Sustainability

New emissions rules for pig and poultry farms

The European Commission adopted common emissions rules for large pig and poultry farms. Animal nutrition, manure management, and housing are central to the new requirements. These aim to reduce emissions and cut unnecess..

Saving energy: toolkit for the oils and fats industry

08 October 2026

Producers of margarine, fats and oils have a new toolkit for saving energy. VIBE-2030 brings together solutions suited to their production processes. The toolkit provides insight into investments and expected energy savi...

Foodvalley assesses the value of upcycled ingredients

06 October 2026

Foodvalley is investigating where ingredients from food side streams can demonstrably add value. The second phase of UPcycled4Food focuses on four mainstream product categories. The findings should help companies with pr...

ILVO wants to keep edible surplus food in the food chain

02 October 2026

Edible surplus food still often ends up outside the food chain. Costs, logistics, and regulations make it harder to turn these surpluses into food products. ILVO outlines these obstacles in its policy brief for Flanders,...

Cultivated meat tasting pilot extended by two years

02 October 2026

The Dutch pilot for cultivated meat tastings has been extended by two years. Producers now have more time to organize controlled tastings. The process from dossier preparation to tasting takes almost a year. The Code of ...

86% of leading brands lack organic products in supermarkets

01 October 2026

Sixty of the seventy largest brands have no organic products in Dutch supermarkets. The findings come from research by Questionmark in collaboration with RVO. None of the brands surveyed publishes a specific target for g...

Verpact: new packaging fees and discounts for 2027

30 September 2026

Verpact will expand its discounts for plastic packaging starting in 2027. Companies that use certain recycled or renewable raw materials can qualify for additional discounts. Fees for beverage cartons, aluminum, and pack...

Surplus food becomes shelf-stable products for food banks

30 September 2026

Around 18,500 kilograms of surplus tomatoes and bell peppers yielded 44,000 units of pasta and tomato sauce. The sauces are the first products from Stichting Social Food. The new foundation connects food banks with busin...

54% of Dutch people say they don't buy hybrid meat

29 September 2026

Hybrid meat products combine meat with plant-based ingredients. According to the Nationaal Vleesonderzoek 2026, 54% of respondents say they do not buy these products. At the same time, around 95% of participants say they...

Breakfast session on decarbonization and energy solutions

29 September 2026

The NIRAS SPARK Event on October 13 will cover opportunities for heat recovery, energy storage and other smart energy solutions. This interactive, well-organized breakfast session will address the increasingly limited ca...

Food safety and CO₂ from industry: BuRO calls for checks

25 September 2026

Captured CO₂ can be supplied to the food industry. But what contaminants could the gas carry? BuRO cannot yet answer that question precisely. The agency recommends regular checks for substances originating from combustio...

Lidl wants 12% of produce sold to be organic by 2030

25 September 2026

Lidl has set new targets for organic produce and dairy. By 2030, 12% of the potatoes, vegetables and fruit it sells, measured by weight, must be certified organic. Lidl has also set a 10% organic target for its private-l...

Sustainability claims on food packaging: new rules

24 September 2026

Stricter rules for sustainability claims take effect on September 27, 2026. They also apply to claims and labels on food packaging. Terms such as “green” and “environmentally friendly” will face clearer requirements. The...

Food residuals as animal feed to reduce scope 3 emissions

21 September 2026

Several large Dutch supermarkets aim to reduce their indirect emissions in the coming years. Processing surplus products into animal feed could play an important role. This keeps raw materials within the food chain and r...

WUR sees potential in mandatory organic purchasing

18 September 2026

The amount of organic farmland must triple within five years. At the end of 2025, around 5% of farmland was farmed organically. However, the Dutch government’s target for 2030 is 15%. This requires approximately 180,300 ...

Allergen risks and cross-contamination in water reuse

17 September 2026

Food manufacturers increasingly reuse water during washing, processing and cleaning. This approach reduces consumption, but creates a new food-safety question. Researchers see possible allergen transfer through reused pr...