Welcome to the Retail, Food & Hospitality Regulatory & EU round-up. Week ending 14 December 2025

This week’s regulatory developments in order of importance, so you can ensure you're up to date with the latest changes impacting your business. 

Retail, Food & Hospitality Important updates

Use of unauthorised medicinal and health claims targeted by advertising watchdog: Following a monitoring exercise looking at online ads for food supplements which claim they can help with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and also prostate health the Advertising Standards Authority has published a number of rulings against food and medicinal products where medicinal claims for products not authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and / or unauthorised health claims have been made. EllaOla Brands Inc > Get Dopa Ltd > Healthbio Ltd > Impact Herbs > JR Biomedical Ltd > Lifelab Testing Ltd > Nutreance LLC > Nutrisslim d o o > Onecare Wellness Pte Ltd > Tayhli Ltd >

160 Food organisations call for ‘Food Bill’ to implement agriculture and healthy food strategy: A coalition of food campaign groups calling itself the Food Strategy Alliances has written to the DEFRA Secretary of State calling for a Food Bill to implement an agriculture and food strategy. The open letter calls for a joined-up healthy food and sustainable farming plan – backed by legislation with nature and climate friendly farming and growing at its core and making healthy and sustainable diets the norm for all in the UK. The letter calls for reform of public sector food to establish legally-binding minimum standards for healthy, sustainable, and locally sourced meals across the entire public sector, including nurseries and schools and for the implementation of the ‘Healthy Food Standard’ via mandatory sales reporting and subsequent improvement targets for large food businesses. View >

EU updates

EU Council agree to impose 3 Euro charge on small parcels entering the EU: The Council has agreed to apply a fixed customs duty of €3 on small parcels valued at less than €150 entering the EU, largely via e-commerce, from 1 July 2026. This temporary measure responds to the fact that such parcels currently enter the EU duty free, leading to unfair competition for EU sellers, health and safety risks for consumers, high levels of fraud and environmental concerns. The rate will be applied to all goods entering the EU for which non-EU sellers are registered in the EU’s import one-stop shop (IOSS) for value-added tax purposes. This encompasses 93% of all e-commerce flows to the EU.  View >

EU Council approve Regulation on detergents and surfactants: The new regulation updates the rules to cover the latest innovation (microorganisms in cleaning products) and encourage sustainable new practices like the refill sale of detergents, as well as to introduce digital labelling and the digital product passport for detergents and surfactants. The text still needs to be approved in a plenary session of the European Parliament. The new rules will apply three and a half years after the entry into force of the regulation. View >

EU Commission issue call for evidence in review of biocides regulation: The Commission is inviting input on the evaluation of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), through a Call for Evidence and public consultation. Responses are required by 5 March. View >

EU Commission table proposals on simplification of environmental regulation to promote growth: The proposals cover environmental legislation in the areas of industrial emissions, circular economy, environmental assessments and geospatial data. The changes are intended to contribute to reducing the administrative burden for businesses View >

EU Parliament request opinion from European Food Safety Authority on safety of microplastics: View >

Consumer body BEUC Calls on Commission for enforcement action re environmental claims being made for plastic bottles: View >

EU Regulations:

• Authorising feed additives: Bacillus paralicheniformis DSM 33902 and Bacillus subtilis DSM 33903 > copper(II)-betaine complex > endo-1,4-beta-xylanase, endo-1,4-beta-glucanase and xyloglucan-specific-endo-beta-1,4-glucanase > 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one > guanidinoacetic acid > protease > 25-hydroxycholecalciferol >
• Delisting feed additive: Patent Blue V >
• Amending requirements for infant and follow on formula: View >
• Amending rules on organic production: View >

European Food Safety Authority opinions:

• On feed additives: alpha-galactosidase and endo1,4-beta-xylanase > clinoptilolite > carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde and caspicum oleoresin > marjoram oil > sodium bisulphite and menadione nicotamide bisulphite > zeolites >
• On GM derived enzyme: cellulase >

Developments to watch

Health and Safety Executive: Issue guidance on countering risks posed by rough sleepers in waste bins. View >

Food Safety Authority (Ireland): Publish guidance following EU Court ruling on presence of nutritional labelling on foods for special medical purposes. View >

For your information

Non-food product safety alerts: Office for Product Safety and Standards > EU Safety Gate > US Consumer Product Safety Commission >

Office for Product Safety and Standards: Publish consumer research on perceptions of product safety harms and detriment. View >