www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

The agenda for the 35th meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling
includes items on two of the most emotive issues for consumers and
industry - genetically modified foods and organic foods, March 2007 by
Jess Halliday.

The meeting, taking place in Ottawa, Canada, from April 30 to May 4, forms
part of an ongoing programme to create international food safety standards
under the Codex Alimentarius, a body set up by the Food and Agricultural
Organisation and the World Health Organisation.

The establishment of a taskforce on GM food in 1999 led to the establishment
of four key documents and consensus on the principles of traceability, but
labelling has been on the table at Codex since 1988 and remains a
contentious issue.

In particular, delegates at next month's meeting will discuss a draft
amendment to the General Standards for Labelling of Prepackaged Foods with
respect to definitions for foods obtained through genetic modification or
genetic engineering. This draft is presently at step seven.

In the 2005 committee reporter, the definitions for the terms 'food and food
ingredients obtained through certain techniques of genetic modification /
genetic engineering', 'organism', 'genetically modified / engineered
organism', and 'modern biotechnology'.

But it said: "The terminology used in this section on definitions should not
determine the terminology which is appropriate for use on food labels."

At step four and also up for debate are the Proposed Guidelines for the
Labelling for Foods and Food Ingredients Obtained through Certain Techniques
of Genetic Modification/Genetic Engineering: Labelling Provisions.

At the IFT conference last July Peggy Rochette, director of international
policy at the Food Products Association (FPA) told delegates that global
agreement was a long way off.

"This underscores the long standing differences in global views for even the
most basic approach to food labelling," she said.

A USDA report set out three potential scenarios for GM food in the year
2015.

The rosy view is that biotechnology is embraced globally, along the lines of
the US's science-based approach. A second view, called 'continental
islands', sees GM food products being traded universally within continents,
but without any real global harmonisation.

The third view is that 'biotech goes niche'. In other words, the barriers
that currently inhibit the global trade of GM food products, be they
regulatory or consumer-based, are never overcome.

With respect to organics, items of the agenda are the draft revised annex
for the Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing
of Organically Produced Foods (part one and part two of table 3); government
comments on table 3; and a proposed draft revision to annex two concerning
natural sodium nitrate; and a proposed draft amendment on the addition of
ethylene.

Delegates will also discuss a proposed draft definition of advertising in
relation to nutrition and health claims: "Advertising: any representation to
the public, by any means other than a label, that is intended or is likely
to influence and shape attitude, beliefs and behaviours in order to promote
directly or indirectly the sale of the food."

Health claims is a particularly pertinent issue in the EU at present, given
the new legislation on health and nutrition claims.

Unlike the new legislation Codex does not have the force of law behind it.
However it is used as a reference point for countries that are looking at
revising or creating legislation. Moreover, it is also used as a point of
reference by the World Trade Organisation when a dispute arises between two
members.

Other items on the agenda include a proposed draft amendment to the General
Standards for Labelling of Prepackaged Foods: Quantitative Declaration of
Ingredients. A working group on the proposal will also convene as part of
the meeting.

[www.foodnavigator.com]