natural

substances in natural mineral water that it says may pose long term health

risks in high concentrations. Labelling provisions are also to be strengthened.

If a natural mineral water does not comply it will be required to undergo an authorised separation treatment and some producers will need to invest heavily in treatment processes.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed the authorisation of a food additive, hydrogenated poly-1-decene as a glazing agent in confectionery and dried fruit. It has also proposed banning the additive calcium hydrogen carbonate. And it has proposed new authorised uses for citric acid esters of mono-and-diglycerides of fatty acids (as an emulsifier in cocoa and chocolate), malic acid (in peeled potatoes to prevent browning), pectin and calcium chloride (to thicken fruit compotes other than apple), and powdered cellulose (for use in grated mozzarella as an anti-caking agent), among others.…

BY MONICA DOBIE
AMERICAN scientists are claiming they have proof that wine is an anti-biotic, strong enough to kill virulent bugs such as E.coli and salmonella. Researcher Mark Daeschel from Oregon State University has added that white wine may be more beneficial to health than red wine.…