On the 15th of April 2021, the European Commission presented a summary of its Farm to Fork proposal at the EU’s regulatory committee meeting on food. The Farm to Fork initiative proposes to modify the EU-FIC Regulations on front-of-pack nutritional labelling, nutrient profiles, origin labelling and date marking. The summary included interesting feedback and thoughts from the general public, experts, businesses, agricultural bodies and NGOs on the Inception Impact Assessment (IAA) of the proposal.  …

At the end of March, the World Trade Organization issued a draft regulation that lists in its annexes the products and substances authorised to be used in organic production in the EU. Plant protection products, fertilisers, products for cleaning and disinfection and non-organic products, additives and processing aids for feed and food are specified in the list.   …

Food fraud affects almost every type of food and edible products…the imagination of fraudsters seems limitless. Any initiatives aimed at hampering the progress of fraudsters are generally welcomed. Wine producers are particularly exposed to fraudsters and fraudulent products. The EU has recently launched an initiative to create an EU database for chemical analysis for wines. The aim is to protect the identity, origin and quality of wines.   La fraude alimentaire touche tous les types…

Back in September, Belgium informed French authorities, via the RASFF, that ethylene oxide had been found in imported sesame seeds. The amount of ethylene oxide surpassed the maximum amount allowed under regulations. Subsequent DGCCRF checks have shown that other products (like spices) may also be contaminated. Investigations are ongoing, but French health authorities and EU member states have taken measures to withdraw or recall any contaminated substances, the list of which continues to grow… Le …

The new EU Regulation on the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain became applicable as of 27 March 2021. The Regulation’s entry into force marks an important step forward in the modernisation of the EU food safety policy. Katia Merten-Lentz shares her thoughts with Les Marchés on the new rules that aim to improve the transparency of the EU risk assessment regarding food and to strengthen the reliability, objectivity…

For the first time since 2008, the EFSA has officially launched a post-market monitoring program of the use/presence of (all) food additives in (all) foods at the level of the EU. The open call for occurrence data was launched on March 25th 2021. The deadline under which ‘National food authorities, research institutions, academia, food business operators and other stakeholders are invited to submit analytical data on food additives.’ will last until 1st October 2021 (opening is officially 15th April). All…

New regulations surrounding the products and substances that are authorized in organic production are set to be complex. The compilation of texts details how from 2022 onwards, organic operators will need to find their way around various secondary acts, three of which have already been adopted, and several (at least two, but there will surely be more) are still to come.     La nouvelle réglementation bio s’annonce complexe : D’un corpus de 3 règlements, les…