food, diet and nutrition

EPHA Press Release: MEPs unite against misleading nutrition claims on “x% less fat”

PRESS RELEASE Date: 02 02 2012 Contact person: Alison Abrahams +32 2 233 38 72 MEPs unite against misleading nutrition claims on “x% less fat” ***For Immediate Release*** On 2 February 2012, the European Parliament voted by an overwhelming majority (393 for, 161 against with 21 abstentions) to ban the nutrition claim “now contains x% less”. This is a positive step for public health and a blow for the food industry who had been lobbying hard to allow the (...)

EPHA asks Members of the European Parliament to support food reformulation efforts

EPHA produced a Letter asking Members of the European Parliament ENVI Committee to support a Motion for a Resolution opposing a newly authorised nutrition claim. By authorising this claim, the Commission will give food manufacturers a means with which to decrease their reformulation efforts. The vote will take place on 31st of January 2012. *Update* 31 January 2012 Members of the ENVI Committee voted today on the Motion for a Resolution and broadly supported the text, with 45 votes in (...)

EPHA express its disappointment in an Open Letter to the Polish Government on abandoned proposal to raise VAT on unhealthy food products.

In response to the news announcing that the Polish Parliament proposal to increase the current value added tax (VAT) from 8 to 23% on a series of unhealthy products, had been abandoned, EPHA has sent an Open Letter to the Polish Government. Having consistently advocated for actions to reduce the level of obesity around Europe, EPHA expressed its sincere disappointment to such a missed opportunity. EPHA Open Letter to the Polish Prime Minister and Polish Ministers of Health, Agriculture and (...)

Priorities of the Danish Presidency in the area of Agriculture and Food

With the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union taking over as of January 2012, the Danish Minister of Agriculture spoke to both the European Parliament Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the EC DG Agriculture at their meetings on 23-25 January 2012. This article presents the most important issues to be dealt in the field of agriculture and food in the next 6 months. Work Programme of the Danish Presidency - Agriculture and Fisheries Unveiling the Danish (...)

European Charter for Health Equity - open for signatures through 2012

After being officially launched on 9 December 2010, the European Charter for Health Equity will be open for signatures for a year (end 2011). We invite all relevant stakeholders, organisations and institutions to sign the Charter. We count on your active involvement! We have just over 160 signatories on our list of supporters! The European Charter for Health Equity has been opened for signatures until the end of 2012. To sign the European Charter for Health Equity please follow the (...)

EPHA position on the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region

On 7 October 2011, the Marmot Review Team has launched a consultation on the European Review of the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region. EPHA contributed to the consultation in the framework of our campaign on health equity EPHA Response to the Marmot Review Consultation on the European Review of the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide in the WHO European Region Visit the website of the UCL Institute of Health Equity (former the (...)

Food taxation in Europe: Evolution of the legislation

More and more countries adopt stricter food taxation and food fiscal measures, as a response to the obesity epidemics and the financial crisis. This article will be updated regularly with the evolution of the legislation in EU Member States. Overview of the discussions and/or implementation of such measures in European countries In January 2010, the Romanian Government announced the possible introduction of a tax that would impact on foods that are high in fats, salt, sugars and (...)

EPHA Position on food intended for infants and young children and on food for special medical purposes

On 20 June 2011, the European Commission adopted a Proposal for a Regulation on food intended for infants and young children and on food for special medical purposes. The Proposal establishes a new framework for the composition and labelling of these food categories. EPHA makes some suggestions on how to improve the current text. In 1977, the EU Directive on Foodstuffs intended for particular nutritional uses was adopted. Since then, the text has been revised several times, the last time (...)

EPHA Open Letter to the Polish Minister for Agriculture on the Most Deprived Persons Scheme in the EU

The Polish Presidency has played a leading role in trying to break the deadlock on the EU Distribution Scheme of Free Food to the Most Deprived Persons. In appreciation of his decisive role, the public health community would like to thank Mr Sawicki for his commitment. The European Union Distribution Scheme of Free Food to the Most Deprived Persons has been hotly debated in the Council of the EU for the last months. The debate concerning the continuation of the scheme for the years 2012 (...)

EPHA Report from the EFSA Stakeholder Consultative Platform - November 2011

A meeting of the EFSA Stakeholder Consultative Platform took place on the 17th and 18th of November 2011. EPHA attended the two-day meeting and summarises below some of its key outcomes. The broad range of participants that attented this two-day meeting allowed a rich exchange on a variety of items: the recent organisation’s developments (EFSA’s involvement in the Escherichiacoli STEC 0104:H4 pandemic, work on Bisphenol A, Aspartame etc.) the draft Science Strategy for (...)