Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - FAO / WHO / WTO / Codex - 2016

Codex Meeting Report, 9 – 13 May 2016

CODEX - Codex Committee on Food Labelling (43rd Session)

The full report is available at: Codex Committee on Food Labelling (43rd Session)

The summary and conclusions of the 43rd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling are as follows:

Matters for Adoption by CAC39

The Committee:

• Advanced the proposed draft revision of the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods: Date Marking to Step 5 for adoption by CAC39 (para 49, Appendix II).

Matters for approval by CAC39

Forwarded the following project document for approval as new work:

• Guidance for the labelling on non-retail containers (para.54 and Appendix III).

Other matters of interest to CAC39

The Committee:

• proposed that CAC39 identify an appropriate forum to continue work on the proposed draft revision of the Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods: Organic Aquaculture or to discontinue this work (para. 27);
• discontinued discussion on issues related to internet sales of food (para. 55);
• agreed to not proceed with the revision of the General Guidelines for the Use of the Term “Halal” (CAC/GL 24-1997), but to consider a discussion paper on issues surrounding consumer preference claims (paras 62 – 63).
• agreed to prepare discussion papers on front-of-pack labelling (para. 70) and future work of CCFL (para. 71).

Matters for other subsidiary bodies

The Committee:

Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC)

• agreed there was no need to develop a particular work management approach, but could consider such an need in the future (para. 6).

CCASIA, CCSCH, CCFFV, CCFA

• endorsed the labelling provisions in the standards submitted by CCASIA, CCSCH, CCFFV and CCFA (paras 11 - 22).

Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)

• agreed not to consider the matter of food integrity/food authenticity, but to wait for discussion and decision from CCFICS (para. 7).

Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH)

• agreed to request advice from CCFH on the appropriateness of the food safety criterion 1 to exempt foods from date marking (para. 42, Appendix II).