WHO urges stricter rules on food marketing to children

The food industry is ‘exploiting children’ in its marketing of unhealthy food, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which calls for stricter marketing controls, particularly in light of new technologies like smart phone apps and social media. See: http://www.foodnavigator.com/Legislation/WHO-urges-stricter-rules-on-food-marketing-to-children

The full report is available here. 

On the uses and misuses of the precautionary principle: Towards a EU ban on neonicotinoid insecticides

Alberto Alemanno has posted a blog article on risk regulation and EU Law titled, On the uses and misuses of the precautionary principle: Towards a EU ban on neonicotinoid insecticides. The short article is well worth reading for its insights in to both risk regulation and EU law making.

Last Chance to Register - Summer Academy in Global Food Law and Policy

The Summer Academy in Global Food Law and Policy is an established one-week summer program that brings together practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, and leading academics working in the field of food law and policy. It offers intensive training on the most innovative developments in global food regulation and provides a unique opportunity for professional development and networking in an informal and interdisciplinary setting. By talking, studying, and interacting with food experts from all over the world, participants are able to gain new perspectives into both their own sectors and international regulatory issues. This is achieved by combining traditional classroom instruction with experiential learning opportunities offered by dedicated and distinguished international experts.

The 5th edition of the Academy will take place from Monday, 22 July, to Friday, 26 July, 2013 in Granada, Spain. The choice of this vibrant city will enable participants to benefit from the distinctive beauty of the town’s Unesco World Heritage environment and its privileged geographical location adjacent to the Sierra Nevada. For more information, please visit here.

The Summer Academy may be taken as a 2 or 3 credit, graduate-level course from Michigan State University.  Contact IFLR@msu.edu if you are interested in enrolling for graduate credit. If you wish only to attend as a seminar, enroll here.

Foundations of EU Food Law and Policy

The introductory chapter to Alberto Alemanno’s forthcoming book, “Foundations of EU Food Law and Policy,” is available here on SSRN. The book gathers the viewpoints of academics, policymakers, industry representatives, and food practitioners on the first ten years of the European Food Safety Authority.

“Despite the celebratory mood, the book provides forward-looking views on the future scientific and regulatory challenges facing the Authority. Overall, the Authority emerges as belonging to a balanced, yet improvable, food legal system that deserves permanent scrutiny, guidance and judgment. That is the expectation of 500 million EU citizens, the daily clients of this very system.” Foundations of EU Food Law and Policy - Ten Years of European Food Safety Authority by Alberto Alemanno

Australian infographic on the horsemeat scandal

Infographic provided by Australian Food Safety News

EAACI issues European Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Public Declaration

The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology’s (EAACI) calls on European and national health policy makers to take up the cause of food allergy. Public Declaration forms part of EAACI’s 2012-2013 Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to enhance knowledge of food allergy in the European community, as well as awareness on the sharp increase of food allergy and the triggers of anaphylaxis among policy makers and to educate the public on how to react in case of emergency. Throughout 2013, EAACI, Europe’s largest allergy medical association, will be reaching out to EU officials, providing recommendations and asking them to take concrete actions to improve the management and treatment of food allergies and anaphylaxis.  In part - EAACI aims to challenge certain aspects of current EU food labelling directives, which it feels, are insufficient in preventing the accidental consumption of allergens. Currently, some foods have the label “may contain peanuts” or “may contain milk” but this type of labelling (precautionary labelling) is not sufficiently regulated at the EU level. Labelling is an essential part of food allergy management for the sufferer and has an important impact on how they manage their diets. EAACI believes that the EU should set clear guidelines for labelling foodstuffs for allergens. This includes products which may contain allergen derivatives and should be clearly linked to the name of the allergen to avoid confusion. Additionally, to facilitate readability, EAACI advises that the typeset used to flag allergens should differ from the one used for other ingredients Read more here. Also available in French, Spanish, Italian and German.

The Summer Academy in Global Food Law & Policy is an established one-week summer program that brings together practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, and leading academics working in the field of food law and policy. It offers intensive training on the most innovative developments in global food regulation and provides a unique opportunity for professional development and networking in an informal and interdisciplinary setting. By talking, studying, and interacting with food experts from all over the world, participants are able to gain new perspectives into both their own sectors and international regulatory issues. This is achieved by combining traditional classroom instruction with experiential learning opportunities offered by dedicated and distinguished international experts.

 

The 5th edition of the Academy will take place from Monday, 22 July, to Friday, 26 July, 2013 in Granada, Spain. The choice of this vibrant city will enable participants to benefit from the distinctive beauty of the town’s Unesco World Heritage environment and its privileged geographical location adjacent to the Sierra Nevada. For more information, please visit here.

 

The Summer Academy may be taken as a 2 or 3 credit, graduate-level course from Michigan State University.  Contact IFLR@msu.edu if you are interested in enrolling for graduate credit. If you wish only to attend as a seminar, enroll here.