"EU" news and stories

Some European lawyers just ended up on the naughty side of Santa's list -- and the European Union's highest court doesn't think too much of them, either.

In a Grinch-worthy move, lawyers for two of the continent's biggest chocolate makers -- Lindt & Spruengli in Switzerland and August Storck in Germany -- tried to corner the market on chocolate reindeer, as well as treats for other holidays, like chocolate Easter bunnies wrapped in gold foil.

The companies sought to trademark such products and prevent a herd of holiday knockoffs from stampeding across the shelves of European markets. But the General Court of the European Union in Luxembourg wasn't buying it, ruling instead that the various shapes the companies wanted exclusive rights to were, essentially, symbols of the holidays themselves. "A rabbit, a reindeer and a small bell are typical shapes in which chocolate and chocolate goods are presented at certain times of the year," the court ruled, according to the Associated Press.

Next thing you know, they'll be trying to trademark hearts for Valentine's Day.

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Last week we wrote about the news that Italian pig farmers were going on strike. It turns out that they're not the only ones.

This weekend's New York Times reported that as of last Tuesday dairy farmers in Germany are striking. It's a classic case of supply and demand. The EU decided to raise milk quotas, leading to more supply and lower prices. Meanwhile feed and fuel prices have gone way up, which has put the pinch on German dairy farmers. In response, they're attempting to create demand by striking.

However, as the NYT points out, this situation is a little different than the Italian pig farmers, because these dairy farmers must continue to milk the cows. Because their goal is to keep the milk out of the market, they end up pouring it out, literally dumping food down the drain. It's an unfortunate situation, especially since worldwide there are so many people who are struggling with food shortages and hunger.

[via Serious Eats]

You heard it here first! As of June 1, the pig farmers of Italy are going on strike. That puts Parma ham, prosciutto, and Piacenza pork neck salami, as well as other Italian pork products, under threat.

The Italian farmers say their earnings have been cut in half, with falling pork prices and rising feed costs. They decided to strike when financial assistance talks with the government fell through earlier this month. Part of the strike calls for farmers to not recognize Protected Designation of Origin certificates, which then can't be sold under EU rules.

If you're a big fan of Italian pork products, you might want to think about stocking up. If the garbage strike in Naples is any indication, this could last for a while.

[Via ANSA]

Despite urges from various British food organizations, the European Food Safety Authority decided against banning additives in food.

Their reasoning? A recent £750,000 study, which found a link between eating food loaded with additives and colorants and impulsive/hyperactive behavior in kids, was not a substantial enough reason to ban the additives entirely. In the study, eight and nine year olds who had ingested food with additives could not sit still long enough to complet simple tasks, like a 15-minute computer exercise. (Yeah, but neither could most of the eight year olds I know, with or without stimulants. Heck, most 25 year-olds I know don't have the patience to finish a 15-minute computer task).

But the study did prompt some retailers to change their ways: Marks and Spencer, a British department store that sells everything from shirts to iPods to gourmet foods, vowed to stop selling food and drink that contain additives by the end of the month.

The study results should not be ignored, but I don't blame the EU for not jumping to conclusions. Banning food with additives falls along the same lines as banning food with trans-fats, and I have the same opinion in each case: use your own good judgment and discretion. If packaged foods make your kid hyperactive, don't buy the foods, or at least limit their intake. Simple as that.

[via] Times Online

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