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
                                  
           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
                                   
            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
                                   
                   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...)
                                    
          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)