European legislation threatens agriculture exports from US

To maintain country-to-country relationships, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to meet requests from the European Union (EU) to confirm the safety of US products. A current testing initiative conducted by FDA began with an audit conducted by the EU's Food and Veterinary Office last October. The results of the EU testing showed that the United States was not in compliance with several of the group's antibiotic regulations. "Unfortunately, when the EU came over and audited our drug residue program in the United States, we didn't do as well as we had hoped on it," she remembers. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of  'PPLAPP' click here.

Harmonised EU feed safety assurance called for by EFI

The European Feed Ingredients Platform (EFIP) has ask for a harmonised European Union feed safety assurance in the feed chain, part of this will be a pan European reach with harmonised approach and effective reduction of audit operators. Didier Jans Chairman of EFIP said, “In this sense, mutual recognition of schemes with comparable design and objectives remain a necessity for well functioning markets and for enhancing cost efficiency for operators.” Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers.

European Parliament backs return of animal feed protein

The European Parliament have backed plans to allow processed animal protein back into EU animal feed. Members voted in favour of the Roth-Behrendt report, which recommends allowing pigs to be fed poultry protein and poultry to be fed pig protein. The Commission's TSE Roadmap 2 proposes a possible gradual lifting of the prohibition on the feeding of processed animal proteins (PAP) to non-ruminants.

Given the European Union's "protein deficit", then members back this idea, subject to strict conditions and safeguards. These include stipulating that the PAP must come from species not linked to TSE, and may be fed only to non-herbivores. Prohibitions on cannibalism must remain and only processed animal proteins fit for human consumption should be used, MEPs add. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers

EU lawmakers in favour of widening GM crop bans

European Union governments will be able to restrict or ban GMO crops on a case by case basis under measures approved by the European Parliament’s all-party environment committee earlier this week. Critics of GM crops say herbicides used in conjunction with the plants promote widespread weed resistance, or super weeds.

EU countries should also be free to ban GM crops to protect local plants, habitats and alternative farming practices such as organic production, the European Parliament's influential environment committee said in a vote in Brussels. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers

EU votes to broaden proposed GM crop bans

European Union governments should be allowed to ban the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops based on environmental concerns including the prevention of "super weeds," EU lawmakers said on Tuesday. Critics of GM crops say herbicides used in conjunction with the plants such as Monsanto Co's Roundup Ready promote widespread weed resistance, or super weeds.

EU countries should also be free to ban GM crops to protect local plants, habitats and alternative farming practices such as organic production, the European Parliament's influential environment committee said in a vote in Brussels. The European Commission in July proposed draft legislation that would give governments the power to decide on bans in a bid to break a deadlock in EU GM crop approvals, after just two varieties have been approved for cultivation in more than 12 years. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers