15 – 18 May 2012

CODEX – 40th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling, Ottawa, Canada

The summary and conclusions of the 40th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling in are as follows:

Matters for adoption by the 35th Session of the Commission:

The Committee advanced to Step 8 the following:

• Draft Revision of the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling (CAC/GL 2-1985) concerning a new definition of “nutrient reference values” (para. 46, Appendix IV); and
• Draft amendment to the Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods (CAC/GL 32-1999): use of ethylene for ripening of fruit (para. 71 and Appendix VI);

Advanced to Steps 5/8 the following:

• Proposed Draft Revision of the Guidelines on Nutrition and Health Claims (CAC/GL 23-1997) concerning a new definition for “non-addition claim”, conditions for free of salt claims, amendments to the section on comparative claims and conditions for non-addition of sugars claims (para. 39, Appendix II);
• Proposed Draft Revision of the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling (CAC/GL 2-1985) concerning provisions for mandatory nutrition labelling (para. 67, Appendix V);
• Proposed Draft amendment to the Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods concerning inclusion of new substances (paras 76 and 80 and Appendix VII).

Advanced to Step 5 the following:

• Proposed draft revision of the Guidelines on Nutrition and Health Claims (CAC/GL 23-1997) concerning Non-Addition of Sodium Salts (para. 39, Appendix III).

Other Matters of Interest to the Commission:

The Committee:

• Returned the Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods (CAC/GL 32-1999): Organic Aquaculture to Step 2 for redrafting by an electronic working group, circulation for comments at Step 3, for consideration by a physical working group and for consideration at Step 4 at the next session (para. 86); and
• Agreed that the topic modified standardized common names should be removed from the agenda (para. 101).

Matters referred to other Codex Committees

The Committee agreed to request the Committee on Nutrition of Foods and Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) to:

• Give advice as to whether the condition for 10% of the NRV for comparative claims for micronutrients (section 6.3 in the Guidelines on Nutrition and Health Claims) is still in line with current evidence based guidance on micronutrients, particularly in light of the work being undertaken on NRV (para. 27);
• Give advice on the establishment of conditions for claims for “free” of TFA and if the advice was positive, whether the claims should be made per100ml or 100g or per serving (paras. 34 and 35);
• Consider requesting CCMAS to review questions related to methods for trans fatty acids in foods (para. 36).