Lidl launches own fair trade brand “Fairglobe”

Discount chain Lidl and the fair trade organisation “Trans- Fair” have signed a cooperation agreement to launch the own brand “Fairglobe”. “By stocking fairly traded products we are responding to growing consumer demand for more responsibility and ethical awareness.
California withdraws proposed acrylamide warning rules
California has withdrawn proposed rules that would have required food manufacturers to place acrylamide warning labels on certain products.The proposals,announced in April 2005, attracted “voluminous comments,” which could not all be reviewed within the oneyear time frame allowed by law,and which resulted in the withdrawal.California’s Office of Environmental Health and at the same time we are actively supporting fair trade,” explained Lidl spokesman Thomas Oberle. “Lidl is the first retail chain to launch an entire own label fair trade range,” said Dieter Overath,MD of TransFair,after the agreement was signed. . Hazard Assessment said it intends to submit new proposed regulations within the next 60 days. The issue has already resulted in significant tension between the industry and consumer groups.The state’s voterapproved warning-label law requires that manufacturers alert customers about the existence of cancer-causing compounds in food.