codex alimentarius commission FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ...

These substances would also have to be included in the calculation of total
carbohydrates.
Section 4 - Claims
18. The Working Group felt that Section 4.1, suitably amended, would provide an
opportunity to include the statement on the principles of modification (see also para. 8),
and at the same time provided advice on this basis for the claims that an appropriately
modified food of this nature was suitable for diabetics. To this effect the Working Group
accepted the part of a proposal made by toe Netherlands (see para. 1, CX/FSDU 80/5,
Add. 1) that glucose, sucrose and other glucose containing low molecular weight
carbohydrates not be added to the modified foods and the added sweetness of the
products be derived from sugar substitutes and/or non-nutritive sweeteners or the
products not be sweetened at all.
19. No consensus could be reached on Section 4.3(f) which required the modified
products to contain significantly less carbohydrates than the ordinary food. It was
pointed out that current scientific evidence did not justify such a requirement. Sections
4.1 and 4.3(f) were placed in square brackets to request specific comments on this
matter.
20. It was agreed that Section 4.3(c) expressed an important principle of the dietary
management of diabetics; and the wording was clarified accordingly.
21. The delegation of the Federal Republic of Germany felt that the statement related
to Section 4.2(b) did not apply in all circumstances and wished therefore to delete it from
the standard. The Working Group preferred to retain Section 4.2(b).
22. The view was expressed that in addition to the provisions contained in the draft
there should be a requirement to place a worning statement in close proximity to the
name of the food about the content of non-nutritive sweeteners (reason: possible
carcinogenic properties) , and about the content of polyols (reason: laxative properties).
It was however noted that the investigations of these substances had not yet been
finalized and that it was not possible to relate the requirements to the ADI which was
calculated per kg body weight and related to the total diet. The Working Group did not
include, at this time, any provisions dealing with such warning statements including also
the reference to the content of these substances.
RECOMMENDATION
23. The Working Group recommended that the Committee should consider the
further development of the "Proposed Draft Standard for the Labelling of and Claims for
Prepackaged Foods Claimed to be suitable for Incorporation in a Prescribed Dietary
Regimen for Diabetics" in the light of the comments made.