News

Recent news from BEO

• Annex VI animal products published and discussed again

  19 June 2006 · On the 25th of May the Annex VI animal products is offically published and will be into practice after a conversionperiod of 18 months (25 November 2007). The EIFOAM EU Sectoral Group Organic Processing welcomes this event after a period of 5 years discussion. But now the decision has been made, the discussion is not over yet. A number of topics related to processing of organic foods have to be resolved in order to provide a positive development for the sector and the level playing field. The IFOAM EU Sectoral Group Organic Processing is working on a paper to adress this topics to the Commission in order to enforce the process of clarification. Some examples of these topics are: Ion Exchange for infant food and fruit concentrates, HCL for cheese and organic gelatine.
  Op the Board meeting of 3 July the topic-list will discussed in te Sectoral Group and a letter will be send to the Commission.
  

• Draft Harmonization residue approach based on residue monitoring - April 2006

  19 June 2006 · On 1 April 2006 the IFOAM EU Board agreed with the proposal from the research working group to patronize the initiative of a residue monitoring project from the organic sector towards the EU Commission and other stakeholders. The research working group offers hereby the first preliminary project draft for a proposal for 7th EU Framework EU Research Programme. After agreement in the Executive Board about the patronizing role of IFOAM EU, the draft will be worked out furthermore and send to the EU Research Programme.
  
  General aims
  ?Þ Gather information about the absence/presence of residue contaminations in organic crops
  ?Þ Learn what possible factors lead to contaminations and how to avoid
  ?Þ Show that the private organic sector is capable to tackle residue problems
  ?Þ Strengthen consumer-trust
  
  Specific objectives for an EU project on residue monitoring
  The overall aim of the project is to:
  Develop a tool and procedures for residue assessment and monitoring in organic food and farming to strengthen consumer trust and quality assurance
  
  The following specific objectives are:
  ?Þ To make a status quo analysis about the absence/presence of residue contaminations in organic products as well as the back-ground contamination in particular areas
  ?Þ To learn what possible factors lead to contaminations and make proposals for avoidance along the whole food chain
  ?Þ To develop criteria and procedures for monitoring schemes as a basis for risk based certification
  ?Þ To develop a European-wide database on residue monitoring
  ?Þ To develop a guidance document and code of practice for the different actors
  

• New approach Organic processing aids and additives

  19 June 2006 · Many times the discussion reappears about the organic legislation in regard to processing.
  When organic becomes more and more popular, there will be an increasing demand for the use of new processing aids and additives. At this moment the discussion about existing and new desired processing aids and additives is a yes/no discussion in relation to the question: can it (dis)appear on the Annex VI a, b and c? This is a narrow-minded approach which will always lead to single topic issues, without a consistent framework of guidelines for organic processing. The renewal of the organic legislation could be an excellent timing to create such framework of guidelines for organic processing, which might give more flexibility to adjust.
  
  The IFOAM EU Sectoral Group Organic Processing starts this dicsussion on the Board Meeting on 3 July 2006 in Frankfurt. We will keep you informed about the outcome of that first discussion.
  

• IFOAM EU Group and BEO set up an European organic Processor Group

  15 February 2006 · Brussels, 15.02.2006 ? Today BEO and the IFOAM EU Group announced they will join hands on organic processing and trade issues at the EU level. Together they will establish an IFOAM EU ?Organic Processing? sector group. This new cooperation will ensure that the specific concerns of the rapidly growing organic processing sector are given due attention. It will also strengthen the representation of the whole organic sector in Brussels by speaking with the ?one organic voice? of the IFOAM EU Group flag.
  
  ?This is an important and necessary step forward as the organic sector has to meet common challenges, such as the Commission proposal for a Revision of the organic EU legislation launched in December 2005?, said Alex Beck from BEO. The president of the IFOAM EU Group Francis Blake added: ?We welcome this development very much and are happy that BEO is willing to add its strength to the IFOAM EU Group structure?.
  
  The main aims of the new IFOAM EU ?Organic Processing? sector group is to address important organic processing and trade issues and prepare common IFOAM EU Group positions on these topics which will be communicated to the European institutions. A kick-off meeting will be held on the 29th of March in Slovenia, at the start of the regular IFOAM EU Group Board meeting. Joint meetings will allow the Board immediately to work with the processor group?s advice.
  
  In its start-up period, the core of the new sector group will be formed by the national processor umbrella organisations Aoel (D), Probila (B), Synabio (F), and VBP (NL) united in BEO. Together they represent about 400 organic processing and trading companies with a turnover about ? 2bn. New membership will be actively sought amongst all IFOAM EU member organisations dealing with organic processing.
  
  BEO and the IFOAM EU Group are convinced that this cooperation is an important step forward for a better representation of the ?organic food chain? in Europe. That cooperation will bring benefits for organic manufacturers, retail, farmers and consumers.
  
  
  
  For more information:
  Hugo Baert, BEO/Probila, Phone: 016/47.01.98, hugo.baert@probila-unitrab.be
  Marco Schlüter, IFOAM EU Group, email: info@ifoam-eu.org, phone: 0032-495520871
  

• Comment on Codex Alimentarius

  20 December 2004 · In passing comment on the outcome of this year?s Codex Alimentarius meeting in Montreal in relation to the ?Guidelines for the production, processing and labelling of organically produced foods? the BEO is concerning itself with three issues:
  
  1. BEO is against the incorporation of sodium nitrate as fertiliser for organic farming.
  2. BEO is against the use of phosphate in the production of organic dairy products.
  3. BEO is in favour of the use of nitrate / nitrite as an additive for meat products
  
  For more info download: Codex 2004END.doc
  

• Proposal Infant food

  20 December 2004 · Proposal Nitrate
  BEO has send a proposal for the use if nitrate in next 4 years:
  ?The BEO?s member associations are in favour of sodium nitrite E 250 being added to appendix VI of directive 2092/91. With some conditions, we are also in favour of allowing potassium nitrate (E 252). But that substance is not the important and relevant one! However, we believe that this approval of these substances ? in a similar way to what happened with the critical copper compounds in farming ? should be tied in with people who are financially involved being given the task of conducting research into the matter (as already set out in the 6th draft on extending appendix VI for animal products). We support the wording as proposed in this version. However, we ask that the deadlines be put back to allow sufficient time for research and development work. For our point of view in minimum 4 years are needed.?
  
  For more info download: NitrateII.draftEND.doc
  

• Proposal Nitrate

  1 December 2004 · BEO has send a proposal for the use if nitrate in next 4 years:
  ?The BEO?s member associations are in favour of sodium nitrite E 250 being added to appendix VI of directive 2092/91. With some conditions, we are also in favour of allowing potassium nitrate (E 252). But that substance is not the important and relevant one! However, we believe that this approval of these substances ? in a similar way to what happened with the critical copper compounds in farming ? should be tied in with people who are financially involved being given the task of conducting research into the matter (as already set out in the 6th draft on extending appendix VI for animal products). We support the wording as proposed in this version. However, we ask that the deadlines be put back to allow sufficient time for research and development work. For our point of view in minimum 4 years are needed.?
  
  For more info download: NitrateII.draftEND.doc
  

• BEO positive and critical towards EU Action Plan

  30 September 2004 · In June the EU Commission has published the long expected Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming. BEO, the international organisation for organic food processing and trade companies, is in general very positive towards the 21 action points that are specified. This Action Plan shows that the EU Commission is convinced of the necessity to sustain the development of organic agriculture.
  
  But the BEO puts some serious questions about the possibilities to get the 21 Action Points serious into practice. It will demand a certain budget to realise real progress on important points as consumer information and promotion (action 1) and further harmonisation of the standards for organic agriculture and food processing (action 10). A budget doesn?t make part of the Action Plan, and that is a serious weakness.
  
  Furthermore the Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming is very much farming orientated. Organic farming is the basis of the organic movement, but for development of the organic market there should come more stress and support in the development of the organic manufacturing and consumer related interests, for instance more research towards the relation between organic food and health.
  
  BEO considers an EU-wide promotion campaign for organic and harmonisation as the most important actions in the EU Action Plan.
  
  For more detailed information about the BEO point of view see downloads.
  

• BEO puts harmonisation of pesticide residues on international agenda

  30 September 2004 · In June BEO and other important stakeholders of the organic movement in Europe, like EOCC and the IFOAM EU-Group, took the initiative to discuss the different point of views about pesticide residues. All stakeholders are convinced of the necessity to realise harmonisation of pesticide residues throughout all EU and cooperate to work that out.
  
  The BEO vision on pesticide residues is on the website (see downloads).
  

• BEO website in practice

  30 September 2004 · BEO, the international organisation for organic food processing and trade companies, started its own website: www.beoweb.org.
  The BEO website contains information about the general mission and aims of BEO, actual news and downloads of BEO position papers.