On 17 November, the National Agency for Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA) held a Sectoral Dialogue on foods for special dietary purposes. The meeting aimed to present and discuss two regulatory proposals currently under development: Proposal for a Normative Instruction (IN) establishing the periodic update of IN 367/2025, which sets out the lists of constituents, usage limits and claims for infant formulas, nutrient formulas for high-risk newborns, transitional foods and cereal-

The inaugural meeting of agriculture ministers from Central Asian countries took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The discussions centered on strengthening regional cooperation, advancing sustainable agriculture, and ensuring food security across the Central Asian region. The event was attended by heads of relevant government agencies, diplomats, and representatives from international organisations. Kazakhstan highlighted its achievements in agricultural policy, noting that be

Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), Quality and Conformity Council (QCC), and Investment Office (ADIO) have launched a strategic initiative to create a unified regulatory framework for novel foods. The framework aligns with global best practices and introduces a streamlined registration system that is expected to shorten approval times by 6–9 months. It will consolidate requirements for novel food registration, halal certification, and production/impor

Mercosur countries have reached a technical agreement to submit joint notifications to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding both draft resolutions and final texts from the Working Group No.8 on Agricultural Matters. This step strengthens regulatory transparency by allowing international public consultation before adoption. If approved by Mercosur's Common Market Group (GMC), the resolution will take immediate effect. Led by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livesto

In October 2025, the East African Community (EAC)—comprising Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda—submitted four draft standards to the World Trade Organization that could affect food packaging and ingredient specifications across the region. Stakeholders are invited to provide comments by 30 November 2025. Key Draft Standards: DEAS 930:2025 – Paper and Board Food Contact Packaging Material — Specification. Establishes requirements, sampling procedures, and test metho

On October 28, 2025 the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, signed the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic “On the Ratification of the Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on the Establishment of a FAO Representation in the Kyrgyz Republic, signed on 24 April 2025 in the city of Bishkek”, which had been adopted by the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic on 30 January 2025. This

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) issued a new consultation paper to seek views on additional changes in relation to permissions for caffeine in sports foods and in the general food supply. Discussions to prohibit the retail sale of pure and highly concentrated caffeine food products have been underway since 2020. Some of the proposed additional amendments include: A new prohibition on the retail sale of guarana extract as a food, unless expressly permitted; An

After many years of discussion, Mercosur has issued two draft Resolutions aimed at reviewing and introducing changes to the regulations on the general labelling of pre-packaged foods and the nutrition labelling of pre-packaged foods. Some of the proposed changes to the general labelling of pre-packaged foods include: a revised scope of the regulation; new definitions; updated specifications for presenting mandatory information – including a revised format for declaring the li

On 9 October, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Member States notified the Draft Standard “Table Olives” to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This Gulf Technical Regulation applies to the fruit of the cultivated olive tree (L. Olea europaea) as defined in section 3, which has been suitably processed and is intended for direct consumption as table olives or as bulk olives for repackaging in consumer-sized containers. It does not cover products intended for industrial proces

On 9 October, the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) approved the draft of the main directions of the Eurasian Economic Union’s (EAEU) international activities for 2026. The document is scheduled to be adopted by the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. The document defines the key priorities, directions, and practical tasks for the Union’s external engagement in the coming year. The current priorities and new drivers of international activity are aimed at achievi

Two new clips from the free EAS regional webinars covering developments in LATAM and in the CIS region are now available on our Resources page and YouTube channel. In the LATAM video, Eugenia Muinelo, our Manager - Regulatory Affairs in Latin America, explores the latest regulatory developments in Argentina and Brazil that are reshaping the way food and food supplements enter these key Latin American Markets. In the CIS video, Bakhadir Akhmetjanov, our Regional Director of

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its 2025 Eurobarometer survey on Food Safety in the EU, capturing attitudes...