codex alimentarius commission FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ...

Section 6 - Additional Requirements
40. The Committee accepted the recommendations of the Codex Committee on
Labelling at its 13th Session and made editorial amendments to sections 6.1.2 and 6.1.3
(see Appendix II to this report) and the provision contained in section 6.1.1 was made
mandatory.
41. The Secretariat was requested to seek advice on the implications of including
Codes of Practice or other texts of an advisory nature, or parts thereof, into mandatory
provisions in Standards. The Committee noted that this matter would be considered at
the next Session of the Executive Committee.
42. Full discussion took place on Section 6.1.4 in view of the recommendation of the
Codex Committee on Labelling to delete this section. One delegation, supported by
others held the view that, if the second sentence were to be retained, the prohibitions of
certain claims stipulated in the first sentence would be meaningless. However, several
delegations, including the delegation of Japan, suggested and the Committee
recognized that, for certain specific foods, additional label information which indicated
the specific purpose of the food was essential for the consumer and should be permitted.
43. The Committee therefore agreed that a wording, which in principle upheld the
above- mentioned prohibition, be permitted. However, exemptions would be allowed in
cases where Codex Standards had already been elaborated for the food in question or
where, in the absence of a Codex Standard or Guideline, national legislation did permit
such exemption (see Appendix II to this Report). The delegation of Switzerland did not
agree with the amendment and wished to retain the section unchanged.
STATUS OF THE STANDARD
44. Some delegations held the view that, since substantial changes had been made
in the standard, governments should have an opportunity to re-examine the
amendments in the light of further comments. The majority of the delegations present
decided to retain the standard at Step 7 for further consideration at the next session of
the Committee. The Draft Standard for the Labelling of and Claims for Prepackaged
Foods for Special Dietary Uses, as amended, is contained in Appendix II to this Report.
CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSED DRAFT STANDARD FOR FOLLOW-UP OR
SUPPLEMENTARY FOODS AT STEP 4
45. The Committee had before it the above draft standard in Appendix IV to
ALINORM 79/26 and comments received thereon in documents CX/FSDU 80/6
(Canada, Finland, Germany, Fed. Rep.of, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom), Addendum 1
(Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Marinalg International), Addendum 2 (Norway), a
Conference Room Document (Hungary) and comments from the Coordinating
Committees for Asia and Africa in document CX/FSDU 80/2.
46. In view of the written comments the Committee decided to reconsider the need
for the elaboration of this standard.
47. Several delegations emphasized that no standard should be developed for the
products covered by the present draft for two reasons. They felt that the products
covered by the standard were based on compositional requirements which were
oversophisticated if the products were to be used as weaning foods or to supplement
breastmilk in the weaning period of the infant. This had resulted in very expensive
products which were not within the economic means of consumers from low-income