Our dedicated committees are at the forefront of the issues to keep members abreast of regulatory and legal developments. Working groups in a nutshell
ECR
NPWG
EC Regulatory Working Group
Nut Processors Working Group
The EC Regulatory Working Group’s (ECR) mission is to protect and promote the interests of the sector, by providing technical expertise and input to the EU policy process and communicating positions to key decision-makers. Engaging with EU Officials was a key priority on the ECR’s 2022 agenda, especially on the issue of food contaminants. ESA strongly advocates for more a realistic and feasible legislative approach to implement food safety management systems, rather than simply relying on the setting of maximum levels. In 2022 the ECR contributed to a number of targeted stakeholder consultations and EU workshops, particularly on the proposals for the revision of Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 (Food Information to Consumers Regulation). On acrylamide and 3-MCPD-Esters, ESA attended two EU workshops and presented the latest progress on mitigation within the European savoury snacks sector. With the Ukrainian and Russian crisis and the subsequent supply chain disruptions, ECR actively engaged with other stakeholders, reaching out to DG SANTÉ to ask for a harmonised EU approach to grant temporary flexibility on labelling across the European Union.
The Nut Processors Working Group (NPWG) brings together professionals from across the global supply chain for snack nuts and plays a key role in addressing the sector’s concerns and interests. In 2022, the NPWG closely followed the development on the application of the new Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on Official Controls, organising a meeting with European Commission officials to actively engage with the Unit and to ensure consistent implementation along the entire agri-food chain. Priorities on the NPWG’s agenda included continued discussions on aflatoxins and on ochratoxin A, with a number of RASFF alerts issued during the year. NPWG continues to call for appropriate standards to be applied, dependent on the commodity and its origins. Lastly, NPWG closely monitored the developments of the work on maximum levels for total aflatoxins in ready-to-eat peanuts and associated sampling plan at the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods, providing a technical contribution alongside other key stakeholders.
Helping the savoury snacks
industry succeed
PAC
SUST
Public Affairs & Communications Working Group
Sustainability Working Group
The main task of the Public Affairs and Communications Working Group (PAC) is to shape the reputation of the industry as a responsible, credible and committed partner in the public and political debate. In 2022, the PAC group continued its work to further highlight the sector’s contribution to building more sustainable food systems and demonstrate the significant achievements of the recent years. Building on the first monitoring report prepared for the European Commission in the context of the EU Code of Conduct for Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices, the group worked on a comprehensive sustainability report, including concrete examples from the membership, to be published in early 2023. The year was also marked by the return of ESA’s flagship event in Brussels, Share a Snack, organised in Place du Luxembourg in front of the European Parliament. This 7th edition has been very successful again with hundreds of visitors eager to learn more about the world of savoury snacks! PAC members also followed closely the latest developments on the alleged negative health impacts of processed foods and “ultra-processed foods”. ESA contributed to the preparation of an industry-wide response coordinated by FoodDrinkEurope to the detractors of processed foods, insisting on the multiple benefits of food processing.
The Sustainability Working Group’s (SUST) main role is to discuss the sector’s approach to environmental and sustainability issues impacting the savoury snacks sector. The SUST group was created in 2022 to respond to a growing need to have a dedicated fora for the membership to discuss sustainability issues. The group worked on the preparation of the ESA contribution to the European Commission public consultation on the Legislative Framework for a Sustainable Food System (to be published in 2023). The consultation included amongst others questions on food taxation, restriction of marketing and advertising of HFSS to children, setting of maximum levels for certain nutrients and public procurement of food in schools. Another priority of the group is packaging and the environment. In 2022, ESA continued to share with stakeholders, including the European Commission, the perspective of the savoury snacks sector on how to build a circular economy for packaging, especially flexible plastic packaging. SUST members had the opportunity to discuss the key provisions of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation published end of November 2022, and will continue to promote the interest of the sector in 2023 as the proposal will be extensively debated in the European Parliament and the Council.
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