News

On 10/08/2021, the European Commission issued a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the evaluation of the implementation and impact of mandatory indication of the country of origin or place of provenance for pigmeat, poultry, sheepmeat and goatmeat. According to the European Commission's report, mandatory country of origin labelling provides consumers with meaningful information on the origin of meat and enables competent authorities to monitor compliance. According to the report's conclusions, labelling does not lead to trade distortions or a significant increase in food prices for consumers. According to the Commission, there is also no unnecessary burden for economic operators or administration. In the report, the Commission emphasizes that efforts to better understand the terms and definitions used on labels should be further strengthened, and that there are differences in the quality of controls between Member States. The Commission therefore recommends strengthening the exchange and sharing of best control practices. The European Commission's report will serve the European institutions in setting food labelling rules under the Farm to Fork strategy (proposals should be submitted by the end of 2023).
More information is available here.

The European Commission has set new maximum levels for cadmium in fruit, vegetables, cereals, and oilseeds. The measure is one of the ways in which the Commission is fulfilling its commitments to reduce the risk of cancer. At the same time, the Commission has set a new maximum level for lead in infant and child nutrition, wild mushrooms, spices, and salt. Both regulations will enter into force on 31/08/2021.
More information is available here and here.

According to plant-based nutrition company Equinom, the prices of plant-based alternatives will fall with increasing demand and increasing supply of new protein-rich ingredients. Equinom recently introduced protein-rich sesame seeds, which should help improve the taste and texture of plant-based products. The company is also working on the development of yellow peas, which have almost 50% more protein than other varieties on the market. According to a report by Bloomberg Intelligence, plant-based alternatives to animal products will account for up to 7.7% of the protein market by 2030. In addition, the share of plant-based alternatives in the market is increasing significantly because companies producing these foods enter contracts with restaurants and large food chains.
More information is available here.

A new Rethinking Climate Change report released by the independent think tank RethinkX states that new technologies, including precision fermentation and cellular agriculture, could lead to a global reduction in up to 90% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. By using the latest technologies in the dairy industry, the number of cows bred could be reduced by up to 50% in the USA alone. The use of precision fermentation in the dairy industry could contribute to reducing the production costs of vegetable proteins, the costs could be 5 times lower by 2030, and even 10 times lower by 2035 than at present. Cellular systems and technologies in agriculture (including, for example, meat growing laboratories) will also become increasingly stable and will help reduce the area of agricultural land used for livestock production by up to 80%.
More information is available here.

The World Health Organization Vital Strategies is calling for a change in food policy to reduce the consumption of so-called ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are closely linked to the growing incidence of obesity. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), up to 60% of the population is overweight, and up to 25% of the population is even obese. Obesity is associated, for example, with an increasing incidence of diseases, including type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, which entails direct and indirect economic costs.
More information is available here.