Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

Disptaches from Microbiota 2011

IPA co-founder: EU probiotic approach is “dirty pool”

23-Dec-2011 - Jarrow Rogovin, never a man to mince his words, says it is high time the IPA and other trade groups stepped up to the plate to defend a sector that has been under regulatory siege on both sides of the Atlantic for several years.

Baby death sees Mead Johnson infant formula stripped off shelves

22-Dec-2011 - Wal-Mart says it had withdrawn a batch of powdered infant formula produced by Mead Johnson Nutrition after a Missouri baby fed the formula died of a suspected bacterial infection, according to the Associated Press.

Pile on those truckin' pounds, say Kraft and peers, as opponents cite safety fears

21-Dec-2011 - US food giant Kraft says it hopes that more states are allowed to follow the lead of Maine and Vermont and allow heavier 97,000-pound trucks on interstate roads, although opponents fear safety issues.

Yakult never presented the basic evidence for probiotic health claim, says consultant

21-Dec-2011 - Yakult failed to present the most basic evidence and sought a too-complicated immunity claim in the controversially rejected immunity health claim for its probiotic drinks, a UK consultant has said.

News in brief

Listeria-linked dairy recall extended again - CFIA

20-Dec-2011 - A voluntary recall of dairy products has been extended for the fifth time since the original recall of products potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, Canadian food safety authorities have said.

Yakult: Health claim rejection doesn’t affect our claims

20-Dec-2011 - Japanese probiotics giant Yakult says the writing into law of its rejected EU health claim for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) benefits won’t alter its core sell in European markets that remained, “stable”.

Exclusive interview

Beneo board: “Let us not forget that functional food responds to a clear demand of the consumer”

20-Dec-2011 - In the first part of this exclusive interview, Beneo Group executive board member, Yves Servotte, explains how European Union health claim rules have informed strategic thinking at one of Europe’s biggest and most vocal ingredient vendors.

Admin error led to Canadian listeria recall delay - CFIA

15-Dec-2011 - Several dairy products, potentially contaminated with listeria, remained on the market over a month after an initial manufacturer recall because of an administration blunder, Canadian food safety authorities have revealed.

Exclusive

Japan baby formula radiation fears raised as early as mid-November

14-Dec-2011 - Following the discovery of radioactive substances in its baby milk formula, it has now emerged that Meiji Holdings Co. was contacted about possible contamination three weeks before it decided to recall the products.

Comment

Lobbyists, start your engines: Can a new health claims formula be won in the European Parliament?

12-Dec-2011 - Five years ago the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) became law. Around the bloc, hopeful EU healthy foods and supplements stakeholders submitted more than 44,000 health claim applications.

Deadly revenge for Chinese nitrite poisoning pair

12-Dec-2011 - A Chinese dairy farmer has been sentenced to death after a court in the country convicted her for intentionally poisoning milk that killed three infants and sickened 36 people.

FHI "getting its act together" for positive EFSA opinions

09-Dec-2011 - A trial underway will provide the substantiation that EFSA needs in order to get a health claim for a protein mix used in combination with an exercise programme for improving muscle mass in the elderly, claims value-added dairy project Food for Health Ireland (FHI).

EU milk package threatens ‘fairer deal' for farmers, cries NFU

07-Dec-2011 - Opinion is split on the final text of the so-called EU Dairy Package, with the UK National Farmers’ Union (NFU) citing missed opportunities within the European Commission’s (EC’s) text, and Dairy UK stating its continued opposition to minimum contract terms.

Kraft counts cost of fighting controversial Canadian cheese regulations

29-Nov-2011 - Kraft Canada says it is 'disappointed' that the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has rejected its appeal calling for judicial review (JR) of controversial federal rules on cheese composition.

EC issues guide on active and intelligent packaging reg

28-Nov-2011 - New guidance on active and intelligent (A&I) food packaging will help industry players, professional bodies and national authorities understand and implement legislation passed two years ago, said the European Commission (EC).

‘Doing nothing is not an option’ on cheese composition concerns, Dairy UK

25-Nov-2011 - Trade body Dairy UK has revealed to DairyReporter.com that it is concerned about the impact of the new EU Food Information Regulation (FIR) on UK cheese compositional standards.

Special Edition: Stevia

Coca-Cola to expand stevia offering in EU; no plans to drop aspartame

21-Nov-2011 - Coca-Cola said it has no reason to drop the artificial sweetener aspartame from its low or zero calorie beverage brands in the European market as it welcomes last week’s approval by the European Commission for the use of the natural sweetener stevia in drinks and foodstuffs.

Special Edition: Stevia

Is a re-assessment of EU stevia usage on the cards?

17-Nov-2011 - Post-market monitoring of stevia use levels in food and drink products could see the European Commission broaden the current authorised food categories, claims a stevia trade body.

Poll: Can EFSA health claim opinions be modified before they become EU law?

09-Nov-2011 - After several years the serious end of the nutrition and health claim regulation is approaching, with the imminent publication of thousands of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claim opinions in European Union law books. But can any of those opinions be altered at this stage of the game? Have your say.

Decision on food and drink Ecolabel some months away

07-Nov-2011 - A decision is not expected until spring 2012 on whether the EU Ecolabel would be extended to food and drink products, reports the EU, following the publication of a feasibility study last week.

News in brief

Arla trumpets UK site's zero waste achievement

03-Nov-2011 - Arla Foods has announced that its UK dairy in Ashby has achieved a zero waste to landfill target.

News in brief

Danish fat tax raises 'considerable concerns': EDA

21-Oct-2011 - The European Dairy Association (EDA) has hit out at Denmark's recently introduced tax on foods containing saturated fats, which it said raised 'considerable concerns' regarding its social and economic impact on the nation's population.

IDF taskforce doubles microbial species on safe list

18-Oct-2011 - An International Dairy Federation taskforce has updated a 2002 inventory of safe microbial species including some probiotic species – from 112 to 221 – a list the group hopes will allow exemption from EU Novel Foods and US New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) regulations.

'Ignorant' EU Council blocks vital dairy reforms, EMB

12-Oct-2011 - An ‘irresponsible and ignorant’ EU Council is ignoring the plight of milk producers by watering-down proposed measures aimed at ensuring their contracts with dairies reflect production costs, according to the European Milk Board (EMB).