European and UK Regulation of Food and Feed: Review October 2011 to March 2012
This report, covering the period October 2011 to March 2012, is the third of a series in the 2011 to 2014 Government Chemist programme in LGC aimed at providing stakeholders with reviews of recent developments in food and feed law and related scientific and regulatory issues.
This report forms part of the project RF1 (Milestone RF1/1) in the programme. It concentrates on legislative changes that relate to chemical measurement and the role of the Government Chemist function and its stakeholders. However it includes general contextual issues in food and feed. The report continues the practice of grouping legislation into six categories. Thus the structure and content of the report are as follows:
1. Cross-Cutting Issues
2. Food Safety
including contaminants, TSEs, hygiene, food contact materials and additives;
3. Consumer Choice and Prevention of Fraud
including composition, general labelling, aspects of GM food and food
irradiation;
4. Health and Nutrition
including nutrition labelling, nutrients and supplements;
5. Regulation
dealing with regulatory activities and overarching provisions;
6. Feedingstuffs and Fertilisers
dealing with animal feed and fertilisers.
European measures are normally listed first along with the implementing domestic legislation followed by purely domestic legislation. English regulations are cited in the text; however for significant measures, where equivalent regulations have been made at the same time for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, devolved references are given. Potentially temporary and local measures such as prohibition legislation for shellfish harvesting areas have not been recorded. European, domestic and, where relevant, EFSA consultations and reports are included. The publication of annual reports on the scope of legislation relating to the Government Chemist functioncomplements the reports in this series of reviews of changes in UK food and feed legislation and provides the Government Chemist with a comprehensive reference base for food and feed law and emerging issues.