Christophe Leprêtre Published in November Issue of World Food Regulation Review

Keller and Heckman Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Counselor Christophe Leprêtre was published in the November 2021 Issue of the World Food Regulation Review. This article aims at presenting and explaining the outcome and main decisions approved by the 46th session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL47).
 
At the end of September, about 400 food labeling regulators from 85 participating countries attended the 46th session of CCFL46 at a virtual meeting after more than a year of postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under such exceptional circumstances, regulators succeeded to address all agenda items and found enough common ground to send two new Codex normative texts for final adoption: (i) Guidelines on Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOP-NL) and (ii) General Standard for the labeling of non-retail containers (i.e., B2B food and food ingredient labeling) as an annex to the General Standard on Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GSLPF). CCFL46 also agreed to embark on new work on a large number of new issues, such as food labeling management options for the presence of (industrially generated) trans fatty acids. The committee also agreed to continue its work through inter-session electronic (and one physical) working groups on (a) allergen labeling (including refined criteria for ‘may contain’ labeling); (b) use of new information technologies; (c) e-commerce; (d) multi-pack and joint presentation; (e) alcohol drink labeling; and (f) to explore feasibility of new work on sustainability claims and labeling flexibility in emergency situations (like COVID-19). Canada will also maintain an up-to-date list of possible new work items, as well as a prioritization algorithm. The next CCFL session is tentatively scheduled for May 2023.

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