A number of European Union member states want stricter labelling
and traceability rules in place before a ban on approvals for new
strains of genetically modified (GM) crops can be lifted, EU
officials said.
The European Commission recently added to the EC Health and
Consumer Protection web site opinions and guidelines from the
Scientific Committee on Food (SCF).
The European Union's new food regulatory regime can be understood
as a political, rather than science-based solution to the problem
of recurrent food crises.
British protesters won a High Court challenge on Tuesday that
public order laws cannot be used against campaigners who damage or
destroy genetically modified (GM) crops.
The US-based Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology announced
this week that it is to host a debate on issues facing Europe and
the US over genetically modified food.
Fears over genetically modified foods may prevail in the minds of
the European consumer but recent research from the European
Commission suggests that they are as safe as their non-gmo
neighbours, and even safer.
Health Canada advised consumers that the recently released
functional food margarine product, Becel™ Pro-activ™, is not in
compliance with the Canadian Food and Drugs Act and Regulations
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) on Wednesday
released for public comment a number of proposals to amend the Food
Standards Code, including standards on medical foods, residue
levels for antibiotics and the use of...
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to reopen for 45 days
the comment period for the interim final rule authorising a health
claim on the association between plant sterol/stanol esters and
reduced risk of coronary heart disease...
The European commission is preparing two Communications on e-Health
that will provide quality criteria for health related websites and
clarify the legal aspects of e-Health, Euractiv.com reports this
week.
Swiss healthcare group Novartis AG confirmed on Thursday
allegations from environmental group Greenpeace that some samples
of baby food it sold in the Philippines contained genetically
modified soy.
Environmental group Greenpeace urged the Philippines on Wednesday
to impose mandatory labelling on food products containing
genetically modified organisms.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week that
it is to support 13 new programs that address the risks of
foodborne disease in settings as varied as elementary schools,
shellfish inspections to river boating and...
The European Commission this week gave the go-ahead for
German-based chemical company Degussa AG to acquire sole control of
the British company Laporte PLC.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued the first
public notice of a Class 1 recall stating that ConAgra Dairy Foods
is to recall less than 3,000 pounds of Fleischmann's Unsalted Stick
Margarine because the...
Organic broiler chickens are three times as likely as
conventionally-bred poultry to be contaminated with a bacterium
that causes food-poisoning, say Danish vets, the New Scientist
reports this week.
Greenpeace delivered more than 10,000 postcards to the Thai
government urging tougher labelling requirements for genetically
modified organisms (GMOs) in food.
Diverging legislation in Europe relating to food supplements came
closer towards harmonisation on Thursday when the European Council
agreed the proposed Directive on Food Supplements.
According to Victor Manuel Villalobos Arambula, Under Secretary for
Agriculture at the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food, Mexico's government will promote the production of GM
foodstuff.
Food allergy and genetically modified (GM) crops experts as well as
other scientists, physicians, and government regulators will meet
at a later date for a workshop, "Assessment of the Allergenic
Potential of Genetically Modified...
India's health minister, Dr C P Thakur, last week unveiled the
draft of a new proposed national health policy-the first in 18
years, New Scientist reports this week.
Marine-based nutraceuticals company Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd.
(ONC) announced this week that it had achieved GRAS (generally
recognised as safe) status for its omega-3 concentrated 30:20 EE
complex derived from fish oil.
The Ecologist group Greenpeace condemned the granting of a European
patent for a genetic tweak that can make salmon grow eight times
larger than normal.
The European Union (EU) farm ministers will hear expert views on
the benefits and pitfalls of biotech next week including a call
that developing countries be given a chance to grow their own
genetically modified crops.
Consumer and interest groups criticised the Thai Food and Drug
Administration's draft regulations on the labelling of food
products containing genetically modified organisms for benefiting
manufacturers over consumers.
According to the NNFA Coalition for Informative Carbohydrate
Labelling, American consumers are increasingly aware of the
relationship between consumption of dietary carbohydrates and
increased blood sugar levels.
This week, British food makers and retailers will be given
guidelines on how to avoid accidentally introducing genetically
modified ingredients into products.
According to a new Canadian federal study, a chief safety officer
should be appointed to oversee the safety of genetically modified
(GM) foods in Canada.
Leaders of the American soybean industry will hold talks with
government officials in China this week to clear the air over
Beijing's new rules for GMOs.
The EC said that it had no scientific evidence of health risks from
a brand of genetically modified soybeans that the environmental
group Greenpeace wants banned.
The location of GM crop trials in Australia will be published on
the Internet after a regulator on August 10 rejected applications
to keep the sites secret from anti-GM activists.
A new standard for energy drinks was just one measure among many
food issues agreed last week by ministers meeting for the first
time at the newly formed Australia New Zealand Food Standards
Council.
ConAgra Foods Inc., the second-biggest U.S. food company, is to sue
French company, Groupe Danone SA's Dannon to block it from using
the name "Snack Pack" for its yoghurt containers.
American agriculture industry officials complained on August 2 that
China's new regulations governing the import of biotech products
are hindering bilateral trade, especially for soybeans.
The Health Ministry of Jordan will start fortifying flour with iron
and folic acid to combat iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) in
cooperation with the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
