On July 1st the new Alcohol Act will enter into force, replacing the Drinks and Catering Act. These new rules aim to prevent alcohol use by young people and combat problematic alcohol use in the Netherlands. The most prominent change is the ban on discounts above 25% in retail stores (Art. 2a Alcohol Act). This puts an end to offers such as 'buy one, get two’ or 'three for the price of two'.
Read MoreTotal panic in the Amsterdam supermarkets: the barista oat drink, which you can use to add plant-based foam to your (iced) coffee, is out! The producers have a supply problem. And that's not surprising, because plant-based drinks and products are more popular than ever.
Read MoreA recurring key question is whether a food product can have a picture of the fruit in question on it. When do you have to add "flavor"? The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has recently issued a manual that clarifies how the NVWA will enforce.
Read MoreFor a provider of dietary supplements or other health products it can often be difficult to assess what can or cannot be said about the effect of the product offered. If it contains herbal preparations (botanicals) this is even more complex.
Read MoreA significant win for producers of products protected as protected designations of origin (PDOs) or protected geographical indications (PGIs).
Read MoreCan the Royal Association Homeopathy Netherlands state on its website that several scientific studies show efficacy in many indications? This was the starting point of a principle procedure at the Advertising Code Committee. The complainant, adamantly opposed to homeopathy, felt that the text should be removed.
Read MoreSpring time! Chambers and World Trademark Review have just published their rankings. We are proud of their nice words about Hoogenraad & Haak. Some comments.
Read MoreGreat news: after an excellent student internship, Myrna Teeuw stayed with us as a paralegal.
Read MoreIt feels like an eternity ago. A couple of months ago we were actually allowed to sit on the terrace and in the sun, while enjoying a beer, and forgetting about corona for a moment. Due to the compulsory closure, the hospitality industry had already had a hard time at that time. That is why the Dutch Brewers gave the catering industry a helping hand by launching the "Golden Moments are experienced with beer" campaign.
Read MoreFor the time being, so-called botanical products may make a health claim, for example, for a vitamin supplement. This is despite the fact that EFSA has still not assessed the associated scientific files. This is because the outcome of political wrangling over how to assess the evidence for the claim has been awaited for years. But the reins have been tightened!
Read MoreDe Vegetarische Slager (“The Vegetarian Butcher”) scores one hit after the other: from vegetarian chicken pieces to vegan petit filet a l'Americain, the Dutch are discovering these meat substitutes more and more. Recently, the Advertising Code Committee received a complaint about a radio commercial in which BBQ King Jord Althuizen cooks with the vegan Bofkipburger of the popular meat substitute brand.
Read MoreThere is a rule in trademark law that descriptive indications may not be monopolised as trademarks. These indications must remain free for everyone to use. For example, the word "Apple" cannot be a trademark for apples.
Read MoreIn the summer of 2019, New York Pizza launched pizzas with a cauliflower-bottom. This did not go unnoticed. The YouTube clip contained a big wink to telephone sex lines and was therefore able to go through the brackets - it was obviously a parody. For the posters at bus stops nationwide - containing a naked woman with two cauliflowers in front of her breasts - things didn't end so well.
Read MoreTake a good look at those packages with flags and cheerful country colours. They are going to disappear more and more. Why are they disappearing? Strict labelling rules require that a disclaimer be used if the primary ingredient comes from another country than suggested by the texts or symbols on the packaging.
Read MoreNowadays almost everyone eats vegetarian for at least one day a week. There are also people - vegans - who have a complete vegan diet and therefore do not eat animal products such as cheese, eggs or honey. But where do moulds and yeasts fall into this picture?
Read MoreAs a paralegal Lisanne has made herself indispensable at Hoogenraad & Haak in a short period of time. Driven, tactical and down to earth, she has helped many clients. At the end of February, Lisanne takes the next step and is sworn in as an advocaat.
Read MoreThe Flower Farm must definitively change its packaging. The deforestation claim on its 'butter without palm oil' is misleading. The Board of Appeal confirmed on appeal that the text on the margarine packaging EAT PLANTS, NOT PALM PLEASE is inaccurate.
Read MoreOn 7 November, the NVWA (enforcer), VWS (legislator), the food industry FNLI, the Consumers' Association and lawyers held talks at the Annual Conference on Food Safety and Integrity. The entire food industry was watching. As a lawyer, I spoke to Inge Stoelhorst of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport in a panel. Later Yvonne Huigen (NVWA) and Marloes Kneppers (FNLI) joined the discussion.
Read MoreThe month of December is almost upon us again. To show the best you at Christmas dinner or at an old and new party, try to make healthier choices. For example, you choose to eat less meat and replace rusk with the wholemeal variety. What appears? The whole-wheat rusk in your basket does not consist entirely of whole-wheat flour, but also contains other wheat flour. This may make your rusk less healthy than you thought.
Read MoreThe Flower Farm misleads consumers by saying on its margarine packaging that palm oil destroys tropical rainforest. Furthermore, The Flower Farm is not allowed to say in its TVC that Orangutans are eradicated by palm oil. The Flower Farm’s call that consumers can save up to 30 m2 of rainforest per family by buying and eating The Flower Farm margarine is also misleading and forms a prohibited environmental claim.
Read More
