During the last Standing Committee of the Section ‘Novel Food and Toxicological Safety of the Food Chain’, held on September 26, 2019, the draft on maximum levels for perchlorate was voted.

According to the European Federation of the Trade in Dried Fruit & Edible Nuts, Processed Fruit & Vegetables, Processed Fishery products, Spices, Honey (FRUCOM), the European Commission is discussing potential changes to the cadmium levels for different food commodities, including tree nuts and peanuts.

The report of the Standing Committee of the Section ‘Phytopharmaceuticals’, held on September 26-27, 2019, has been published.

The European Commission published the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1690 of 9 October 2019 renewing the approval of the active substance alpha-cypermethrin, as a candidate for substitution, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market, and amending the Annex to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011.

The European Commission published the Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1791 and the Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1792 amending Annexes to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels of active substances in or on certain products.

On October 17, 2019, the EU and the UK reached a new agreement at negotiator level on a revised Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and a revised Political Declaration on the framework of the future EU-UK relationship.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 of 18 December 2018 will enter into force on December 14, 2019.

The INC Nut and Dried Fruit Pavilion was present again from October 5 to 9 at Anuga, the world’s largest trade fair for food and beverages, held every two years in Cologne (Germany).

The  INC sponsored the symposium “Nuts & Health: New Insights into Diabetes, Obesity and Gut Microbiota” at the 13th European Nutrition Conference, in Dublin, Ireland, October 15-18, 2019.

In September and October, the INC Executive Committee visited Brussels for a series of meetings with the European Commission, namely the Directorate General for Trade (DG TRADE), Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI).