The FSA is putting the case for more origin labelling vigorously at European and international levels. The Codex Committee on Food Labelling discussed a paper we prepared jointly with Switzerland and Malaysia in May this year, and the Codex Executive Committee has asked for further discussion of the issues at next year's meeting before it authorises the drafting of a formal amendment to the Codex Labelling Standard.
In the meantime, the FSA has been looking at the guidance notes originally published at the beginning of last year on the interpretation of the existing rules to ensure they address the issues that are of most concern to consumers and with a view to encouraging increased voluntary declarations.
A copy of the revised text is now on the FSA web site. Comments are required by 29 March 2002.
For the text of the draft (in pdf format), go to: http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/origin-labelling.pdf?version=1