As the days begin to stretch and spring edges into view, policymakers have quietly made steady progress across several long-standing policy files already on their desks.
February’s progress has not come through sweeping announcements, but through important technical refinements. Across Europe, there has been movement on CBD safe level thresholds, EU packaging rules, UK nutrient profiles, and the EU-UK sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) deal.
In Brussels, a leaked draft of the Commission’s guidance on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation has offered an early look at how “packaging” may be interpreted in practice – from how businesses could be classified to which exemptions might apply – just months before the rules take effect in August 2026.
Across the Channel, the UK Parliament has weighed in on the shape of a future UK–EU SPS agreement, raising questions around dynamic alignment, and how closely standards should shadow Brussels.
At the same time, EFSA’s new provisional CBD intake level highlights a slight divergence in EU and UK risk management approaches – with potential implications for cross-border trade as SPS discussions continue.
Domestically, the UK Government has also updated the Nutrient Profiling Model, widening the scoring system used to determine whether products are classified as “less healthy” and potentially shaping the next wave of advertising and promotions restrictions.
Meanwhile, plant-based and alternative protein policy progresses steadily.
A UK Supreme Court ruling has reinforced strict limits on the use of dairy terms in branding, while at EU level, the Commission is preparing an initiative to strengthen domestic plant protein production – framed primarily around food security rather than consumer habits. France is encouraging more plant-packed diets – without setting hard meat reduction targets – while Amsterdam has become the first European capital to ban meat advertising in public spaces.
From packaging rules to nutrient profiles, dynamic alignment, and alternative protein politics, this edition breaks down what food and nutrition businesses need to watch across the European market.
The Whitehouse Food & Nutrition Team
Policy and regulatory developments
Packaging: Commission guidance on PPWR takes shape
A draft of the European Commission’s guidance on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) was leaked in early February, offering an early look at how the rules may be applied in practice.
Although not officially published, the working document outlines which items could fall under the definition of “packaging” and how companies may be classified as producers or manufacturers. It also provides insight into the Commission’s interpretation of key concepts, such as whether an item is intended to be used, consumed, or disposed of together with the product or separately.
The draft points to potential exemptions for microenterprises and for suppliers operating within the same Member State. It also includes broader guidance on harmonised packaging labelling and suggests that the section on recycled content requirements for imported plastic food contact packaging may be removed.
As this remains an unofficial, leaked document, its content is subject to change. With the PPWR scheduled to enter into force on 12th August 2026, the Commission has indicated that formal guidance will be published soon.
UK Parliament sets out key recommendations for UK-EU SPS deal
The UK Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) has set out its expectations for a future UK–EU SPS agreement – offering an early view of where political friction may emerge.
The Committee highlights the need for realistic implementation periods, stable border policy, and transparent communication with industry.
Pesticides are flagged as a key area for consideration. The EU has regulations in place on the use of certain pesticides, but the Committee warns that these should not be forced onto UK producers because these standards do not consider the changing UK climate and growing conditions.
Similarly, the Committee calls for an exemption for precision breeding. In 2025, the UK introduced a legal framework allowing English farmers to apply to grow and sell precision-bred seeds, plants, food and animal feed, and the report argues that any prohibition could see the UK losing out on the benefits of being trailblazers in this space.
EFRA Chair Alistair Carmichael underscored the importance of parliamentary scrutiny and public communication – an implicit recognition that SPS alignment will be politically sensitive.
UK Government updates Nutrient Profiling Model
On 27th January 2026, the UK Government published the long‑awaited Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2018, updating the framework used to determine whether foods and non‑alcoholic drinks are classified as ‘less healthy’.
The model applies a points‑based approach, awarding points for ‘A’ nutrients - energy, saturated fat, free sugars and salt - and subtracting points for ‘C’ components, including protein, fibre and fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
The update lowers thresholds for free sugars, including those naturally present in fruit and vegetable juices, and adopts a broader definition covering added sugars, honey, syrups, nectars and sugars in purées and juices, while fibre is calculated using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method, which includes resistant starches and lignin.
The NPM 2018 is not yet applied to policy, with a public consultation planned in 2026 on its potential use in future advertising and promotions restrictions. Health campaigners have welcomed the update as strengthening the evidence base for a healthier food environment, while parts of the food industry have criticised the revised thresholds for potentially restricting the advertising of products currently marketed as healthier options. Meanwhile, the EU is yet to adopt a NPM to restrict the use of health claims on unhealthy foods.
CBD: EFSA sets a new benchmark – and widens the UK–EU gap
This month, following years of uncertainty, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a provisional safe intake for cannabidiol (CBD) of 0.0275 mg/kg/day - about 2 mg for a 70 kg adult.
In its decision, EFSA emphasised persistent data gaps, including potential effects on the liver and the endocrine, nervous and reproductive systems, and confirmed that safety cannot be established for under‑25s, pregnant or lactating women, or those on medication.
While this scientific opinion does not grant market authorisation as CBD products will still need to complete the EU novel food process, the proposed limits are stringent in contrast to the recent advice issued by the UK.
The UK FSA directed UK CBD manufacturers to bring their products in line with its November conclusion that imposed 10mg/day limit, down from 70 mg/day. This divergence creates clear risk for future EU-UK cross‑border trade.
For UK manufacturers, ongoing EU–UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) talks create added risk: dynamic alignment could see EFSA’s lower provisional CBD intake effectively apply to UK products. That trajectory could require reformulation and relabelling by UK CBD brands to sustain EU market access – increasing compliance costs and creating product line complexity.
Food for thoughts...
This month’s developments illustrate the range of policy levers being used across Europe to influence the shift towards more plant-based diets and, equally, the limits of political consensus in this space.
While some authorities are adopting relatively light touch measures such as dietary guidance, others are experimenting with more interventionist tools, including advertising restrictions. At the same time, there continues to be political resistance to treat plant-based products as viable alternatives to animal-based proteins, partly driven by nutritional arguments that plant-based diets alone may not adequately meet requirements for certain nutrients, including essential amino acids.
Amsterdam has taken one of the clearest interventionist steps, announcing a ban on meat advertising in public spaces as part of its wider dietary and climate strategy.
This is the first example of local authorities adopting such measures. The decision demonstrates the possibility at municipal level to use advertising restrictions as a behavioural tool, moving beyond guidance towards direct regulatory intervention.
By contrast, some Member States are moving in similar direction but opting for less prescriptive measures.
France’s recently published National Strategy for Food, Nutrition and Climate encourages higher consumption of fruit, vegetables, and legumes, and recommends limiting red and processed meat. However, it avoids binding meat reduction targets, reflecting internal political divisions and the sensitivity surrounding measures to influence consumers’ dietary choices.
At EU level, the European Commission has announced that in Q2 2026, it will present an initiative aimed at reducing reliance on imported protein by strengthening domestic plant protein production, likely focusing on boosting the growth of crops such as soy for use in animal feed.
The framing emphasises food security, resilience and agricultural competitiveness rather than directly influencing consumer diets, meaning the measures are unlikely to have a direct impact on consumers dietary habits. This reflects a recalibration of the EU’s previous ambitions to promote plant-based food in EU citizen’s diets, shaped in part by divergent Member State positions on this topic. This also follows the proposal from MEPs last year to restrict the use of traditional meat related terms for plant-based products such as burgers and sausages, which remains under discussion.
In another blow for the plant-based sector, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that Oatly can no longer trademark or use the slogan “Post Milk Generation”, ending its long-running dispute with Dairy UK.
Although plant‑based drinks were already barred from using the term “milk” under a 2017 European Court of Justice ruling retained after Brexit, the Court has now confirmed that the restriction also applies to branding and slogans that use dairy terminology “in respect of” the goods. Functional descriptors such as “milk-free” remain permitted, but more expressive language using dairy terms is prohibited, limiting how plant-based brands communicate substitution and functionality.
Overall, these developments illustrate that policy approaches to plant-based diets across Europe remain fragmented and politically contested. This mix of divergent regulatory approaches and legal uncertainty suggests that policy in this area will continue to evolve cautiously, shaped as much by political feasibility as by sustainability ambitions.
Consultant at Whitehouse Communications
Shaping the future of sustainable food systems
This month’s top industry initiatives selected by the Whitehouse team:
- McDonald’s invests in deforestation-free soy to boost sustainable chicken sourcing: McDonald’s Corporation has joined the Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF) to promote deforestation and conversion-free soy production in Brazil’s Cerrado region.
- Pilgrim Europe trials legume-based approach to cut livestock farming emissions: Funded by DEFRA and Innovate UK, Pilgrim Europe is piloting the Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency of Legumes (NUE-Leg) project to reduce emissions from UK grassland farming by improving nitrogen efficiency and lowering reliance on synthetic fertilisers.
Engagement opportunities
Open consultations
Engage with these consultations to shape the issues affecting your organisation:
- European Commission consultation on rules for organic imports - list of recognised control authorities and control bodies. The deadline is 5th March.
- European Commission consultation to evaluate the 2019 Single-Use Plastics Directive. The deadline is 17th March.
- European Commission consultation on the 2023-2027 common agricultural policy (CAP) - mid-term evaluation. The deadline is 6th April.
Events calendar
- 17th March: EURACTIV: Agrifood Policy Conference (Brussels and online)
- 17th-19th March: European Carbon Farming Summit (Padova)
- 18th March: EURACTIV: Designing for circularity – ESPR and the future of sustainable products (Brussels)
- 24th March: Imperial Business School: Imperial Ultra-processed Food Policy Forum (London and online)
Get in touch: Zoé Choulika, Account Manager, Food, Public Health and Sustainability zoe.choulika@whitehousecomms.com