European Union

'There will be the usual suspects of food and feed firms and researchers, but then also input from technology players,' says Finnish researcher behind insect project. © iStock.com / Wittayayut

How to foster a buzzing edible insects industry

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A Finnish project is to investigate the main hurdles and opportunities for the edible insect industry by linking up input from multidisciplinary players from relevant sectors. 

Basil Mathioudakis is promoting EU food legislation around the world after retiring from DG SANTE leadership last year. © iStock.com

Public figure profile: Basil Mathioudakis

'EU food regulation is world's best': EC veteran on life after DG SANTE

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

After retiring last February as head of the European Commission’s DG SANTE food legislation unit, Basil Mathioudakis is spreading the world globally about the merits of the EU’s food and nutrition regulation as a consultant to industry and governments.

Nutraveris ups game with nutrient-research-health claim online database (© Nutraveris)

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS Europe 2016

Nutraveris showcases its online reference platform at Vitafoods

By Will Chu

French consultancy Nutraveris was at Vitafoods to make available the latest version of its nutrient-health claim database that will better enable clients to source claims and nutrition research materials.

Much of Turkey's food regulation is harmonised with EU law making it a hassle-free country to do business  - although there are some notable exceptions, such as GMOs, nutrient profiles and maximum salt levels. © iStock

Spotlight on Turkish regulation: 'It's an easy market to enter'

By Niamh Michail

Harmonisation of Turkish and EU food law make it an easy and attractive market for foreign companies, but on issues that affect public health - such as nutrient profiles, health claims, GM food and salt reduction - the country is forging its own path. FoodNavigator...

The International Probiotics Association (IPA) now counts 58 companies as members – up from 42 back in April 2015. © iStock.com / pvachier

dispatches from vitafoods 2016

IPA 'rebirth' sees probiotic membership surge

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The International Probiotics Association (IPA) has seen a membership swell this year as old faces return and new faces come on board.

Yakult is looking to grow in new markets, including Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe.

Yakult sees net sales growth

By Jim Cornall

Japanese dairy products company Yakult has released its financial results for the year ending March 31, 2016, and they show an increase in net sales of 5.9%.

Biomass marketing: 'Until now, it has been challenging to use the EU-authorised health claims with standard krill oil because you couldn’t go beyond the 250 mg dosage form' © iStock

Aker wins high-dose krill omega-3 approval in EU

By Shane Starling

Krill major Aker Biomarine has won EU approval for high-dose versions of its omega-3/phospholipid offering in food supplements across the 28 nations of European Union bloc.

The fortifiers and the non-fortifiers - who is doing what when it comes to folic acid and neural tube defects? © iStock.com / eyegelb

Special edition: Gender-specific nutrition

Folic acid fortification: The current global state of play

By Lynda Searby

To date 75 countries globally have implemented mandatory fortification programmes for folic acid with the aim of preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in babies. Yet despite growing calls from NGOs, health experts and researchers, the 28 EU member countries...

The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF) voted to back the Commission’s draft proposals in a meeting on Tuesday.© iStock.com / ratmaner

EU committee vote backs 4 caffeine claims

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A member state committee has voted to back the European Commission’s decision to authorise four health claims on caffeine and ban a final fifth. 

“I fear the same objection policies will prevail into the new regulation,

Dispatches from EFSA stakeholder meeting in Brussels

Novel regulation - same old delays? Stakeholders express novel food process concerns

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The updated novel food regulation has been billed by the European Commission as a new streamline system that will put innovation back on the EU menu – yet attendees of a stakeholders meeting this week expressed concern these hopes would be dashed by duplication...

Naturex adds chokeberry to suite under its open innovation programme. Others set to follow

Naturex adds chokeberry to botanicals range

By Shane Starling

Naturex has added a proprietary aronia extract to its library after inking a licensing deal with Polish food supplements and OTC player Adamed Consumer Healthcare SA.

“It seems clear that member state offices in Brussels are wide open to corporate lobbyists.” © iStock.com / Rawpixel

Backroom Brussels? Report calls for EU lobbying clampdown

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A transparency watchdog has called for legally-binding measures to tackle lobbying in the EU, following the release of its report that claimed permanent representations for member states were being left wide open to corporate pressure.

Norwegians enter cholesterol controlling chitosan space

Norwegians enter chitosan space

By Will Chu

Norwegian supplier Marealis is working with fisheries R&D enterprise Nofima and set to enter the EU health claim-backed, cholesterol-controlling space with a shrimp shell extract.

EFSA issues first probiotic health claim

‘We were wrong’

EFSA issues first probiotic health claim

By Kawzan Ayphect

The European Fool Shaving Agency (EFSA) has approved the EU’s first probiotic allegation after years of playing hard to get your health claim.

© iStock

EC set to strip cranberry products of medical device status

By Shane STARLING

The European Commission (EC) has issued a draft that seeks to revoke the medical device status of proanthocyanidin (PAC)-based cranberry products for treatment and prevention of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). 

EU healthy eating funding discriminates against plant proteins: ENSA

By Niamh Michail

The EU is discriminating against soy and plant-based proteins that are nutritionally similar – or even healthier – than the sugary dairy products it has pledged to subsidise, says the European Natural Soy and Plant-Based Foods Manufacturers Association...

Consumer groups have called for a pan-EU ban on energy sales to under 18s following bans in Lithuania and Latvia. © iStock.com / mearman

What if... the EU banned energy drink sales to under 18s

By David Burrows

An EU-wide ban on selling energy drinks to under 18s would see volume sales fall by over 70 million litres, if the impact of similar legislation in Lithuania is anything to go by. The low-priced end of the market would be hit hardest, with standard and...

Fish oil demand fpr direct human consumption was 92.7 kilo tons in 2014, says market research firm Grand View Research. © iStock.com / stocksnapper

Europe fish oil market worth €630m in 2014

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European fish oil market accounted for $0.69bn (€0.63bn) of the global $2.25bn (€2.04bn) market in 2014, according to a market report from Grand View Research.

'The requirements for the third country applications are too burdensome,' food lawyer says on EFSA guidance. © iStock.com / baibaz

What EFSA wants from novel food applications

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published draft guidance on applications for novel foods under revised rules, but a food lawyer warns the requirements may prove too cumbersome for traditional third country foods. 

ECF: “I can’t speak for coffee companies but the claims might be used as general information on product websites rather than on coffee products.

Bean boon? EC prepares for long-awaited caffeine claims

By Shane STARLING

The EC has drafted four endurance and cognition health claims for caffeine indicating a belated entry into EU law books five years after EFSA first approved them – but industry isn’t holding its breath.

The Commission's roadmap evaluation of botanicals and health claims could be rendered useless unless it is clear in what is meant by the term 'botanical', says Bert Schwitters. Photo credit: iStock.com

The botanical roadmap to nowhere: Legal definition needed for real clarity

By Bert Schwitters, author of Health Claims Censored

If the European Commission’s regulatory rethink is to provide any meaningful improvement for the botanical industry, it must set a clear legal definition of what botanicals actually are, argues author and commentator Bert Schwitters.