G/TBT/GEN/205  
 
22 November  2016 
(16-6391) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
 THEMATIC SESSION ON REGULATORY COOPERATI ON  
BETWEEN MEMBERS:  FOOD LABELLING1 
 9 NOVEMBER  2016 
REPORT BY THE MODERATORS  TO THE TBT COMMITTEE   
This Report  was delivered by the Moderators2 of this Thematic Session  of the WTO TBT Committee 
at the meeting of 10-11 November  2016. 
 
_______________  
 
 
At the Seventh Triennial Review, Members agreed to continue to hold thematic sessions in 
conjunction with regular meetings of the Committee.3 Members agreed to dedicate the 9 
November  2016 thematic session on regulator y cooperation between Members  to the topic of 
food labelling .4 The p resentations  summarized below, as well as audio recordings,  will be made  
available through  the WTO website.5  
 
Panel 1  Global health objectives  
1.1.  This Panel was  moderated by Mr George Opiyo  (Uganda ). The following presentations were 
made.  
1.2.  Dr. Chizuru Nishida6 and Dr. Benn McGrady7 stated that nutrition labelling is one part of a 
comprehensive approach and policy measures to promote healthy diet and prevent and control 
diet-related non -communi cable diseases.  Nutrition labelling may pursue three main objectives 
depending on domestic circumstances and other measures being implemented: (i) ensuring access 
to information and preventing consumer deception; (ii) enabling consumers to make healthy 
choices; and (iii) encouraging healthy choices and formulation of nutritious food. It was noted that 
unhealthy diet and poor nutrition are leading causes of the global disease burden in 2013, and that 
both undernutrition  and obesity  and diet -related non -comm unicable diseases  (double burden of 
malnutrition) exist in the same countries , communities , households, and even in the same 
individuals . The WHO representatives mentioned that there is increasing recognition of the links 
between early childhood nutrition and development of obesity and diet -related non -communicable 
diseases later in life, highlighting the need for a lifecourse approach in addressing the prevent ion 
of non-communicable diseases later in life. The need to promote healthy diet and nutrition has 
gained considerable attention in the international community in recent years and the World Health 
Assembly requested the Codex Alimentarius Commission to give consideration to the action it may 
take to improve food standards  and guidelines , and in this co ntext, the representative mentioned 
the need to further enhance coherence between the work of Codex and WHO policies and 
                                                
1 The draft programme and list of speakers is contained in JOB/TBT/ 208/Rev.1 . 
2 Mr George Opiyo  (Uganda ) Ms. Siti Mariam Mohd Din (Malaysia), and Mrs Jo -Anne Beharry (Trinidad 
and Tobago) . The reports are provided on the Moderators' own responsibilities .  
3 G/TBT/37, para. 8.3.  
4 See Chairperson's fax of 23 September 2016 . 
5 https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/tbt_e.htm  
6 Coordinator, Nutrition Policy and Scientific Advice, Depar tment of Nutrition for Health and 
Development , WHO. The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 183. 
7 Technical Officer (Legal), Prevention of Non -Communicable Diseases Department, WHO . The full 
presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 183. G/TBT/GEN/205  
 
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  guidelines . The World Health Assembly endorsed a number of policy documents, including the 
Comprehensive Implementation  Plan on Materna l, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (CIP -MIYCN) 
and Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013 – 2020, 
which highlighted the use of nutrition labelling as a policy measure and guideline development tool 
for promoting  healthy diet.  Most recently the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity 
recommended implementation of a standardized global nutrient labelling system and front -of-pack 
labelling. The food industry, retailers, non -industry experts, non -profit organizat ions and 
government agencies were developing front -of-pack labelling to provide targeted nutrition 
information, assist consumers in selecting healthier foods, and to encourage healthy product 
development. However, it was noted, there was an increasing  risk of consumer confusion due to a 
proliferation of different schemes and approaches. The December 2015 WHO Technical Meeting on 
Nutrition Labelling for Promoting Healthy Diet reviewed: (i) the front -of-pack labelling systems  
currently being used ; (ii) their effectiveness; (iii) country experiences ; and (iv) identified issues 
and considerations for the design and implementation of front -of-pack labelling systems in order to 
develop guiding principles and a guidance framework for implementing front -of-pack labe lling.8 
Follow -up actions  include: (i) development of guiding principle and framework manual and their 
field-testing in countries; (ii) supporting countries developing front -of-pack labelling; and (iii) 
supporting the new work initiated  by the Codex Commit tee on Food Labelling.  
1.3.  Dr. Sandra G. Hassink9 said only 50% of children in the US met federal diet quality 
standards, 18% suffered from  obesity , 9% faced activity limitations,  and 21% lived in food 
insecure homes. Three elements are particularly important for ensuring children are healthy : (i) 
sound and appropriate nutrition; (ii) a stable and responsive environment of relationships; and (iii) 
safe and toxin -free physical environments. There are significant negative  consequences of 
childhood obesity , includ ing, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and other non -communicable diseases, 
as well as poorer academic performance, bullying and psychological problems.  Three key factors 
influence the  food environment for families and children : (i) access to healthy food; (i i) family 
history; and (iii) marketing. In order to address food environments, a population health approach 
needs to take  into consideration: (i) schools; (ii) vending machines; and (iii) communities. The 
new US Nutrition Facts Label would: (i) make calori e information more prominent to help parents 
make informed choices on the food they serve to their children; (ii) revise the serving size for 
certain food and beverages to reflect the way Americans eat today; and (iii) provide information 
on added sugars t hat would facilitate compliance with the Dietary Guidelines' recommendation to 
reduce sugar intake. She mentioned  five areas of future work: (i) labelling caffeine content; (ii) 
introducing front -of-pack labelling; (iii) designing a nutrition facts panel f or parents of children 
younger than 4 years; (iv) to base the Daily Reference Values on less than the current 2,000 
calorie diet; and (v) making labels more practical and clear for consumers of all types of literacy 
levels .  
1.4.  To conclude, Mr George Opiyo  (Uganda) said the panel highlighted the changing global 
context – including the increasing recognition of links between nutrition, especially childhood 
nutrition, and the development of obesity and diet -related NCDs. Nutrition labelling is but one tool 
in a suite of tools to promote healthy diet and nutrition. To this end, it was important to ensure 
greater coherence between the work of WHO and CODEX. It is crucial to involve all relevant 
stakeholders, including through public and private partnerships, in est ablishing coherent 
approaches to nutrition labelling.   
Panel 2  Food labelling international standards  
1.5.  This Panel was  moderated by Ms. Siti Mariam Mohd Din (Malaysia) . The following 
presentations were made.  
1.6.  Mr. Patrick Sekitoleko10 noted that Codex developed  recommendations for governments to 
protect consumers' health and to ensure fair practices in food trade. The CCFL 11 has a 
                                                
8 Once finalized, the background evidence review document, meeting report, scoping document of 
nutrition labelling being implemented by countries will be made available at the following website: 
http://www.who.int/nutrition/events/2015_meeting_nutrition_labelling_diet_9to11dec/en/   
9 Immediate Past President, American Academy of Pediatrics . The full presentation is contained in 
RD/TBT/ 179. 
10 Food Standards Officer, Codex Al imentarius Commission. The full presentation is contained in 
RD/TBT/ 184. 
11 Codex Committee on Food Labelling.  G/TBT/GEN/205  
 
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  multifaceted mandate: (i) to draft food labelling provisions; (ii) to review and endorse  draft 
specific provisions on labelling prepar ed by various Codex Committees; (iii) to study specific 
labelling problems; and (iv) to study food advertisement problems especially concerning claims 
and misleading descriptions. He indicated the  general objectives of food labelling rules is to protect 
consumers and ensure fair marketing through: (i) prohibiting misrepresentation of quality of a 
product ; and (ii) preventing false claims thus protecting businesses from unfair 
competition/marketing.   The GSLPF 12 provides the main framework for food labelling , while Codex 
Commodity standard  focus on  specific labeling requirements applicable to a particular food 
Commodity. He noted that work on food labeling as related to  information on human nutrition was 
undertaken  closely by both the CCFL and the CCNFSDU. 13 Codex principles for food labelling 
require labels not to describe food in a false, misleading or deceptive manner. According to GSLPF, 
the percentage of an ingredient had to be disclosed where the ingredient was emphasised as 
present or was expected to be present in the food. He further indicated that the GSLPF : (i) 
introduced the expression "best before" in order to inform consumers about expected product 
quality; and (ii) also provided for a special labelling of irradiated food. While the General 
Guideli nes on Claims provided guidance on prohibited, potentially misleading and conditional 
claims, specific texts were developed for "organically -produced" claims, amongst others.   He 
added that the Guidelines for nutrition labelling described the form and cont ent of nutrition 
information on a food label. Area s of future work included: (i) f ront of the pack labelling ; (ii) 
internet food sales; iii) l abelling of non -retail containers ; and,  iv) consumer preference claims .  
1.7.  Ms Tatiana Cruz Ramírez14 recalled  that Co sta Rica had expressed concern in 2014 in the 
FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean about the proliferation of 
various front -of-pack nutrition labelling requirements . The 43rd session of the Codex Committee on 
Food Label ling (C CFL) agreed to discuss  front-of-pack nutrition labelling  through an electronic 
working group ( eWG) co-chaired by Costa Rica and New Zealand. The eWG was set up in 2016 and 
has three tasks: (i) to collect information on existing front of pack labelling in d ifferent countries ; 
(ii) to consider the need of developing general  principles for front-of-pack labelling; and (iii) to 
prepare a discussion paper, and a draft proposed document  for the  next CCFL meeting. She 
highlighted four reasons behind  the work of th e eWG: (i) simplified front of pack labelling is an 
opportunity to guide consumers in making informed and healthier decisions; (ii) there is a 
proliferation of regulations to provide consumers with graphic nutrition information ; (iii) front of 
pack labelli ng is being pursued by governments  in order to address obesity and non -communicable 
diseases; and (iv) countries are requesting WHO's guidance on how to implement front-of-pack 
nutrition labelling . She indicated that new work of the eWG had two objectives:  (i) to determine 
whether the Codex Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling provide adequate  guidance  on front-of-pack 
nutrition labelling; and (ii) the role of Codex in promoting harmonization of front -of-labelling 
implemented by various stakeholders. Current d evelopments included: (i) the distribution of the 
first discussion paper  to eWG members; (ii) reception of comments; and (iii) analysis of 
information gathered . The eWG is composed of 43 countries and 13 non -governmental observer 
organizations, and a set o f 13 questions has been distributed to these stakeholders. The outcomes 
of the two working documents would feed into the  44th session of the CCFL, and would include as 
an annex a global stock -taking report on front -of-pack nutrition labelling schemes exist ing or 
under development worldwide.   
1.8.  To conclude, Ms. Siti Mariam Mohd Din (Malaysia)  said food labelling and nutrition is a 
shared responsibility between government, industry, producer, academia and consumers, where 
everyone has a role to play.  Achieving  healthy diets is a multisectoral effort requiring involvement 
of many levels. The packaging and labelling of food is subject to respective countries' regulation, 
both to prevent fraudulent advertising and to provide information on food. The c onsumer shoul d 
be able to make informed and wise food choices using information provided in food labelling. 
International standards developed by the CODEX Alimentarius Commission on food labelling is one 
of the enabling tool s to achieve the objective of better nutritio n.  With the current initiative by 
CODEX to develop front -of-pack nutrition labelling requirements, governments will have 
internationally recognised standards to refer to which could also promote harmonisation of the 
requirements globally.   
                                                
12 General Standard for the Labelling of Pre -packaged Foods.  
13 Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses.  
14 Chief of Technica l Regulations and Codex, Department of Economy, Industry and Commerce Ministry, 
Chairperson  of the eWG . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 188. G/TBT/GEN/205  
 
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  Panel 3 Regiona l and national approaches  
1.9.  This Panel was  moderated by Mrs Jo -Anne Beharry (Trinidad and Tobago) . The following 
presentations were made.  
1.10.   Dr. Douglas A. Balentine15 presented the update of the US Nutrition Facts Label, which  
was undertaken for three reasons: (i) improve d scientific information on links between diet, health 
and chronic diseases; (ii) a change in the amount of foods consumed; and (iii) changes in priorities 
for dietary guidance (greater focus on calories and serving sizes). The final rules "Revision of the 
Nutrition and  Supplement Facts Label" and  "Revision of Serving Size Requirements" were 
published on 27 May 2016, following consultations on prop osed rules during 2014 and 2015, which 
garnered more than 300,000 comments from stakeholders and con sideration  of scientific evidence, 
citizen petitions, health data and consumer studies. These two new rules introduced ten changes: 
(i) declaration of added sugars in the daily values; (ii) modernized format to highlight calories and 
serving size informati on; (iii) updated the daily values; (iv) updated nutrients of public health 
significance; (v) updated the footnote; (vi) required manufacturers to keep records to verify 
mandatory declarations; (vii) used new reference amounts to calculate serving sizes; ( viii) 
required for certain products a dual -column labelling with nutrition information listed per serving 
and per package; (ix) updated the definition of dietary fiber; and (x) used a new criteria for single 
serving packages. While manufacturers would have  two years to comply as a general rule, small 
businesses would have three years.   
1.11.   Professor  Ming -Ju Chen16 indicated that Chapter V of the Act Governing Food Safety and 
Sanitation and its enforcement rules regulated the labelling of food, food additives and  their raw 
materials in Chinese Taipei. According to th ese rules food , packaging had to indicate in Chinese 
and common symbols nine elements: (i) the product name; (ii) the name of the ingredients; (iii) 
the net weight, volume or quantity; (iv) the name of  food additives; (iv) the name, telephone 
number and address of the manufacturer; (v) the country of origin; (vi) the expiry date; (vii) the 
nutrition label; and (viii) an indication of whether it contains genetically modified food raw 
materials. The nutri tion facts panel requires information on serving size, servings per container , 
transfat, sugar, and daily intake values, amongst other information.  The requirement to indicate if  
the food contained genetically modified organisms entered into force for bot h packaged and 
unpackaged food in December 2015, the latter with three phases depending on the type of 
manufacturer. The example of labelling for various types of milk products was provided, and s he 
noted that failure to comply with these regulations may r esult in  fines.   
1.12.   Mr. Christopher O’Toole17 stated that the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations set out 
four objectives for nutrition labelling in Canada: (i) reducing chronic disease risk by enabling 
consumers to make appropriate food choices; (ii) encouragi ng the availability of foods with 
characteristics that reduce such risks; (iii) advancing compatibility with the US system; and (iv) 
standardizing the label format to convey information on food nutrient content. He highlighted that 
these regulations took i nto consideration Codex Guidelines, major trading partners' similar 
systems and various scientific references. Mandatory nutrition labelling was introduced in 2002 
with a 3 to 5 year transition period and that guidance documents were produced to help indus try 
adapt to the new rules. Proposed updates to these regulations were published in 2015 in order to 
incorporate scientific updates and to harmonize with the US system. While the list of nutrients to 
be declared and the basis for Daily Values changed, the requirement for the information to be 
presented in English and French and the use of metric systems remained. He underscored that the 
proposed updates to the regulations were science based and pursued legitimate health objectives. 
In addition, trade impact s were also considered in that the proposed updates looked to 
international standards and the requirements of close trading partners, and were consulted 
nationally and internationally.    
1.13.   Mrs. Lorena Rodriguez  Osiac18 spoke about the implementation of new re gulations on 
nutritional labelling in Chile. Obesity rates in Chile are now among the highest in the OECD with 1 
                                                
15 Director, Office of Nutrition and Food Labelling, US Food and Drug Administration . The full 
presenta tion is contained in RD/TBT/16 7, and as given in RD/TBT/185 . 
16 Chinese Taipei . 
17 Global Affairs Canada . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 180. 
18 Director, Department of Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Health, Chile . The full presentation is 
contained in RD/TBT/ 193. G/TBT/GEN/205  
 
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  in 4 adults being obese. Moreover, Chile is one of the largest consumers in the world of sugar -
sweetened  beverages, snacks and sweets. Hence, t he three main objectives of the labelling 
scheme in Chile are to protect children, promote an informed selection of foods and decrease 
consumer consumption of food with excessive amounts of critical nutrients. There are three main 
elements: (i) restriction s of marketing of these products to children under 14; (ii) restrictions of 
marketing  or sale in school environments;  and (iii) the use of front -of-package warning labels. 
Mrs. Rodriguez said that the scope of the regulations cover all foods with added sug ars (honey, 
sugar, syrups), sodium (salt, additives) and saturated fatty acids (any oil or fat with saturated 
fatty acid ) and where the content of the foods exceeds the limits established by the Ministry of 
Health (MINSAL). There are some exemptions  such a s for natural foods as well as produ cts from 
SMEs. Regarding front -of-pack labelling, studies ha ve shown that  in Chile, symbols perform better 
in terms of visibility and consumer understanding (a black octagonal). In terms of the enforcement 
of the regulat ion, surveys had been done and there was  still some  instances of  non-compliance 
with the regulation and currently efforts are underway to raise awareness and educate consumers 
on the new regulation. Surveys (4 months after implementation) ha ve shown that t he majority of 
the population supports the regulation and believe that it provides more information about 
products, and that it could even change  food consumption  habits.   
1.14.   Mr. Michael Beer19 outlined four objectives of  the new Federal Act on Foodstuffs and Utility 
Articles  (Food law) : (i) to protect consumers from health risks; (ii) to ensure that foodstuffs are 
handled hygienically; (iii) to protect consumers from foodstuffs deception; and (iv) to provide to 
the consumer all relevant purchasing information , which was a new objective . The law require s 
pre-packaged foods to indicate the place of origin , the specific designation and composition  
(ingredients ). The new Ordinance on Food Information require s provision of information on the 
name of the food, a nutr ition declaration and if it contained GMO ingredients, among st others. The 
nutrition labelling mandates  all pre -packaged food to indicate within 4 years: (i) the energy value; 
(ii) fat content; (iii) saturates content; (iv) carbohydrate content; (v) sugar content; (vi) protein 
content; and (vii) salt content. Unprocessed food of a single ingredient and food directly supplied 
by manufacturers of small quantities are exempted. As a result of public consultations , the 
indications on sugars and saturates were deemed costly and not feasible for handcrafted foods. As 
a consequence of not requiring this information, there was a need for new solutions to address 
non-communicable diseases and obesity , and he noted  that smartphone technologies could 
provide  tailored i nformation in future nutrition labelling.   
1.15.   Ms Pirkko Penttila20 spoke about the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's on -line industry 
labelling tool, available for use by all Canadian and foreign stakeholders. She described the core 
labelling requirements, whi ch include nutritional labelling and explained that the tool is intended to 
help stakeholders determine if they require a particular label. Specifically on nutrition labelling, 
although there is a requirement for a nutrition facts table on most pre -package d products, the 
information could be presented in different formats – and there is considerable flexibility for 
industry tocomply (e.g. separate French and English tables, or a single bilingual one). Ms Penttila 
said that for nutrition labelling there is a  combination of mandatory and voluntary requirements 
and there are also differences in the requirements depending on who is consuming or buying the 
product.    
1.16.   Ms Lorena Cerdán Torre21 presented Mexico's experience with front -of-pack labelling.  
She stated  that front -of-pack labelling should: (i) follow Codex Guidelines; (ii) be science -based; 
(iii) consult with consumers; and (iv) not constitute arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or 
undermine intellectual property rights. Mexico's National Strategy fo r Overweight, Obesity and 
Diabetes  Prevention and Control requires  front-of-pack labelling from June 2016 in order to 
present clearly and graphically the nutritional content and to provide useful information to 
consumers. The labelling iconography must present: (i) the calories and percentage per nutrient; 
(ii) the total calories per serving and per package; and (iii) a special label for sugar drinks, salty 
snacks, sweets and chocolate products. Mexico's regulation: (i) is based on nutritional values 
accept ed internationally; (ii) requires  considering proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the calor ies' 
calculation; (iii) requires  declaring "other fat s"; (iv) requires  declaring per unit, per portion and the 
                                                
19 Vice-Director, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office , Switzerland . The full presentation is 
contained in RD/TBT/ 182. 
20 Global Affairs Canada . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 181. 
21 Mexican Council of the Consumer Pro ducts Industry, A.C. The full presentation is contained in 
RD/TBT/ 191. G/TBT/GEN/205  
 
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  respective weight; and (v) adds  a sixth calories' cont ent icon per package. The regulation is 
complemented with educational campaigns of medium and high intensity. She mentioned three 
lessons learned: (i) regulations have  to be clear and comprehensive; (ii) front -of-pack labelling 
has to be complemented with educational campaigns; and (iii) digital tools could provide multiple 
sources of information and enable the design of smart labels.  
1.17.   Mr. Kenneth Roberts22 shared  a private sector experience with food labelling. He stressed 
that for the private sector, food labels are the first interface with the consumer: they must 
describe the ingredient and nutritional contents (informational function), must differentiate from 
competitor products (b randing and marketing functions), and must meet voluntary and mandatory 
regulatory requirements (compliance function). Lack of harmonization of these requirements adds 
costs for producers and consumers , in developed and developing countries,  through segregation of 
manufacturing lines and customized labelling of packaging. While C ODEX guidelines for minimum 
requirements exist, there is no global standard for nutritional content labelling – and the format for 
nutritional labels (location, size, and focus) also changed frequently.  A major challenge for the 
private sector was to stay  current with this changing landscape at the local, na tional and 
international level, and that for compliance, i t is important that industry has  enough time to adapt.  
Generally, companies favour  systems which are non -discriminatory and reward reformulatio n and 
portion control while consumers seek clarity on portion size and understan ding of daily guidance. 
There i s, however, a concern that the level of information being required on food packaging could 
overwhelm consumers and detract from company's tradema rks and other intellectual property.  
Adequate stakeholder consultation is vital , and regulations developed without addressing all the 
available evidence and thorough assessment of costs and benefits  could be inconsistent with 
international standards or po licies in trading partners – or may not offer sufficient time for industry 
to adapt and comply. He concluded that principles such as transparency, due process, opportunity 
for public comment, and deference to relevant international standards are therefore important also 
for the private sector.   
1.18.   Mr. Luis Henrique Barbosa da Silva23 emphasized the balance in food labelling between 
consumers' right to receive pertinent information , while allowing  trade to take place.  Food labelling 
helps consumers make food cho ices, protects public health and safety, and makes a connection 
between the consumer and producer. Labelling of food also has a social role, such as in terms of 
adequate consumption of food and nutrients, protection of cultural traditions (e.g. halal or ko sher 
foods), environmental protection , and accountability and traceability. He argued that CODEX 
standards, the TBT Agreement and SPS Agreement are three sources of international rules that 
can help harmonize food labelling. He concluded that food labellin g which respects international 
trade obligations can ensure food safety and trade facilitation.    
1.19.   Ms. Magnolia Uy24 presented the results of the APEC Survey on Packaging and Labelling 
Requirements on Pre -packaged Food Products, which aimed to increase trans parency and take 
stock of labelling and packaging requirements of APEC Member Economies, particularly in the 
sectors of food processing and agriculture.  Follow up surveys were planned for other related 
products.  Fourteen economies in Asia and the Americas responded to the survey, which delivered 
findings in three main areas: (i) legislative framework of respondents; (ii) type of information on 
labels and related requirements; and (iii) guidance and assistance offered to business. In terms of 
legislative fra meworks, all responding Member Economies have specific laws or regulations that 
establish requirements for packaging and labelling of food, implemented by one or more agencies, 
and that public information on these requirements are available on website only  in some cases 
only in domestic languages. Concerning the type of information on labels, there are variations 
across Member Economies as to the information to be indicated in labels of pre -packaged food 
products, as well as differences as to expression of quantities and units, placement of labels, 
languages of labels, and procedures for the use of stickers. All respondents maintain websites to 
provide guidance and assistance to businesses, as well as capacity building programs to support 
business compliance . Increasing transparency and continuing collaboration such as identifying 
areas where economies converge and exploring possible de minimis in food labelling were 
identified as some of the ways forward. While specific capacity building programs to increase  
                                                
22 Director of Public and Government Affairs, Mondelēz International . The full presentation is contained 
in RD/TBT/ 189. 
23 Agricultural Attaché, Permanent mission of Brazil to the WTO . The full presentation is contained in 
RD/TBT/ 187. 
24 Permanent Mission of th e Philippines to the WTO . The full presentation is contained in RD/TBT/ 192. G/TBT/GEN/205  
 
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  awareness on other economies' labelling requirements and related activities were also conducted 
at the national level.   
1.20.   Ms Magdalena Haponiuk25 presented the recently adopted EU legal framework for food 
labelling, which was developed following  an extensiv e consultation process with Members States, 
stakeholders and consumers, and which aims at simplification and modernization of  the former EU 
rules. The framework sets out principles, objectives and provisions governing the provision of food 
information to consumers. The philosophy behind the new framework is to provide a high level of 
consumer protection in relation to food information while ensuring the smooth functioning of the 
internal market. Based on widespread need of European consumers, three types o f mandatory 
information can be identified: (i) information on identity, composition and characteristics of food; 
(ii) information for consumer health protection and safe use of food; and (iii) nutrition information. 
The framework sets, among others, requir ements on the presentation of mandatory information 
(how and in what format should such information be provided), on the information with regard to 
the food allergens (by also extending the scope to the non -prepacked foods such as those offered 
by restaura nts), and on the origin information when it could mislead the consumer. In addition, 
the revised framework includes for the first time a mandatory nutrition declaration, which has to 
include the energy value as well as amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydra tes, sugars, protein and 
salt on a 100ml or 100g basis. Some products are exempt from providing a nutrition declaration, 
amongst others, unprocessed foods, salts and spices, coffee, handcrafted foods and alcoholic 
beverages.   
1.21.   To conclude, Mrs. Jo -Anne Beha rry said l egitimate global policy objectives related to food 
labelling can be addressed using regional and national approaches and these can coexist with 
obligations related to the TBT and SPS Agreement s. However , for greater buy -in, the use of good 
regula tory practices ( GRP) is helpful , such as following international standards, havi ng a sound 
scientific basis,  public consultation  to involve all stakeholders . Food labelling is important not only 
for developed Members  but to developing Members. In addition , healthy lifestyles require 
consumers to be able to make informed decisions but to do this labelling must be accurate, easily 
understood and reflect improvements to combat the new norms and nutritional dilemmas 
discussed in the preceding panels.   
_________ _ 
 
                                                
25 European Commission – Directorate -General for Health and Food Safety. The full presentation is 
contained in RD/TBT/ 190.