*EPF511 06/29/01
Codex Official: Food Safety Group to Discuss Labeling, Transport
(Says U.S. disagrees with proposed expanded labeling) (470)

Washington -- Food labeling and food transportation are among food safety issues to be discussed when the United Nations Codex Alimentarius Commission meets July 2 to 7 in Geneva, a U.S. Codex official says.

The United States disagrees with a proposed Codex requirement that labels on prepackaged foods list the percentage of each ingredient in the food, arguing that labeling of that nature should be voluntary, said Patrick Clerkin, associate U.S. manager for Codex. The United States also opposes a proposal to require labels to include where a food's ingredients originated, according to a U.S. Codex document.

Regarding a standard for storing and transporting bulk edible oils and fats, U.S. officials disagree with the European Union (EU) on which oil, oilseed and fat compounds should be considered acceptable "previous cargoes" and which should be banned as "immediate previous cargoes," Clerkin said. Previous cargo is what a truck, ship or other transportation unit carried before its current bulk food load, according to a Codex document. The United States supports a joint list prepared by the International Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Association (FOSFA) and the National Institute of Oilseeds Products (NIOP), a list the EU has rejected, he said.

Another proposed transportation standard on which the United States and EU disagree concerns "dedicated transport" at every stage of a food's production, Clerkin said. A need for dedicated transport -- a transportation unit to be used only for food -- "hasn't been demonstrated through risk assessment," he said, adding that enforcing dedicated transport from farm to packaging plant would be difficult.

On other topics, Clerkin said:

-- The U.S. wants Codex to adopt a maximum acceptable standard of 0.5 mg/kg of Aflatoxin M1, a naturally occurring toxin in milk, a level the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says is safe. A lower maximum level the EU wants would be difficult for dairy producers in warm climates to meet, he said.

-- The U.S. wants more discussion of "traceability" -- a proposal regarding documenting a food product's origin at every step of the production process, from farm to table.

-- The U.S. supports food irradiation when it is safe and not misleading to consumers. Codex is updating its standard on irradiation.

The 166-member nation Codex works by consensus and countries are not obligated to follow its final standards, Clerkin said. Codex was established in 1962 by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organziation (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to promote consumers' health and economic interests and encourage fair trade in food, according to a Codex statement.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Website: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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