UNECE International Forum on Market Surveillance and Consumer Protection UNECE, Geneva, 24-25 November 2005

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UNECE International Forum on Market Surveillance
and Consumer ProtectionUNECE, Geneva, 24-25
November 2005

• International Standards and Current Issues on
  Food Labelling
• Selma H. Doyran
• Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme

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Food Labelling

• To provide information
• nature of the food
• ingredients and characteristics
• nutrition
• food safety conditions of use, storage
• To protect consumers and producers against fraud
• To ensure fair practices in food trade

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Codex Alimentarius General aspects

• Codex labelling provisions are considered in the
  perspective of the Codex objectives
• To protect the health of consumers
• information related to food hygiene/prevention of
  contamination conditions of use, temperature,
  storage, mode of preparation
• To ensure fair practices in international food
  trade
• clear information on the nature and
  characteristics of products
• prevent consumer deception and fraud misleading
  claims
• fair trade practices producers and traders,
  import and export

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Codex Alimentarius General aspects Relevance for
member countries

• Standards (end product), Codes of Practice
  (process), Guidelines (recommendations in various
  areas, especially labelling)
• Recommendations all texts voluntary
• Reference in international trade (WTO Agreements
  SPS and TBT)
• Reference for countries in the establishment of
  national food legislation/standards
• Technical assistance FAO and WHO

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Labelling in Codex

• Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) General
  Labelling requirements, nutrition labelling,
  conditions for different types of claims
• Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for
  Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) nutrition issues,
  standards for FSDU, conditions for nutrition and
  health claims
• Other Codex Committees labelling provisions for
  individual foods in specific standards (fats and
  oils, milk products, fishery products etc...)

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General Labelling Provisions

• General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged
  Foods (1985/revised 1991, 1999, 2001, 2003)
• General Guidelines on Claims (1991)
• Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling (1985/revised
  1993, 2003)
• Guidelines on Use of Nutrition and Health Claims
  (1997, Revised 2004)

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Labelling Principles

• Pre-packaged food shall not be described or
  presented on any label in a manner that is false,
  misleading, or deceptive (General Standard and
  General Guidelines on Claims)
• No presentation suggestive of another product
  with which the food might be confused (General
  Standard)
• Example name of species and common name
• Claims that cannot be substantiated are
  prohibited (General Guidelines on Claims),
  including several claims related to nutrition,
  health and food safety

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General Standard main requirements

• Name of the food (as in Codex standards when
  applicable)
• List of ingredients
• Net contents and drained weight
• Name and address, lot identification
• Date marking
• Instructions for Use and Storage
• Quantitative labelling when applicable
• Country of origin shall be declared if its
  omission would mislead or deceive the consumer

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Guidelines on Nutrition LabellingPurpose of the
Guidelines

• To provide information to consumers on nutrient
  content to allow an informed choice
• To convey information on the nutrient content of
  a food on the label (nutrient declaration)
• To encourage the use of sound nutrition
  principles in the formulation of foods which
  would benefit public health
• To provide the opportunity to include
  supplementary nutrition information on the label

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Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling

• Nutrition labelling should not present food in a
  manner which is false, misleading, deceptive or
  insignificant
• No nutritional claims should be made without
  nutrition labelling
• Nutrient declaration is mandatory only when
  claims are made
• The impact of nutrition labelling is related to
  nutrition education in order to allow consumers
  to make informed choice and improve their diet

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Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims

• Applicable to all foods
• Nutrition claims should be consistent with
  national nutrition policy
• Health claims should be consistent with national
  health policy, and support such policies where
  applicable
• Health claims should be supported by scientific
  evidence, provide truthful information to aid
  consumers in choosing healthful diets and be
  supported by nutrition education
• Foods for which a nutrition claim is made should
  be labelled in accordance with the Guidelines on
  Nutrition Labelling

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Nutrition Claims

• Conditions for Nutrient Content Claims maximum
  values
• LOW energy, fat (3g/100g), saturated fat,
  cholesterol, sodium
• VERY LOW sodium
• FREE energy, fat, cholesterol, sugars,sodium
• Minimum values
• HIGH or SOURCE for
• protein, vitamins and minerals
• values for fibre still under consideration

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Nutrition, Labelling and Health Policy

• WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity
  and Health Governments should provide accurate
  and balanced information for consumers
• Education, communication and public awareness
• Marketing, advertising, sponsorship and promotion
  
• Labelling consumers require accurate
  information governments may require information
  on key nutritional aspects, as proposed in the
  Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling
• Health claims increasing use of health
  messages, must not mislead the public

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Guidelines on the Production, Processing,
Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced
Foods

• Organic ? Labelling claim Codex Committee on
  Food Labelling
• main part of the Guidelines (general aspects and
  vegetable products) adopted in 1999
• 1999-2001 livestock and livestock products
• Ongoing revision and updating
• Criteria for substances updated (2003)
• Lists of substances updated 2004
• ongoing revision

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Guidelines for Organically Produced Foods
Objectives

• to protect the consumer against misleading claims
  
• to protect organic producers fair trade
  practices
• to ensure that all stages of the process are
  subject to inspection
• to provide international Guidelines for organic
  control systems in order to facilitate
  recognition of national systems as equivalent for
  the purpose of imports

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Guidelines for Organically Produced Foods main
provisions

• Purpose and scope
• Description and definitions
• Labelling and claims (including conversion)
• Rules of production and preparation, including
  criteria and lists of substances
• Inspection and certification systems
• Livestock and livestock products
• Beekeeping and bee products

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Other issues under discussion Biotechnology and
Labelling

• Labelling of allergens transferred in foods
  derived from biotechnology adopted
• Draft Definitions Modern biotechnology?
  Genetically Modified/Engineered ? no consensus
• General recommendations for labelling of foods
  from biotechnology / GMOs and derived products
  no consensus

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Other Issues under discussion

• Quantitative Declaration of Ingredients (QUID)
  Amendment under discussion
• Practical application ? More consumer information
  or additional cost to industry and consumers ?
• Advertising should provisions for labelling
  apply to advertising, and how ?
• Criteria for the scientific basis of health
  claims

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Contacts

• Codex Alimentarius CommissionJoint FAO/WHO Food
  Standards Programme, c/-Food and Nutrition
  Division, FAO, Viale delle Terme di
  Caracalla00100 Rome Italy
• Fax [phone]
• Email codex_at_fao.org
• http//www.codexalimentarius.net