As of 1 January 2006, 5 new pieces of EU food legislation were introduced. Failure to comply could lead to the closure of businesses. The new regulations are:
• EC 178/2002 (general principles and requirements of food law, demanding traceability),  
• EC 852/2004 (hygiene of foodstuffs, demanding HACCP and registration),
• EC 853/2004 (specific rules for foods of animal origin), 
• EC 854/2004 (official controls of foods of animal origin) and 
• EC 882/2004 (official controls to ensure verification of compliance with feed and food law).
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has issued a guide to help food firms in the UK meet the new requirements. Source: http://www.fpb.org/Yc2xiFU.html

In January, the Union of European Beverages Associations (Unesda) said its members, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Cadbury Schweppes, would stop advertising soft drinks to children under the age of twelve across the EU and pledged to provide unbranded vending machines in secondary schools. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4646942.stm

In January, the European Commission proposed to create a special "animal welfare" label for meat and fish products that would put more responsibilities on companies to ensure they are getting their supplies from approved sources and would help consumers make informed choices. The proposed food label is part of a five-year EU plan to promote animal welfare. Source: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=65453&m=1FNU130&c=hxzkwbvbrvoensm

At the January meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, the Agriculture Commissioner presented a proposal on organic farming, which aims to simplify and improve the structure of current regulations, setting out the scope of organic production and definitions for organic food. She also presented a proposal on changes to the rules for protected geographical indications and traditional specialties for agriculture products, which need changing to comply with a WTO ruling. For details see http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/agricult/88099.pdf .