The 49th session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) opened in Ottawa, Canada, with a warm welcome from Chairperson, Parthiban Muthukumarasamy, and opening remarks from Dr Celia Lourenco, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of the Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada. “Canada places a high importance on the work done by Codex. Like many of you, we believe that the work of Codex is imperative to achieving our national food safety, public health and consumer protection objectives,” said Dr Lourenco. She pointed out that consumers need to be able to place their trust in accurate, transparent, and science-based food labelling. She went on to say that Canada recognizes that trade strengthens food security and collective global prosperity, and “the benefits of your work extend far beyond the consumer. Science-based labelling standards are equally vital for agriculture and food producers. They create a common language for trade, reduce unnecessary barriers, and allow farmers and processors - large and small - to access international markets with confidence. In doing so, Codex supports not only food safety but also livelihoods, rural development and the resilience of global supply chains.”

The Codex Alimentarius Commission Chairperson, Allan Azegele, also underlined the far-reaching significance of food labelling work, stating that “food labelling remains one of the most visible and impactful interfaces between governments, food business operators, and consumers. In an increasingly globalized food system, accurate, science-based, and transparent labelling is essential for protecting consumer health, facilitating fair practices in food trade, and enabling informed consumer choice.” He focused on the potential social as well as economic impacts of CCFL work: “we should also recognize the broader contribution of food labelling to global food systems transformation,” he said “Effective labelling can strengthen consumer confidence, support healthier dietary choices, improve traceability, enhance emergency response mechanisms, and contribute to equitable participation in international trade.”

In her remarks, Sarah Cahill, Codex Secretary, commented on the extensive nature of the CCFL work. In acknowledging the significance of the next CCFL session, which will mark the Committee’s 50th meeting, she commented that “the variety of issues now coming before this Committee is expanding—reflecting new technologies, evolving consumer expectations, and increasing complexity in food systems. In recent years a substantial list of emerging issues has been identified but the means to address all of them has not, suggesting that there may be a value in moving beyond an issue-by-issue approach, and seeing if there is a more holistic way of addressing these new issues or challenges.” The Codex Secretary suggested the Committee may wish to take “a systematic look at existing CCFL texts to ensure they remain coherent, consistent, and fit for purpose; or [approach] emerging issues in a way that supports integrated, forward-looking solutions across the Committee’s work.”

All three speakers referred to the week’s agenda, which includes the work on guidelines for precautionary allergen labelling, labelling provisions for multipack and joint presentation formats, and guidance on food labelling provisions in emergency situations. This is in addition to the discussions that will take place on a work proposal related to the labelling of alcoholic beverages.

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CCFL49 webpage