Sep 11, 2023
In an effort to build trust with consumers amid concerns about adulterated organic products in the market, India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has directed all state-authorized laboratories to put infrastructure in place for testing organic products. The government of India intends to promote organic products domestically and to boost exports, and wants reliable testing to assure the authenticity of organic products.
Aug 31, 2023
Food and beverage companies interested in Asian markets need to understand how to navigate consumers’ increasing interest in health and affordability. The majority of consumers in Asia (62%) trust the health claims made on products, as governments are standardizing “Healthier Choices” symbols and initiatives. Meanwhile, 70% say they are actively trying to save money on food and beverage purchases.
Aug 16, 2023
As of December 2023, the Glastir Organic support program for organic farms will close. Organic farms will then have to apply to the Sustainable Farming Support Scheme. A new program is in the works, but details will not be available until the end of the year. Opposed to the move, the Soil Association reports that the changes will remove £3.1 million of support dedicated to organic farms. Within the United Kingdom, Wales has the highest proportion of land area certified as organic.
Aug 9, 2023
Since July 31, 2023 all beverages intended for retail sale—including imports—with more than 1.15% alcohol by volume must include a specific pregnancy warning label. Food Standards Australia New Zealand posted guidelines to assist with compliance.
Jul 25, 2023
New labeling requirements mandate specific nutritional information on new food and beverage products and mandate the use of an online registration system, effective July 1. To assist food and beverage manufacturers with South Korea’s new rules, the government developed a 50-page guidance booklet.
Jul 11, 2023
The European Parliament voted on July 11 to reject a proposal to create detailed production rules for organic sea salt and other organic salts for food and feed. IN the absense of those rules, organic salt operators may be certified as organic on the basis of the principles and general production rules of Regulation (EU) 2018/848, and European Union Member States have the option to use detailed national production rules.
Jul 11, 2023
Bulk shipments of the same items imported to separate locations now have a standardized system that removes multiple rounds of application and declaration, streamlining the import process. There are also shorter processing privileges for food and beverage firms with a good trade history in Korea.
Jul 10, 2023
With about 20% of the vineyards farmed organically, France is Europe’s leader in organic vineyard management. Organic vineyard acreage increased in 2021 to 90,3000 hectares, up 13% from 2020. Consumption of organic wine in France is up as well, with 36% of shoppers reporting drinking organic wine at least occasionally, up from 17% in 2015. Overall, organic food and beverage products hold a 7% market share in France. Over half (53%) of consumers say they buy organic food often, and 96% of French consumers recognize the organic label. Concern about the environment is one of the drivers of organic wine purchases.
Jul 5, 2023
Young consumers in Europe are more open to genetically modified foods, especially if those foods provide a boost in nutrition, reports Food Navigator. Research from Mintel found that about 23% of Germans aged 16-24, compared to 13% overall, would choose a product with GMO ingredients if it were more nutritions. Likewise, 40% of Brits aged 16-44 would buy genetically modified produce if it were more nutritious.
Jul 5, 2023
The European Commission proposed two categories of plants created from new genomic techniques, such as CRISPR. Those plants that could also occur naturally or through conventional breeding and those with fewer than 20 genetic modifications would be exempt from GMO legislation and labeling. All others would be considered GMOs, and subject to risk assessments and authorization. The proposal would need to be approved by the European Parliament and EU governments.
Jun 23, 2023
The UK's Council on Geostrategy published an overview of how to negotiate with Chinese counterparts, based on diplomatic experience.
Jun 22, 2023
India agreed to remove tariffs on certain U.S. products, including chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, apples, boric acid, and diagnostic reagents.
May 23, 2023
Single-use plastics, including but not limited to bowls, plates, trays and cutlery, will be banned in the United Kingdom beginning October 1, 2023. Soft drink bottles and some other types of packaging are excluded from the ban.
May 23, 2023
The Soil Association Standards for Great Britain, Organic Standards for Great Britain, the Soil Association Standards for Northern Ireland, and the Organic Standards for Northern Ireland have been updated.
May 17, 2023
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency changed its guidance for pre-market clearance for seeds. Despite protest from the organic sector, the changes will require pre-market clearance for any plant that releases seeds into the environment only when the plant contains foreign DNA; the plant has a new commercially viable herbicide tolerance trait; or, the plant is of a new crop species or is intended for new uses in Canada. This paves the way for gene-edited seeds to enter the marketplace without pre-approval. As a result of organic sector concerns, the government created a Government-Industry Steering Committee on Plant Breeding Innovations Transparency and will oversee a private sector Canadian Variety Transparency Database.
May 16, 2023
The Black Sea Grain Food Security Dashboard will help visualize market share of grains and oil seeds and the impacts Black Sea trade disruption can have on food access in various countries.
May 1, 2023
European Union has proposed revisions to its legislation on packaging and packaging waste. If the proposal is approved, by January 2030 all packaging would be required to be recyclable, and some packaging would have to be compostable, among other criteria.
Apr 26, 2023
Sales of organic food declined in three key European markets in 2022, in part due to inflation and poor economic conditions for consumers. In Denmark, organic food sales dropped 3%, with meat sales particularly hard-hit. Organic food sales in Germany dropped 4.1% during January to October 2022, although annual sales were expected to reach €15 billion, €2.7 billion more than in 2019. In 2022, sales of organic food in France declined of 6.3%.
Apr 19, 2023
The European Parliament has passed anti-deforestration measures that, once formally endorsed by the Council, would require key goods sold in or exported from Europe to come from supply chains that do not degrade forests in Europe or around the world. Products include palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, cocoa, timber, and rubber, and products derived from them. The regulations include due diligence and traceability requirements for operators and traders.
Apr 12, 2023
Chinese shoppers consider the sustainability of products as part of the factors that influence purchase. For food and beverage, about 40% of consumers include “healthy and green” as a top consideration. For both the clothing and personal care categories, about 23% consider if the product includes “organic/green/sustainable materials or production.”
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