G/TBT/GEN/177  
 
29 May 2015  
(15-2798)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 INFORMATION ON THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION  
This document contains information provided by the Codex Alimentarius at the TBT Committee 
meeting of 18-19 March 2015 under Agenda Item 5 (Update by Observers). 
 
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1.  The Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods and related guidelines on Nutrition Labelling and Health and Nutrition claims have been updated extensively over the last 10 years to assist implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health in 
accordance with the resolution adopted by Member States at the World Health Assembly as part of 
the efforts to prevent the increasing public health problem of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCD) through assisting adequate consumer information when selecting food for a 
healthy diet. 
2.  Among other measures Codex now recommends mandatory nutrition labelling for prepackaged 
foods regardless whether a nutrition claim is made or not.  
3.  Furthermore, Codex expanded the range of nutrients that should be labelled acknowledging 
that labelling of total sugars, saturated fat and so dium is important to address the public health 
issues in the Global Strategy. Related claims with regards to non-addition of sodium salts or comparative claims have also been developed.  
4.  In cooperation with the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses 
additional Nutrient Reference Values (both for requirements i.e. minimum and for NCD i.e. maximum) have been developed as well as General Principles for Establishing Nutrient Reference 
Values for the General Population. NRV-NCD were se t at 20 g for saturated fats and 2000 mg for 
sodium. 
5.  The selection of these nutrients for the es tablishment of an NRV was based on “convincing 
evidence” for a relationship with NCD risk as defined in the report Diet, Nutrition and the 
Prevention of Chronic Diseases (WHO Techni cal Report Series 916. WHO, 2003). The updated 
WHO guideline on sodium intake for adults and ch ildren (WHO 2012) further supports the selection 
of sodium. 
6.  Further guidelines have been developed and issued by WHO on these nutrients and on a 
healthy diet, including the sugars guideline which was issued 2 weeks ago.   
7.  Discussions have been held in the Committee on Food Labelling on additional symbols e.g. 
traffic lights or other to make nutrition labelling information more palatable for consumers but no 
recommendations have been made on this issu e at this moment but the Committee may come 
back to this question in the future. 
8.  The dual mandate of Codex is to protect the health of consumers and to ensure fair practices in 
the food trade. In this sense, we would like to commend Member States who are rigorously implementing Codex standards and guidelines in their efforts in addressing obesity and NCDs. 
9.  Furthermore, it should be noted that Member  States who are present in this TBT meeting have 
in fact committed themselves and adopted various global strategies and actions plans to combat 
obesity and NCDs not only at WHO governing body meetings, but also at the UN General G/TBT/GEN/177 
 
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  Assembly, and most recently at the 2nd International Conference on Nutrition held in Rome just a 
few months ago.  
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