News

On 14/01/2020, the European Commission published a call for proposals for the promotion of agricultural products within and outside the EU. The European Commission has earmarked € 200.9 million in 2020 (€ 191 million earmarked for 2019) in support of the promotion of agri-food products in the EU and third countries in 2020 (each campaign will be co-financed by the Commission at a rate of 70-85%). A total of € 118 million is earmarked for campaigns targeting high-growth countries - China, Canada, Japan, USA, Korea and Mexico, in particular for promotional programs for dairy products, olives, and wine.
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The Minister of Agriculture of Lower Saxony, Germany's second largest federal government, Barbara Otte-Kinast (CDU), supported the possibility of introducing a tax on meat and meat products last week. The aim of the tax should be to reduce the consumption of certain meats and to mitigate the effects on climate and the environment, which would help the agricultural sector to move towards a more environmentally friendly sector. The funds raised should be intended to strengthen support for animal welfare. The idea of a tax was also supported by the German MP Albert Stegemann (CDU), according to which the tax should be introduced at EU level. Currently, no European country has a meat tax in place, but in Denmark and Sweden a similar tax has been discussed for many years.
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Nestlé Food Company confirmed its plan to invest up to € 1.9 billion in the processing and production of recycled food plastics. The aim is to abandon non-recycled packaging materials (virgin plastics); to replace them completely with recycled ones by 2025, and subsequently to achieve the company's carbon neutrality by 2050. Achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is one of the main objectives of the current European Commission.
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Scientists from the Danish Technical University have developed vegetable yoghurt made from only three ingredients - soy drink, brewing malt and lactic acid bacteria from plant materials. Malt gives the plant yogurt a texture similar to classic yogurt, and also increases the fibre content. Up to now, plant-based yoghurts have been produced using starter cultures developed for use in dairy products, and it has been necessary to use other ingredients in addition to sugar to enhance the taste and consistency of the yogurt. The animal milk substitute sector continues to grow and is largely made up of products made from soy, coconut, rice, and oats, but the categories of cheese, ice cream and yogurt substitutes are also increasing. In 2016, the analytics industry was valued at $ 7.15 billion, and by 2025 the value is expected to increase to $ 18.89 billion.
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Quorn, the world's largest brand producing vegetable substitutes for meat and meat products, plans to introduce carbon footprint information for 60% of its production. Last week, the company prepared a Carbon Trust certified carbon footprint, applicable to the top 30 products sold. Information will be available on the company's website. Information directly on the packaging will be provided later in 2020.
More information is available here.