The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFB) has issued a policy statement urging the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to “initiate a retaliation process” against the European Union over its de facto moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops. Despite a 2006 World Trade Organization ruling that found fault with EU approval procedures for GM crops, the bloc has allegedly failed to implement “a timely and predictable regulatory process,” resulting in “substantial damage” to U.S. agriculture. Although AFB initially agreed to suspend formal action in favor of normalizing trade, the industry group has since reversed that decision. According to AFB, “If the EU does not immediately begin to make timely, science-based regulatory decisions on pending and future applications, soybean exports also are at serious risk.” See AFB Press Release, July 26, 2010. Meanwhile, the European Commission (EC) recently approved six GM corn varieties via “the usual and standard” authorization procedure,…
Tag Archives EU
The European Snacks Association (ESA) has apparently vowed to standardize product portion sizes, citing dietary recommendations and consumption patterns. In conjunction with an EU trade group representing food and beverage manufacturers, ESA has set a reference serving size that does not exceed 8 percent of the overall Guideline Daily Amount (GDA), or approximately 160 kcal. Thus, according to ESA, (i) “30g of snacks would provide 120-170 kcal, depending on the nature of the ingredients/preparation of the product”; and (ii) “30g of nuts would provide 170-200 kcal, depending on the nutritional differences between nuts and their preparation.” ESA has also promised to declare the number of portions per package so that consumers can adjust their dietary habits as needed. The European Snacks Association (ESA) has apparently vowed to standardize product portion sizes, citing dietary recommendations and consumption patterns. In conjunction with an EU trade group representing food and beverage manufacturers, ESA…
The International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) has released a July 2010 report on the PolMark Project, a survey commissioned by the European Union to examine how member states regulate food and beverage marketing to children. According to IASO, “The researchers found that two-thirds of the 53 countries in the region now have official policies on the need to restrict the promotion of unhealthy food to children, a dramatic increase since a similar survey five years earlier. However, most countries are depending on self-regulation by industry and only a few have brought in specific statutory measures.” The report apparently notes that 92 percent of key stakeholders interviewed in 11 countries “believed there was a link between advertising and child obesity.” In addition, (i) two-thirds “believed current controls on marketing to children were not strong enough”; (ii) more than 80 percent “thought that restrictions on advertising for certain types…
The European Commission has proposed legislation that would allow member states to set their own policies for regulating genetically modified (GM) crops. If approved by the European Parliament and individual governments, the proposal would permit countries to approve, restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GM crops, even those deemed safe by the scientific mechanisms currently in place. Under this new framework, member states could bar GM crops for reasons “other than the identification of a risk for the environment, human or animal health.” See EC Citizen’s Summary, July 13, 2010. The proposed legislation apparently seeks to end a 12-year gridlock among member states with different stances toward GM crops. In light of this dilemma, the commission has also drafted new recommendations for avoiding the unintended presence of GM products in those marketed as GM-free. This non-binding guidance (i) “allows for measures aiming to limit GMO content in conventional food and feed…
The European Commission’s (EC’s) Joint Research Centre has published a report that explores various definitions for the term “nanomaterial” currently in use around the world in an effort to devise a single definition that could make nanotechnology amenable to regulation. Titled “Considerations on a Definition of Nanomaterial for Regulatory Purposes,” the report observes that nanomaterials are currently being used in food and nutritional ingredients as well as food packaging. The authors call for a single definition of nanomaterial that will be “broadly applicable in EU legislation and policies, legally clear and unambiguous, enforceable through agreed measurement techniques and procedures, and in line with other approaches worldwide.” According to the report, no official definition for the term has yet been adopted in the United States, but the Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a definition for “engineered nanoscale material” under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Several environmental, health and women’s organizations have called on the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to consider “all relevant studies” on bisphenol A (BPA) as the safety watchdog prepares to present its opinion on the chemical next month. Signed by approximately 20 scientific experts and 40 non-governmental organizations, the June 23, 2010, letter states that “any objective and comprehensive review of the scientific literature will lead to the conclusion that action is necessary to reduce the levels of BPA exposure, particularly in groups at highest risk, namely young infants and pregnant mothers.” Drafted by Breast Cancer UK and University of Missouri-Columbia Biological Sciences Professor Frederick vom Saal, the letter claims that EFSA relied on a “few flawed studies” to declare BPA safe in prior risk assessments. “Many scientific studies are now calling into question the safety of BPA,” maintains the letter, which cites a body of recent research that includes bio-monitoring…
Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have apparently voted in favor of draft legislation that would require listing energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt content on the front of food packages. Doing so, they rejected a traffic light system that sought to further emphasize the levels of salt, sugar and fat in processed foods, and opposed parallel schemes run by national regulators. According to a June 14-17, 2010, plenary session report, MEPs approved mandatory front-of-pack (FOP) nutritional information accompanied by guideline daily amounts “expressed with per 100g or per 100ml values.” They also supported (i) stating the amount of protein, fiber and trans fats “elsewhere on the packaging”; (ii) extending country-of-origin labeling regulations to all meat, poultry, dairy, and other single-ingredient products; (iii) labeling meat slaughtered without stunning; (iv) specifying country of origin for “meat, poultry and fish when used as an ingredient in processed food”; and (v) retaining the…
The European Commission (EC) has adopted recommendations for member states to monitor acrylamide levels in food as a way to obtain a consistent reduction of the known carcinogen found in a number of food categories. The recommendations, adopted June 2, 2010, urge member states to provide acrylamide monitoring information to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) by June 1 of each year starting in 2011. The new recommendations call for member states to measure acrylamide levels based on sampling procedures developed in 2007 and suggest that sampling be carried out before products’ expiration date and “at market level,” which means in supermarkets, smaller shops, bakeries, “French fries outlets,” and restaurants “where there is good traceability,” or at production sites. The recommendations set the minimum number of samples that each member state should analyze across 10 categories: ready to-eat French fries; potato crisps; pre cooked French fries and potato products for…
The European Union has reportedly allowed Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal located 500 kilometers from the African coast, to prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on the archipelago. According to The New York Times, the European Commission “quietly” let the deadline pass for opposing the GMO ban, which Portuguese officials claimed was necessary to preserve Madeira’s rare subtropical laurel forests, known as laurisilva. “[T]he case of Madeira represents a significant landmark, because it is the first time the commission… has permitted a country to impose such a sweeping and definitive rejection of the technology,” states the May 9, 2010, article. In issuing its decision, the European Commission apparently circumvented the European Food Safety Authority and signaled “the unofficial beginning of a new—and potentially highly contentious—policy that would give European nations and regions far greater freedom to decide when to ban such crops.” This policy seeks to grease…
An umbrella organization for animal welfare groups in the European Union has reportedly signed a declaration creating the Transatlantic Animal Welfare Council (TAWC), a cooperative agreement with U.S. activists that seeks to enforce humane handling standards in international trade. According to Eurogroup for Animals, the new forum seeks to “optimize resources by sharing knowledge, expertise and experience” among TAWC signatories, which include the Animal Welfare Institute, Compassion in World Farming, the Humane Society of the United States, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the Royal Society for the Preservation of Animals. To this end, TAWC will convene “a plenary session two times per year and set up a number of expert working groups to focus on specific topics of mutual interest, such as animal testing, sustainable agriculture as well as specific bilateral and multilateral trade issues. ” TAWC apparently aims to build upon the efforts of the Transatlantic Economic…
