GS1 has revealed a worryingly high number of people within the food industry are unaware of the Natasha’s Law legislation coming into effect on 1 October, according to new research.

It’s been reported that four in ten across the food industry have never heard of Natasha’s Law, despite the new legislation coming into effect in a matter of weeks. The research also showed that eight in ten food business owners admitted they felt unprepared for the new food regulations coming into effect, despite 90% saying that they have received plenty of information about the new law.

Employees working for chain or franchise companies seem to be more aware of the changes, with approximately 50 percent saying they had heard of Natasha’s Law.

One fifth of small independent businesses feel the new legislation is coming too soon and they haven’t been given them enough time to adopt and prepare for the changes they are required to make, however, only two percent of food chains and franchises held this view. GS1 UK has said that only 48 percent of employees in small independent businesses have heard of Natasha’s Law, which could potentially pose a major health risk to consumers, this is a stark difference compared to the 79 percent of employees from chains and franchises who were aware.

Despite there being agreement across the board concerning the implementation of the new regulations, just over half of small and medium sized businesses have taken steps to be in a good position ahead of the new law. The research suggests just 39 per cent are providing training on types of allergens and more than one in five say that they are awaiting further training and guidance. Getting ready for new legislation takes time and money and 67 per cent believe there should be more financial support from the government to help businesses with the transition.

To find out more, click here.

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a powerful tool for rapidly and cost-effectively identifying and characterising plant, animal and microbial species present in mixed food samples.

The application of NGS to food authenticity, adulteration and safety testing is a constantly evolving field with its own unique set of challenges that need to be explored. Further work needs to be conducted to better understand the performance characteristics and establish relevant performance criteria and metrics, to enable results generated in different laboratories to be compared and interpreted with equal confidence.

Following concerns raised from food industry members on the use of NGS for the quantitative determination of food ingredients, the Government Chemist engaged with Defra’s Authenticity Methodology Working Group (AMWG) and its Technical Sub-Group (AMWG-TSG), resulting in the AMWG producing a view on the use of NGS for food authenticity testing.

To download Defra’s Authenticity Methodology Working Group’s view on the use of Next Generation Sequencing for food authenticity testing, click here.

The EU’s Joint Research Centre (JCR) has published a report which considers whether EU and Member States’ efforts to improve the supply of healthier foods are succeeding by analysing the level of sugars, salt, saturated fat and fibre in packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages sold in European supermarkets.

The results show little progress has been made, with only a small reduction in salt, sugars and saturated fat sold in these products, and little evidence of an increase in the fibre content of the packaged foods on offer. The research evaluated the nutritional quality of 23,000 products/brands of packaged foods and soft drinks sold across 22 European countries from 2015–2018. It covered, on average, 72% of the market for the 4 nutrients considered.

To view the full report, click here.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has opened four funding rounds for applications to help support the fishing and seafood sector in England.

The time-limited competitive rounds, which are being delivered by MMO on behalf of Defra under the £6.1 million Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS), will match fund projects that deliver sustainable growth in the catching, processing and aquaculture sectors, and that conserve, enhance and support the recovery of the marine environment. They consist of:

• Grants for projects that support businesses trading in Live Bivalve Molluscs (LBMs).
• Grants for projects that contribute towards protecting the marine environment.
• Grants for projects that deliver world class science and technological advancements.
• Grants for projects that support or enhance the recreational sea fishing sector.

Launching the funding rounds, Fisheries Minister Victoria Prentis said:

“The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme is an important part of our ongoing commitment to support the seafood industry as it accesses new opportunities outside of the EU. The funding will help create a sustainable and successful future for the catching, processing and aquaculture sectors.”

“These four funding rounds will support shellfish businesses adapt to new trading conditions, help fishermen safeguard our marine ecosystems, support world-class science and boost our recreational angling sector. I encourage all eligible businesses to apply.”

This time-limited competitive funding round is available to businesses and organisations based in England engaged with recreational sea fishing, public bodies and local authorities that focus on fishing and aquaculture activities, universities, research institutes and NGOs. Individual anglers are not eligible.

The closing date for submissions is 6 October 2021. A review panel will be convened in late October to assess and score projects against the funding round criteria.

For more information about the scheme, please click here.

A number of retailers and food and drink brands have joined front-of-pack eco-score scheme Foundation Earth ahead of a pilot for its labelling trial starting this month.

The non-profit organisation was launched in June and has been supported by the industry with major companies joining its industry advisory group. The group will help Foundation Earth optimise its nascent traffic light environmental scoring system, which aims to roll out across Europe after the September trial.

The labelling trial will be noticeable on products sold by M&S, Costa Coffee, Meatless Farm, Greencore, Abel & Cole, Mash Direct and Finnebrogue Artisan.

“Collaboration is fundamental if we are to tackle the global climate crisis and Foundation Earth has demonstrated that major industry players are committed to real change in order to provide society with a simple, trusted system for everyday food choices,” said Cliona Howie, Foundation Earth Executive Director.

“This bold commitment [is] to a true farm-to-fork initiative that can drive change at both production and consumption ends in the value chain, thus simultaneously stimulating what we call systemic transformation and pioneering a more circular society. Consumers will finally be able to quickly and simply understand the impact linked to their food choices.”

Foundation Earth was the brainchild of the late Finnebrogue Artisan founder Denis Lynn. The labelling scheme is set to use methodolgy devised by food advisory company Mondra – which draws on data from a paper published by researchers at Oxford University and Swiss research institute Agroscope in 2018 – and the EU-funded food innovation initiative EIT Food.

To find out more about Foundation Earth and the companies supporting the scheme, click here.