In January, the Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan launched a new “Food Safety Registry” section on its official website. The registry is designed to provide consumers with quicker and easier access to food safety information. It publishes details on food products and food processing facilities that have been found non-compliant during inspections carried out by the Agency. According to the Food Safety Agency, the initiative is intended to strengthen transparency and encourag

A new set of national guidelines from the Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket) aims to encourage more students to eat school lunch, as one in three lower‑secondary pupils currently skip it. The Management Report of 2026 National Guidelines for Meals at School highlights that many replace the meal with snacks, sweets, and sugary drinks, which negatively affects both health and academic performance. According to the agency, the main reason students avoid school lunch is not t

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging governments worldwide to significantly increase taxes on sugary drinks and alcohol, citing new evidence that current levies remain too low to curb consumption. Recent global reports show that at least 116 countries tax sugary drinks, mainly sodas, yet many high‑sugar products—such as 100% fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks, ready‑to‑drink coffees and teas—remain untaxed. In addition, few countries adjust taxes for inflation. Simi

On 14 January 2026, Decree 1083/2025 will come into force, amending previous provisions on the production, importation and marketing of alcoholic beverages. With the aim of strengthening health surveillance, reducing regulatory burdens and applying a risk-based approach, the National Institute for the Surveillance of Medicines and Food (INVIMA) approved the following regulatory changes for alcoholic beverages in 2025: Voluntary Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification

In the context of one substance - one assessment framework, on 12 December 2025 European Commission published three legislative documents aimed to increase the simplicity and transparency of EU rules on chemicals, as follows: Regulation (EU) 2025/2455 establishing a common data platform on chemicals, laying down rules to ensure that the data contained in it are findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable and establishing a monitoring and outlook framework for chemicals.

EAS Strategies recently hosted a free online webinar entitled “Emerging Front-of-Pack Labelling Policies in the Middle East & Africa: Regulatory Insights” , bringing together industry stakeholders to discuss evolving regulatory approaches to front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling across the MEA region. Held on 18 November 2025, the webinar was delivered by Manal Khouri, Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Middle East & Africa, and was open to industry clients and companies op

EAS Strategies, a member of the European Business Association Kazakhstan (EUROBAK), was represented at the recent EUROBAK meeting with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade and Integreation by Bakhadir Akhmetjanov, Regional Director for Central Asia & the Caucasus. The meeting brought together EUROBAK members and stakeholders to exchange views on potential areas of cooperation within the scope of the Ministry's Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology.

The European Commission has announced a new amendment to its food supplement regulations, increasing the permitted levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) derived from Schizochytrium sp. (ATCC PTA-9695) oil. Published in the Official Journal on 10 November, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2245 updates the conditions of use within Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470. Under the new scope, the maximum allowable DHA in food supplements rises from 250 mg per day for t

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