www.food.gov.uk
The Food Standards Agency, together with Defra and the Agriculture/Rural
Affairs Departments in the Devolved Administrations are seeking your views
on a proposal for a Council Regulation adapting Annex I to Regulation (EC)
No 882/2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules
As the proposed Regulation is to be considered by the Council on 17 March, may I ask please for any responses to reach Catriona Stewart ( 020 7276 8498, email:catriona.stewart@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk ) by close next Friday 14 March 2008 if at all possible.
Food Standards Agency consultation on Race Equality and Gender Equality
Schemes
All comments and views should be sent to: bethan.campbell@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Responses are required by Friday 9 May 2008.
Food Standards Agency's public consultation on the
Proposal for a new Regulation on the provision of food information to
consumers.
The Regulation will replace Directive 2000/13/EC on general labelling
and Directive 90/496/EC for nutrition labelling and recast a number of other
directives.
All comments and views should be sent to:
Jeff Mills at: labelling@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Responses are required by 2 May 2008.
Commission working paper which proposes changes to the EU school milk subsidy scheme.
Any preliminary views by 18 March. Further or more detailed comments should be sent by 7 April to Anne Freeman, Milk Trade Policy Team, Defra.
Defra will formally consult on how the UK might implement the voluntary aspects of the scheme later.
Draft Regulations to transpose Commission Directive 2008/4/EC on feedingstuffs for the reduction of
the risk of milk fever.
The closing date for comments on this consultation is 24 April 2008.
Resposibility and Cost Sharing Workshops in England - 20th February 2008
Defra is consulting (www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/ahw-nextsteps/index.htm ) on how animal health and welfare may operate in the future under shared industry/government funding and decision-making. The public purse spends £400 million per annum on Animal Health and Welfare, which increases substantially when disease outbreaks occur. The cost to the farming industry is also considerable, yet currently those affected have no decision-making powers over these policies. Your views are needed to help develop and shape this important area, which may change how decisions about control and funding of animal disease are made in England, and more widely.
Places are limited, so please register your wish to attend ASAP. Please send the information below to rcsworkshops@defra.gsi.gov.uk, fax back a completed advert to 0207 238 5767, or telephone 0207 238 5758.
Veterinary Medicines Directorate - Distribution Category Review fourth product groups consultation
www.vmd.gov.uk
Responses by 18th April 2008
The following consultation papers are now on the Foodaware website:
Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on nutrition and health claims made on foods: SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR THE PREPARATION AND PRESENTATION OF THE APPLICATION FOR HEALTH CLAIMS
At a meeting on 14th January 2008 the Commission presented a proposal for
implementing rules as foreseen in Article 15 (4) of 1924/2006. This is
based on the EFSA guidance for the preparation and presentation of
applications for authorisation of a health claim, and is necessary to give
a legal base to those parts of the guidelines where lack of data would lead
EFSA to judge a claim invalid. The Commission have therefore only
transposed those parts of the guidelines into the regulation.
It is understood that the Commission intend to present this to the Standing
Committee on Food and Animal Health on 4 February 2008 for adoption.
Consultation on the European Commission’s proposal to increase EU milk quotas by 2% from 1 April 2008.
Please check DEFRA website for details.
There are two deadlines for comment:
17 January – on the proposal itself (i.e. the principle of a 2% increase) (although and earlier response would be much appreciated)
29 February – on the allocation of the additional quota (if it is agreed)
Separate consultations will be conducted at the same time by the Devolved Administrations.
Revised Guidelines for the Development of Recognised National Guides to Good Practice - Article 21 of the EC Feed Hygiene Regulation (183/2005)
Following earlier public consultation on draft guidelines for the
development and assessment of national guides to good practice, you may
wish to note that only minor amendment of the guidelines was required and a
revised version is available to view on the Food Standards Agency's website
at:
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/animalfeed/animalfeedlegislation
or:
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/feednvgaugust07.pdf
A copy of the responses received can be viewed at:
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/consultationresponse/1832005response.pdf
INTRA-EU TRADE IN BLUETONGUE SUSCEPTIBLE ANIMALS - COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1266/2007
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 90/425/EC
THE ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS (IMPORT AND EXPORT) (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2006
This note is to advise you of Defra's enforcement policy for the legislation cited above.
Guidance material for feed businesses
(including farms) that the Food Standards Agency's has put together to
help businesses comply with the Article 18(3) requirement of the EC Feed
Hygiene Regulation (183/2005).
Members must make a statement of compliance under Article 18(3) by 1
January 2008.
Guidance is available on the Agency’s website at:
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/farmingfood/animalfeed/animalfeedlegislation
or:
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/article18ec1832005.pdf (guidance for feed businesses)
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/article18farmersguide.pdf (guidance for farmers)
The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2007 comes into force on 21 November 2007.
Interested Parties update on Chemical
Contaminants in Food is now available on the UK Food Standards Agency
website:
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/regulation/europeleg/euupdates/chemcontameuip0711
Open Committee Meeting of the UK Food Standards Agency
The meeting will take place from 09.30am til 1pm on 9th November 2007 at The Muller Hall,
All Nations Centre, Sachville Avenue, Heath, Cardiff, CF14 3NY.
For further information or to register, please contact Deborah Morgan, Food Standards Agency Wales,
11th Floor, Southgate House, Wood Street, Cardiff CF10 1EW, Tel: 029 2067 8999 Fax: 029 2067 8919
Alternatively you can email:
Deb.morgan@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Tickets for the meeting will be issued on a first come, first served basis and confirmation of a
place will be sent to you.
Food Standards Agency's public consultation on the Revised Criteria for the use of the terms Fresh, Pure, Natural, etc. in Food Labelling.
24th October 2007
EU Food Labelling Review
Following the 20th Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils, comments
were sought on the following: Code of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils
in Bulk: Draft and Proposed
Should you have any further issues or comments to raise on the above, please let Shifra Sheikh, Food Law Policy, Food Standards Agency have them by 23 November 2007
Statutory Instrument:
The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) (No 2) Order 2007’ which comes into force on 1 November 2007.
Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products – Request for comments at Step 3 on matters arising from the Committee
Comments by 30 November 2007
Public consultation on the revised Clear Food Labelling Guidance.
Responses are required by 24 December 2007.
EU Animal Health Strategy was published on 19 September and it can be viewed at:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/strategy/index_en.htm.
