News

On 4-5/11/2019, the European Commission and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC) organize a seminar on retail chains and purchasing alliances to assess the extent and economic impact of these alliances on other actors in the supply chain. The bargaining power of trade alliances can lead to boycott of some products, with a severe impact on many EU suppliers. The European Parliament recommended carrying out an impact and impact assessment of these alliances after these alliances were not included in the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive despite pressure from the European Parliament. The seminar participants will discuss the functionality, economic impact or legal framework of these alliances and their impact on other players in the food supply chain. Representatives of trade alliances, who expressed concern that the seminar could lead to further regulation of the supply chain, will also attend the seminar and will therefore aim to emphasize that trade alliances are not intended to blackmail farmers and ensure the lowest feed-in tariffs, consumer.

Denmark is the first EU country to ban the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) in food packaging - these types of packaging materials are particularly suitable for packaging fatty foods. Danish Minister of Agriculture Jensen Mogens has been working to ban the use of PFAS packaging since July 2020. This is mainly due to the accumulation of these substances in human and animal bodies, but also to the negative impact on the environment.

On 20/10/2019, the European FoodDrinkEurope, representing food and beverage producers, signed a declaration promoting the reuse of recycled plastics. By 2025, up to 10 million tonnes of recycled plastic should be reused to produce new products. Almost 100 organizations and institutions have signed the Circular Plastics Alliance. In addition, members of FoodDrinkEurope and the European Sector Association will sign a statement that will make the food and beverage industry the greatest supporter of this initiative.
More information is available here and here.

Vyatka Agroconcern, Russian biotech company, has developed a technology that reduces the rate of food spoilage by reducing the proliferation of mycotoxins on the food surface. The technology called Milekons creates an antimicrobial nanofilm on foods that can be used to protect surfaces such as vegetables, fruits, grains, chilled fish, meat, or semi-finished products, thus protecting against the formation of pathogenic microflora. Unlike commonly used preservatives, Milekons technology does not contain chemically active substances that adversely affect the immunity and genes of humans and animals, but is composed of an ammonium compound widely used for the purification of water, modified sucrose, sodium chloride and ethanol. Thanks to nanofilm, the shelf life of protected foodstuffs will be prolonged, thus reducing the amount of food waste, which in part results from the rapid deterioration of some foods.
More information is available here.

Polish start-up NapiFeryn Biotech has developed a technology that isolates and purifies rapeseed protein for further use in the food industry. ‘Raptein’ rapeseed protein could partially replace soy, which now accounts for 95% of all plant proteins. Rape contains higher levels of certain amino acids compared to soy, but lacks phytoestrogens or isoflavones, which are suspected of disturbing the hormonal system in women. ‘Raptein’ could be used in a wide range of food products due to its emulsifying, gelling and foaming properties, and it also absorbs water and fat. Moreover, ‘Raptein’ production does not require the use of the chemical solvent hexane, which is used in the extraction of edible oils from seeds, even in the case of soy. NapiFeryn is now in the preparation and testing phase, deliveries in adequate quantities for the food industry should be available before 2022.
More information is available here.

The growing demand for plant alternatives to meat products attracts more attention to the crop sector and raises new questions related to the definition of nutritional profiles or the sustainability of raw material resources. The market for meat alternatives will reach € 6.6 billion worldwide by 2025, with an annual growth forecast of 7.7% according to Allied Market Research. Livestock farming faces a wave of criticism associated with high carbon emissions, but it is also criticized for deforestation in the Amazon, driven by rising demand, among other things, for plant products.
More information is available here.