On the occasion of the 46th session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling, WHO would like to take the opportunity to clarify its position on existing Front-of-the-Pack labelling schemes.
As indicated in the document “Guiding principles and framework manual for front-of-pack labelling for promoting healthy diet”, WHO considers that front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) is a form of supplementary nutrition information which serves as an important policy implementation tool to promote healthy diets through facilitating the consumers’ understanding of the nutritional values of the food and making healthier food choices and drive reformulation by the food industry.
According to WHO, the establishment of FOPL needs to be guided by the following five guiding principles:
Principle 1: The FOPL system should be aligned with national public health and nutrition policies and food regulations, as well as with relevant WHO guidance and Codex guidelines.
Principle 2: A single system should be developed to improve the impact of the FOPL system.
Principle 3: Mandatory nutrient declarations on food packages are a prerequisite for FOPL systems.
Principle 4: A monitoring and review process should be developed as part of the overall FOPL system for continuing improvements or adjustments, as required.
Principle 5: The aims, scope and principles of the FOPL system should be transparent and easily accessible.
Various FOPL schemes have been developed by countries (e.g. Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UK), either mandatory or voluntary, that are currently being analysed for their effectiveness to shift consumers’ choices towards the consumption of healthier diets.
A recent analysis performed by IARC analyses for example the value of Nutriscore labels in shifting diets and reduce diet related cancer risk.
At present WHO is not able to recommend the use of any specific scheme over another. WHO encourages Member States and research institutions to continue analyzing information, with the purpose of better understanding the impact of different FOPL schemes in different contexts.