The Joint Research Council (JRC) have recently published a report entitled: ‘Deforestation and forest degradation in the Amazon – Update for year 2022 and link to soy trade’.  

The report shows that altogether, 35,480 km2 of forest were either deforested or degraded in the Pan-Amazon in 2022, constituting an increase of 14.9% with respect to 2021. In the past 22 years, the Pan-Amazon has lost 12.6% of its intact humid forest of 1999 either by deforestation (8.0%) or forest degradation (4.6%). 

Deforestation in the Amazon region is mostly driven by agricultural expansion for commodities such as cattle, soy and (indirectly) maize. Forest degradation is partially driven by selective logging of wood (the other main driver being fires). Soy and soy-derived products are included, amongst other commodities, in the EU regulation on deforestation free products (EUDR).  

The report which can be found here discusses the relationship between soy production and recent deforestation patterns observed in the Amazon region. 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have launched a website consumer satisfaction survey for 2024.  

Should you wish to complete the ‘Consumer Satisfaction Survey 2024’, rest assured it is anonymous and will only use the information collected to help improve their service. Furthermore, the FSA reassures that you can’t be identified from the responses you submit.  

You must be 16 or over to take part, most of it is multiple choice and it will only take approximately 7 minutes to complete. Comments boxes are also available should you wish to share further thoughts or additional information.  

You can take part in the survey here 

In the run up to Easter, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) have published renewed advice on the advertising of high fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) products.  

The advice, published under the banner ‘Advice to make your HFSS ads egg-cel this Easter’ reiterates tips to bear in mind when marketing HFSS products including understanding what a HFSS ad is, the restrictions in place and several examples of challenges. 

It also highlights that even the use of branding (i.e. a logo, colour, strapline) generally associated with an HFSS food could have the effect of promoting a HFSS product.   

You can access the advice here 

If you require bespoke advice on non-broadcast ads, you can also send a query to their  Copy Advice team, who will deliver a free response within 24 hours.   

A new World Health Organisation (WHO) study has shown that in 2022, 1 in 8 people globally are now living with obesity. 

The study, entitled ‘Worldwide trends in underweight and obesity from 1990 to 2022’ highlighted that worldwide obesity among adults has more than doubled since 1990 and 43% of adults were overweight in 2022. Even more worrying is the revelation that obesity and has quadrupled among children and adolescents (5 to 19 years of age). 

The study also shows that even though the rates of undernutrition have dropped, it is still a public health challenge in many places, particularly in South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Undernutrition is responsible for half of the deaths of children under 5 and obesity can cause noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers. 

You can read the study in the Lancet here  

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) have recently published their 23rd annual report, covering the calendar year 2023. 

SACN advises the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and other UK government organisations on nutrition and related health matters. Their advice covers the scientific aspects of nutrition and health with specific reference to: 

• nutrient intakes and nutritional status of the population 
• nutrient content of individual foods and advice on individual nutrients and diet as a whole, including the definition of a balanced diet 
• monitoring and surveillance of the above aspects 
• nutritional issues which affect wider public health policy issues including conditions where nutritional status is one of a number of risk factors (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, oral health, osteoporosis, and obesity) 
• research requirements for the above 

This latest report provides a summary of the work of SACN and its working groups and subgroups, along with details of members’ declarations of interest and their biographies. 

Amongst the work undertaken, July 2023 saw the publication of the ‘SACN statement on processed foods and health’. SACN concluded that the association between higher consumption of (ultra-) processed foods and adverse health outcomes is concerning – however, limitations in the available evidence mean that it is unclear whether these foods are inherently unhealthy due to processing or because a large majority of processed foods are high in calories, saturated fat, salt and/or sugar.  

Given SACN’s concerns, the committee has added the topic of processed foods to its watching brief and will consider it at the next horizon scan meeting in June 2024. We will keep you updated. 

You can access the annual report here 

On Tuesday 16th April in Westminster Hall, MPs will hold a debate on food waste and food redistribution. 

Should this be a subject of particular interest you can Watch the debate live on Parliament TV.   

A full transcript will also be available three hours after the close of the debate on Commons Hansard.  

The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject.  

The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal. 

The agenda and papers for the latest Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board meeting are now available here along with the questions posed during the session. 

The meeting, which was held on 20th March 2024, included discussions on: 

• Governance Review 
• Regulated Products 
• Precision Breeding 
• Foodborne Disease 
• Strategic Risk Management 
• Report from the Chair of the Welsh Food Advisory Committee 

Of particular interest to members may be the response to public consultation on proposals for a new framework in England for the regulation of Precision Bred Organisms, plans for secondary legislation, and next steps: 

FSA 24-03-05 - Precision Breeding – Response to Public Consultation and Next Steps 

The consultation ran for two months, closing on 8th January 2024 and attracted a total of 412 responses, a summary of which can be found here. 

Also of interest may be the paper giving an overview of foodborne disease in the UK and how the FSA and others throughout the food chain are mitigating the associated risks:  

FSA 24-03-06 - Foodborne Disease Policy Overview