January has been a slow start to the year for food and nutrition policy, but the month has revealed key stakeholders' positions on several pressing issues.
In Europe, France has sparked controversy and uncertainty regarding corporate environmental compliance by calling for delays to critical sustainability directives. Meanwhile, both the UK and the EU are wrestling with the future of gene-editing technologies, with the potential for their regulatory approaches to diverge. And EU policymakers remain divided on the role of alternative proteins in the region's food systems.
Across the Atlantic, the new Trump administration has taken power and the confirmation hearing of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the top U.S Health agency is underway, raising questions about its potential impact on nutrition policy discussions. Before leaving office, the Biden administration proposed introducing front-of-pack nutrition labelling but it remains to be seen whether the new administration will advance this proposal and what implications it may have for ongoing labelling discussions in Europe.
Dive into these stories and more in this edition of the Monthly Munch by the Whitehouse Food & Nutrition Team.
Policy & Regulatory developments
France calls for delay of sustainability reporting rules
According to a leaked document dated 20 January, France has called for the indefinite delay of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and a two-year postponement of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). As a reminder, these rules require companies to monitor their supply chains’ compliance with environmental and labour standards (CSDDD) and report on their environmental footprint and climate risks (CSRD). Amid growing concerns about regulatory burdens, Ursula von der Leyen has already announced a review of these two directives and the EU taxonomy to simplify them. France argues that a delay is necessary to improve the CSDDD, specifically regarding its scope, which France argues should not apply to companies smaller than 5,000 employees and whose revenue does not exceed €1.5 billion. Friedrich Merz, expected to become Germany’s Chancellor following the 23rd February election, has also backed delaying sustainability rules. Meanwhile, European Commissioner for Industry, Stéphane Séjourné, sparked alarm during an interview on 20th January by suggesting the announced simplification package could “remove reporting” leading to speculation that the CSRD might be scrapped entirely. The Commission later clarified that the CSRD would not be eliminated but reporting requirements may be reduced. The European Commission is expected to publish the review on 26th February.
Gene-editing debates intensify in the UK and EU
Both the UK and EU are advancing discussions on gene-editing technologies with differing approaches that could lead to regulatory divergence. In a speech at the 2025 Oxford Farming Conference, UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, announced plans to introduce secondary legislation by March 2025 to unlock precision breeding technology. Reed emphasised the benefits for farmers, including more nutritious crops, pest and disease resistance, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability. This move signals the Labour government’s willingness to diverge from EU regulation, despite warnings from Brussels that liberalising gene editing could jeopardise UK-EU negotiations to remove border checks on food and plant products. Meanwhile, in the EU, the Polish Council Presidency’s proposal to resolve the regulatory deadlock on new gene-editing technologies (NGTs) has received a lukewarm reception from Member States. The plan aimed at balancing biotech innovation with national sovereignty by introducing mandatory labelling for patented NGT seeds and allowing Member States to ban cultivation within their borders, though not necessarily their sale. The proposal faced criticism for its complexity and potential to fragment the EU market. With Denmark, a strong proponent of biotech, set to take over the EU presidency in July, Poland faces mounting pressure to broker a compromise. Member States are preparing formal comments on the proposal, and Warsaw remains confident it can build a majority coalition before the summer.
Debates across the world about Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling
On 14th January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a new regulation to introduce Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) on most packaged food to combat diet-related chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The proposed labels would display levels of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, categorised as “Low,” “Med,” or “High”. The proposal faces uncertainty under the new Trump administration but could inspire similar initiatives elsewhere. In the UK, on 30th January, the government published its response to the House of Lords Food, Diet and Obesity Committee's report 'Recipe for health: a plan to fix our broken food system' where it stated that the government will continue to review the evidence on front of pack nutrition labelling and will consider whether further action is needed in the future. The National Food Strategy which will be released in 2025 may give an indication of the UK’s food labelling plans. Meanwhile, in the EU, new EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi has not committed to introducing FOPNL, and public health campaigners such as BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, are refocusing their efforts on pressuring the Commission to introduce nutrient profiles.
EU policymakers remain divided on alternative proteins
In January, the European Parliament's ENVI Committee voted against a motion objecting to the authorisation of UV-treated powder of whole yellow mealworm as a novel food (NF). In March 2023, EFSA had adopted an opinion concluding that the NF is safe for human consumption under the proposed uses and use levels. The objection, co-sponsored by members of the European People’s Party (EPP) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), raised concerns among others about cultural resistance to insect consumption and called for the safeguarding of consumers and the preservation of European culinary traditions and agricultural practices. The objection was supported by far-right groups such as Identity and Democracy (ID) and European Sovereign Nations (ESN), while centrist and centre-left groups, opposed the motion, emphasising the scientific validity of EFSA’s safety assessment and the need for sustainable protein alternatives in light of environmental challenges posed by traditional meat production. This development underscores the broader political and cultural divides in Europe regarding the acceptance alternative food proteins as a food source in Europe.
How will the Trump administration impact ongoing discussions around ultra processed foods?
Since Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. elections in November, the world has been in a state of fearful uncertainty about the priorities of his administration. If there was hope that he might tone down his rhetoric once sworn in, what we’ve seen so far suggests a doubling down on some of his most controversial promises. But what are the Trump administration's priorities for the food sector?
Project 2025, a manifesto authored by the Heritage Foundation—a conservative think tank—appears to be having a strong influence on Trump's current mandate. Among its recommendations is the elimination of the U.S. dietary guidelines, which form the basis for a variety of food policies. Removing these would signal a pushback against policy efforts aimed at addressing the role of nutrition in public health.
It is unclear however how this would align with Robert F Kennedy Jr’s controversial views on how to make America healthy again. Trump’s nominee to run the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been outspoken about his negative stance on food additives and ultra-processed foods (UPFs). During the first day of his confirmation hearingbefore the U.S. Senate, he emphasised the importance of integrating nutrition into federal health programs, particularly those aimed at children. He also pledged to scrutinise chemical additives in the U.S. food supply and to direct agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to study the links between additives and chronic diseases.
It will be intriguing to see whether, if confirmed, RFK Jr will introduce any measure to tackle UPFs. During his hearing, he assured the Senate, “If you want to eat Hostess Twinkies, you should be able to do that, but you should know what the impacts are on your family and on your health”. Will this translate into more research alone or would it also include measures such as labelling on UPFs?
The Whitehouse team is following these developments across the pond very closely to understand how they may influence ongoing policy discussions about UPFs in Europe.
WHO IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS?
This month’s top industry initiatives selected by the Whitehouse team:
- New UK-Canada partnership launched on plant-based proteins: The University of Nottingham has announced a collaboration with UK-based producer Jampa and Canadian manufacturer Tartistes to develop the next generation of sustainable, nutrient-rich protein products.
- Sainsbury’s replaces avocado packaging to save 20 million pieces of plastic annually: Sainsbury’s has announced a major step in its sustainability efforts by switching its avocado packaging from plastic to paper with bamboo netting which is fully recyclable.
ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Open consultations
Engage with these consultations to shape the issues affecting your organisation:
- European Commission Consultation on EFSA’s performance. Open until 1stApril. (link)
Events calendar
- 5th February: EIT Food RisingFoodStars Drop-In Webinar (Online)
- 13th February: Food Manufacture Business Leaders’ Forum (London)
- 14th February: Reducing salt, fat and sugars in the future food industry (Online)
- 17th February: Adoption of sustainable agriculture: from the producer to the consumer (Online)
- 18-20th February: Food Drink Dialogues (Brussels)
- 31st March: Priorities for children’s food and nutrition policy - advertising, obesity and school meals (Online)
Get in touch:
Andrea Gutierrez-Solana, Director, Food, Public Health and Sustainability
andrea.solana@whitehousecomms.com