EU: Knowledge Centre to boost food quality and step up the fight against food fraud

Brussels, 12 March 2018

European Commission launches Knowledge Centre to boost food quality and step up the fight against food fraud

Responding to consumer concerns about food quality and fraudulent practices concerning food, the European Commission will tomorrow launch a Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality, operated by the Joint Research Centre.

The Knowledge Centre, a network made up of experts in and outside the Commission, will support EU policymakers and national authorities by providing access to, and sharing up-to-date scientific knowledge on food fraud and food quality issues.

Concerns about food fraud and food quality undermine consumer confidence and damage the whole food supply chain in Europe, from farmers to retailers. Recent cases of food fraud included olive oil, wine, honey, fish, dairy products, meat and poultry. In addition, consumers may be exposed to unfair commercial marketing practices, especially regarding food products with significant differences in composition offered in different markets but under a similar package.

Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, who is responsible for the Joint Research Centre, will launch the new Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality in Strasbourg in the presence of Vice-President for the Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič, and Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vêrá Jourová.

Ahead of the launch, Commissioner Navracsics said: "Food is one area where science can very directly and tangibly demonstrate the benefits it brings to citizens. The quality of the food we eat is important to all of us, and because food fraud is a transnational criminal activity, the EU has a clear role to play in the response. The launch of the Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality is an important step. It will help protect the integrity of the EU food chain and safeguard the quality of food products, generating a clear added-value for Europeans."

Commissioner Jourová said: “The Commission takes the issue of food quality and unjustified differentiation very seriously and has already taken a number of concrete steps to tackle the issue. Providing for better scientific evidence is a crucial part of this work. This newly created Knowledge Centre, bringing together experts and knowledge from different locations inside and outside the European Commission, will further contribute to collecting and processing science-based evidence. Its work will also contribute to developing a common testing methodology, which in turn will help us apply and enforce food and consumer protection laws.” 

The Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality will:

• coordinate market surveillance activities, for example on the composition and sensory properties of food offered under the same packaging and branding on several markets across the EU;
• operate an early warning and information system for food fraud, for instance through media monitoring and providing this information to the general public;
• link information systems of Member States and the Commission, such as databases describing the composition of certain high value agri-food products such as wine or olive oil;
• generate country-specific knowledge; for example by mapping the competencies and laboratory infrastructures in Member States.

The Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality will produce newsletters, interactive maps, databases and regular reports and will make this information publicly accessible. The Knowledge Centre will be fully funded by the European Commission. The size of different expert groups will depend on the subject of its work. The Knowledge Centre will complement the EU Food Fraud Network by providing an interface between science and policy-making. 

The launch of the Knowledge Centre marks the opening of an exhibition "Putting Science at the Heart of European Policymaking" at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, which charts the work and history of the Joint Research Centre since its creation in 1957. 

Background

The food chain in the European Union is legislated by, among others, the General Food Law[1], the Food Information to Consumers[2]legislation and the Unfair Commercial Practice directive[3]. It requires the compliance of certain compositional and quality standards of agricultural products.

The Joint Research Centre has long-standing expertise in food science including authenticity research and expertise in developing, applying and validating analytical test methods to detect fraud in the food chain.

The Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality is the fifth to be launched after the ones on Bioeconomy, Territorial Policies, Migration and Demography and Disaster Risk Management. 

[1] REGULATION (EC) No 178/2002 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

of 28 January2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety

[2] REGULATION (EU) No 1169/2011 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers

[3] Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market

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EU: MEP’s Questions & Answers - Waste

• 27 November 2017 – Daciana Octavia Sârbu – [E-007281-17] - Subject: Food waste

The transition to a circular economy where products and their components are used in a consistent long-term cycle is one of the Commission’s priorities with a view to achieving economic sustainability and creating low-carbon societies through the efficient use of resources. This process of economic and social change will make it possible to consolidate high levels of competitiveness among Member States and enhance public awareness of the need to take care of the environment.

To this end, and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, the European Union has created the European Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste in order to contribute to the common goal of reducing per capita food waste by 2030. The platform’s work covers areas of activity such as better use and understanding of date marking on food labels, awareness, information and education campaigns, along with technological and social innovation.

What corrective measures and incentives is the Commission planning to introduce in order to help reduce food waste?

What measures is the Commission planning in order to increase awareness so that consumers can avoid high levels of food waste?

Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission (7 March 2018):

«A survey of unsold food and leftovers from catering activities was conducted in October and November 2017 at the General Secretariat of the Council. It showed a relatively low level of food waste thanks to constant monitoring of attendance at the canteens and steady management of purchases and stocks.

In particular, food production in the canteens has been adapted to match expected throughput, based on an analysis of planned meetings and events in Council buildings in Brussels. Account is taken of school holidays, periods when buildings are closed for maintenance or events, as well as the reduced presence of staff due to external factors such as strikes or transport disruption. On a daily basis, the volumes of sales of each dish are analysed and serve as a reference for future stock orders. For protocol events, the quantity of food ordered is fine-tuned in accordance with the expected number of participants.

Moreover, self-service by weight in the salad bar and the availability of smaller portions of food upon request ensure that the amount of food does not exceed consumption.

Unsold food and unused raw products are stored for re-use the following day, as appropriate.

Leftovers — appropriately sorted and grinded — are collected for recycling.

As for food donations, the required logistics, hygiene and food safety measures are being assessed within the GSC — under the supervision of the Belgian Federal Agency for Food Safety — with a view to exploring the possible setting-up of such a scheme.».

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EU: MEP’s Questions & Answers - Glyphosate residues and imports

• 23 November 2017 - Marco Affronte et al. – [P-007195-17] - Subject: Glyphosate residues and imports

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide. Both the WHO and the American Cancer Society have warned that it is a probable human carcinogen. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has stated that it has found trace amounts of glyphosate in roughly 30% of food products tested, and residue levels above the recommended limits in 4% of all grain products. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), European imports contain glyphosate residues in a range of foods, with studies showing concentrations in pasta (from 0.01 to 0.16 mg/kg), beer (up to 0.03 mg/l), corn flakes and cookies (up to 0.14 mg/kg). Therefore, on a normal dietary day, a European citizen may ingest glyphosate from various sources (even more if the diet is based on wheat derivatives), triggering a cumulative effect. Assuming that the Acceptable Daily Intake is 0.5 mg/kg of body weight, and given that Parliament’s resolution of 24 October 2017[1] called for the phasing out of glyphosate:

Is the Commission aware of the risks related to the cumulative effects on the human body?

What steps does the Commission plan to take to address consumer concerns on the pesticide’s presence in the European diet and to ensure sufficient testing and monitoring of glyphosate residues in feed, food and drinks produced in, as well as imported into, the Union, in order to address the current data gap pointed out by EFSA?

Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission (20 December 2017):

«Food products placed on the market in the European Union must comply with maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides set in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 396/2005[2]. MRLs ensure that food products containing residues below these limits are safe for consumers regardless of their origin i.e. whether they are produced in the Union or imported from third countries. Concerning imports of certain food of non-animal origin, Regulation 669/2009[3] provides a list of products for which an increased level of official controls is established at the designated points of entry into the EU. The list is regularly reviewed.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) publishes annual reports on pesticide residues in food, most recently in April 2017[4], summarising the results of the EU coordinated multiannual control programme and of the national control programmes. The monitoring results in that report show that 89.9% of wheat samples did not contain any measurable glyphosate residues. None of the samples with measurable residues exceeded the MRL. The report does not differentiate wheat samples according to their origin. The consumers exposure assessment carried out with the control results did not provide grounds for health concerns for European citizens.

Further results for glyphosate residues are expected in the next annual report, as an outcome of the EU coordinated multiannual control programme. Member States have been requested to ensure monitoring of a wide variety of crops for glyphosate, including both domestic and imported samples.

The cumulative effects on human body are subject to ongoing research by EFSA and Member States, supported by the Commission. Once the methodology to assess such effects is developed, it will be used in setting MRLs.».

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[1]     European Parliament resolution of 24 October 2017 on the draft Commission implementing regulation renewing the approval of the active substance glyphosate in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, and amending the annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011, Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0395.

[2]     Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 February 2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin and amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC, OJ L 70, 16.3.2005, p. 1–16.

[3]     Commission Regulation (EC) No 669/2009 of 24 July 2009 implementing Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the increased level of official controls on imports of certain feed and food of non-animal origin and amending Decision 2006/504/EC, OJ L 194, 25.7.2009, p. 11–21.

[4]     https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4791

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¿Qué es "Clean Label"?

Clean Label es sinónimo de la declaración clara, limpia y comprensible de los alimentos. Clean Label garantiza que los términos específicos e incomprensibles así como los ingredientes artificiales se eliminan de las listas de ingredientes para que cada consumidor pueda entender concretamente los ingredientes indicados.

El término de «Clean Label» (etiqueta limpia) se va convirtiendo en un tema cada vez más importante en la industria alimenticia: Desde la asociación de consumidores de Hamburgo se ha ido reivindicando desde hace mucho tiempo que en los alimentos se renuncie a los potenciadores artificiales del sabor así como a los conservantes y los colorantes. Sin embargo, les cuesta reaccionar ante la realidad: En la actualidad las grandes cadenas de comercio venden alimentos que llevan aromas, almidón modificado, espesantes, y muchos otros aditivos alimentarios.

El término de «Clean Label» también se refiere a los ingredientes clásicos y tradicionales, que hagan que el consumidor tenga confianza.

El hecho de que se haya producido un boom de los productos ecológicos y naturales así como el deseo por parte de los consumidores de poder disfrutar de productos más originales y fiables refuerzan la tendencia «Clean Label». El término de «Transparent Label» va aún más allá que «Clean Label» porque considera también los factores como la sostenibilidad, el comercio justo, etc.

Fuente (y más información): http://www.clean-label.de/index.php?page=que-es-clean-label

[e.CONTRAST.org no se responsabiliza de las opiniones ajenas, cuya fuente se cita]

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