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The article discusses the ruling of the European Court of Justice on a case concerning the presentation of foodstuff in the region. Topics covered include the implications of the case for the appropriate labeling of food in Europe. Also mentioned are the problems with the labeling of natural ingredients in food that are being presented or displayed to attract consumers.

Most cereal products, like white bread, pasta, and biscuits, are based on flour after removal of bran and germ, the two parts of grain kernels containing most of the dietary fibre and other bioactive components. In the past decade, consumers have been rediscovering whole grain-based products and the number of wholegrain products has increased rapidly. In most countries in Europe and worldwide, however, no legally endorsed definition of wholegrain flour and products exists. Current definitions are often incomplete, lacking descriptions of the included grains and the permitted flour manufacturing processes. The consortium of the HEALTHGRAIN EU project (FP6-514008, 2005-2010) identified the need for developing a definition of whole grain with the following scope: 1) more comprehensive than current definitions in most EU countries; 2) one definition for Europe _ when possible equal to definitions outside Europe; 3) reflecting current industrial practices for production of flours and consumer products; 4) useful in the context of nutritional guidelines and for labelling purposes. The definition was developed in a range of discussion meetings and consultations and was launched in 2010 at the end of the HEALTHGRAIN project. The grains included are specified: a wide range of cereal grains from the Poaceae family, and the pseudo-cereals amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, and wild rice. The definition also describes manufacturing processes allowed for producing wholegrain flours. This paper compares the HEALTHGRAIN definition with previous definitions, provides more comprehensive explanations than in the definition itself regarding the inclusion of specific grains, and sets out the permitted flour manufacturing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional ethical claims were tested with mock organic egg labels in five EU countries. The attitudes towards the advertising labels were assessed by multiple copy testing measures. A total of 156 individual responses were analysed. The study confirms the difficulty of conducting advertising research in a multicultural framework, and shows that additional local/ regional claims can reinforce the appeal of organic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers updates related to food policy in Europe. Michael Flueh, a European Commission official, stated that the commission may consider possible warning food labels for pregnant women and may prioritize the reevaluation of the low calorie sweetener aspartame. The World Health Organization (WHO) will validate nutrient profiles to determine whether food systems can identify foods that are either healthy or unhealthy.

The article discusses the unresolved legal and regulatory issues related to colouring foodstuffs in Europe. It states that the issues relate to the lack of legal definition of colouring foodstuff, some unresolved safety and labelling issues and the clarification of the applicability to some colouring foodstuffs of the Regulation on novel foods. It mentions a certain trend towards an increased use of colouring foodstuffs on behalf of some artificial colours.

The Proposal for the Provision of Information to Consumers is best known for its aim to tackle obesity by providing clear information to consumers. However it is also being used as a way in which to address what has been described as "an missed opportunity" by the European Court of Justice in the Lidl, Italia case to set out the different responsibilities of food business operators through out the food chain. This article analysis these new proposed provisions and its potential impact on the laws of the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers significant information on the food regulation in Europe in 2009. European government has restricted the use of artificial colors, flavors and hygiene in the country in food products. It mentions that the Commission for a Council Regulation ordered to avoid of using antimicrobial substances from the poultry carcasses. In addition, the Commission Regulation (EC) implies that the composition and labelling of food products are only desirable for people who are intolerant to gluten.

Currently, the rules for the marketing of feed are spread over four old Directives -compound feed, feed materials, "dietetic feed" and bio-proteins. This has made existing legislation extremely scattered, difficult to understand and implement in a uniform way. In the light of the EU-Commission's Better Regulation Policy and Lisbon Strategy, the emphasis of the legislative project was on modernisation and simplification while ensuring animal health and the safety of food. The main improvements will be achieved by setting modern rules under one Regulation resulting in more legal clarity and a smoother functioning of the internal market. In particular, several grey zone areas will be clarified and the use of claims will be better regulated and thus enforceable. The new rules cope with the developments in the marketing of farm animal feed and pet food including modern communication means. Stakeholders will be encouraged to develop EU codes for good labelling practice. On top of this, market transparency about the various different feed materials will be improved by a stakeholder driven catalogue and notification system. Furthermore, the burden is removed to indicate all percentages of feed materials in compound feed for food producing animals and to have a pre-market authorisation for "bio-proteins". The Commission proposal has been adopted in March 2008 and passed the co-decision procedure in record time to enter into force in spring 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several Codex Alimentarius standards on foodstuff production and safety that were revised or adopted in Europe as of 2014 including one on nutrition labelling, one on sardines and sardine-type products, and one on named vegetable oils.

The article discusses unhealthy consumption of food. Topics included are unhealthy eating habits leading to noncommunicable diseases, Nutri-score system adopted by the policy makers from France to establish a healthy environment, and nutrition value of food products being determined by the Nutri-score system.