Raw milk distribution ‘not in keeping with the spirit’ of the law?
Organic survey reveals people across Europe hugely opposed to GMOs
1. Concern about the environment.
2. The integrity of organic products, specifically the absence of GMOs and pesticide residues.
In the free comments and suggestions section of the survey, not in response to any particular question, the report summarised the contributions made:
Citizens in great majority were against GMOs in the European Union and demanded complete prohibition of GMOs. In detail, many contributions from citizens claimed that GMOs should be banned in the European Union and emphasised that GMOs are absolutely incompatible with its principles, criteria and objectives of organic farming. There also appeared opinions that import and use of GMO feedstuffs to European Union should be completely prohibited.
The results of the consultation will feed the ongoing review of the political and legal framework for organic agriculture in Europe, with an overall strategy to be put forward in early 2014.
Click here for further details with links to the survey report.
Photo: © Zabdiel (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Stilton’s bid fails while Stichelton Dairy’s still being considered
Earlier this year
two applications were made to amend the product specification with which Stilton cheese, as an EU PDO protected food name, must comply. Defra recently announced that the application made by The Original Cheese Company, to include “the parish of Stilton in Cambridgeshire” within the defined geographical area of production which is currently limited to Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, has been rejected. The reason given was that The Original Cheese Company has no “legitimate interest” in the matter and so is not qualified to make an application to amend the product specification. The decision is likely to be challenged and it would have proved more interesting to have a decision on the merits of the case rather than a procedural matter.
The other application comes from
Stichelton Dairy which has requested that the product specification be amended so that Stilton cheese can be made using pasteurised
or unpasteurised full cream cow’s milk. This
remains subject to consultation following objections raised during national consultation undertaken earlier in the year. Here’s hoping Stichelton Dairy will be able to return Stilton to its raw milk roots.
Photo credit: ©Stephanie Watson from Brighton, England (Borough Market, cheese stall) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Real Bread Campaign dominates Tiptree World Bread Awards 2013
Members of the Real Bread Campaign dominated the
Tiptree World Bread Awards 2013 taking 18 of the 26 gold awards with many runners up. The first Tiptree World Bread Awards were held on 8 October, sponsored by Wilkin and Sons Limited, fruit growers and preservers.
The Awards celebrate the skill of bread-making at its best and seek to foster and encourage the art of baking now and for future generations. The Awards are open to all – artisan bread makers, small high street bakers, home bread-makers and children who bake – the next generation of bakers. Over the last decade a growing proportion of the 12 million loaves sold every day is coming from artisan bakers.
A list of all 26 winners and runners up can be found on the
Real Bread Campaign website.
The Artisan Food Law Website is now live!
The Artisan Food Law website –
www.artisanfoodlaw.co.uk – went live on 18 October last. The site will always be a work in progress with new content continually being added and existing content updated. Feel free to suggest topics you think may usefully be included along with any suggestions for improvement.
We hope you find Artisan Food Law a useful resource when the need arises and intrigue you in between. If you think it falls short in any way, let us know so we can do something about it.
"I can highly recommend Artisan Food Law, it’s a hugely useful and expert information resource on the law affecting artisan and small scale food producers."
Joanna Blythman
Award winning author and investigative journalist
Meanwhile …
Law and policy
Cinnamon may be associated with a reduction in harmful cholesterol. A possible candidate for an EU health claim?
EU food law must adapt to allow insects in livestock feed. Fera want your views on the use of insect protein.
Olive oil, fish and organic food are top of the EU food fraud list. This is a draft report which is due for approval next month.
Flora margarine flouts the health claims rules and is misleading consumers rules the ASA. Better off eating real butter anyway!
European Court rules that the requirement for individual electronic ID for sheep and goats is lawful.
ASA rules Organic Trade Board ads for organic milk on London Underground are justified. Grass guaranteed!
Typical pizza contains 35 ingredients which have travelled through 60 countries on 5 continents.
Cadbury's attempt to trademark the Dairy Milk colour purple blocked. As a trade mark it lacks precision!
What’s in a Name: French Winery Forced to Change Trademark. Watch out for those damned cyber squatters!
Survey of Welsh shoppers reveals that organic food no longer seen as a luxury purchase.
Artisan foods
New Zealand’s the place to be for raw milk. Great story which shows how it can be provided safely and sold by use of vending machines.
Groan ... "artisanal breads made on an industrial scale". Oxymoron or just plain moronic? Definitely not real bread!
Fenland celery, renowned for distinctive flavour, crisp texture and pale green colour, gains EU protected name status.
Tesco seeks salvation in resort to 'artisan' to reverse poor UK sales. The first recourse of a charlatan is to abuse the name!
Feeling kneady: The rise of artisan baking. Don't fall for supermarket rustic, go for genuine real bread.
A taste of Slow Food's Slow Cheese 2013: Food Matters | An Italian Town Says Yes, Please, to Cheese.
Word of mouth: Womersley, vinegars with family values. Nice one Rupert!
Wine and drink
Forty Hall Vineyard harvest grapes from a commercial scale vineyard in London for first time since the Middle Ages. First wine in bottle in 2015!
Confidence in Scotland's finest: £5m move to revive whisky birthplace Lindores Abbey where whisky first made in 1494.
Farming
EU ban on battery cages made "only a minor improvement" in the lives of laying hens says Soil Association.
Organic farming may boost yields and incomes. The problem is research money goes into GM and science is anti-competitive.
Sustainable fish
Whole Foods is changing aquaculture. Ranked No. 1 for seafood sustainability by Greenpeace in 2013.
Norway orders the slaughter of 2 million sea-lice infested farmed salmon to protect wild salmon.
Rising mackerel stocks give hope for healthy fish. Mackerel is one of our most valuable fish resources.
GM and pesticides
'Frankenfish' GM salmon is coming to US supermarkets soon. Would you eat it?
Ninety per cent of pesticides under threat from EU bee plans. EFSA got it right this time?
Italian ban on Monsanto GM maize is unsupported by scientific evidence, but the European Commission is unlikely to take any action.
Food waste
Tesco reveals a staggering 68% of bagged salad, 50% of bakery products, 40% of apples are wasted and blames farmers and consumers!
