Fedima’s 2021-2022 Annual Report highlights the ingredient association’s activities over the past year and provides insights into its day-to-day projects. Its advocacy priorities for the remainder of 2022 are to ensure the European Commission takes “appropriate actions” to address the issues that impact the industry as a direct and indirect consequence of the war in Ukraine, to ensure a positive regulatory framework that allows acceptable levels of contaminants and reasonable deadlines for implementation, and to ensure a positive regulatory framework on labeling with specific outcomes on Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling and Nutrient Profiles.

Fedima’s President, Johan Sanders (Dawn Foods), addressed the organization’s response to the impact of the war in Ukraine in the report’s introduction. Fedima called on the European Commission to address the issues affecting the industry as a consequence of the conflict, while keeping close communication with its members regarding new developments.

Sustainability is also among Fedima’s top priorities: “Fedima is taking concrete steps towards a common sustainability ambition across the value chain, by calling for the achievement of sustainable packaging in the bakery sector by 2025 and by promoting the conscious shift to responsible sourcing in order to stop deforestation. The strength of an association lies in the sense of community and collaboration between its members. That’s why we work tirelessly to further reinforce said community, this year by finally meeting in person again at Fedima’s General Assembly in Antwerp, Belgium,” Sanders added.

Core areas of activity in 2022

• The Secretariat and the Chair of the Contaminants Expert Group took part in the Commission’s Stakeholder Forum on Acrylamide and 3-MCPD & GE. Concerns and challenges analyzed included the dual setting of MLS, the lack of validated analytical methods and the need for formal impact assessment.
• In 2021 and 2022, Fedima continued its efforts to tackle the ongoing ethylene oxide contamination crisis.
• The cross-committee task force on front-of-pack nutrition labeling and nutrient profiles pursued its work to develop its position on Nutrient profiles ahead of the start of the legislative process on the revision of the Food Information to Consumers regulation.
• A task force on the processing aid status of enzymes was created to develop a report and provide appropriate guidance on the status of enzymes and their corresponding labeling.
• Fedima initiated internal discussions with its enzymes experts on potential actions to be taken jointly with AMFEP in the context of the EU Green Deal and Chemical Strategy for Sustainability to safeguard their use in the bakery sector.
• Fedima contributed to the stakeholder consultation on the setting of MLs for maximum levels (MLs) for ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON) and hydrocyanic acid (HCN) in certain foodstuffs, via FoodDrinkEurope.
• Fedima provided input on Additives call for data on data collection on E472 a, b, c, d, e, f the European Commission and EFSA to ensure that usage levels reflect the situation on the market.
• Fedima participated in the European Commission’s consultation and targeted survey on the revision of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation and more particularly on front-of-pack-nutrition labeling and nutrient profiles.

Photo: Klaus Nielsen (Pexels)