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DRAFT GUIDELINES FOR THE PRODUCTION,
PROCESSING, LABELLING AND MARKETING OF ORGANICALLY PRODUCED FOODS (AT STEP 7 OF THE
PROCEDURE)
SECTION 3: LABELLING AND CLAIMS
3.1 Organic products should be labelled in accordance with the Codex General
Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods9.
3.2 The labelling and claims of a product specified in Section 1. l(a) may refer
to organic production methods only where:
- (a) such indications show clearly that they relate to a method of agricultural
production
- (b) the product was produced in accordance with the requirements of Section 4 or
imported under the requirements laid down in Section 7;
- such indications show clearly that they relate to a method of agricultural
production;
- (c) the product was produced or imported by an operator who is subject to the
inspection measures laid down in Section 6, and
- (d) the labelling refers to the name and/or code number of the officially approved recognised inspection or certification body to which
the operator who has carried out the production or the most recent processing
operation is subject.
3.3 The labelling and cairns of a product specified in paragraph 1. l(b) may refer
to organic production methods only where:
- (a) such indication show clearly that they relate to a method of agricultural
production and are linked with the name of the agricultural product in question, unless
such indication is clearly given in the list of ingredients as obtained on the farm;
- (b) all the ingredients of agricultural origin of the product are, or are derived
from, products obtained in accordance with the requirements of Section 4, or imported
under the arrangements laid down in Section 7;
- (c) the product should not contain any ingredient of non-agricultural origin not
listed in Annex 2, Table 5A;
- (d) the same ingredients shall not be derived from an organic and
non-organic origin;
- (e) the product or its ingredients have not been subjected during preparation to
treatments involving the use of ionizing radiation or substances not listed in Annex 2,
Table 4B;
- (f) the product was prepared or imported by an operator subject to the regular
inspection system as set out in Section 6 of these guidelines; and
- (g) the labelling refers to the name and/or the code number of the official or
officially recognised certification body or authority to which the operator who has
carried out the most recent preparation operation is subject.
3.4 By way of derogation from paragraph 3.3(b), certain ingredients of agricultural
origin not satisfying the requirement in that paragraph may be used, within the limit of
maximum level of 5% m/m of the total ingredients
excluding salt and water of agricultural origin
in the final product, in the preparation of products as referred to in paragraph 1. l(b);
where such ingredients of agricultural origin are not available, or in sufficient
quantity, in accordance with the requirements of Section 4 of these guidelines;
3.5 Pending further review of the guidelines in accordance with Section 8,
Member Countries can consider the following with regard to products referred to in
paragraph 1.1(b) marketed in their territory:
- - the development of specific labelling provisions for products containing
less than 95% ingredients of agricultural ingredients;
- -the calculation of the percentages in 3.4 (5%) and in 3.5 (95%) on the basis
of the ingredients of agricultural origin (instead of all ingredients excluding only salt
and water);
- -the marketing of product with in transition/conversion labelling containing
more than one ingredient of agricultural origin.
3.6 In developing labelling provisions from products containing less than
95% of organic ingredients in accordance with the paragraph above, member countries may
consider the following elements in particular for products containing between 95% and 70%
of organic ingredients:
The labelling and claims of a product as referred to in
paragraph 1.1(b) which has been prepared partly from ingredients not satisfying the
production requirements of paragraph 3.3(b) may refer to organic production methods
provided that:
(a) at least 70% of the ingredients of agricultural origin (calculated
on all ingredients including additives but excluding salt and water) satisfy
the production requirements of 3.3 (b), where such ingredients are less than 70% of the
total ingredients of agricultural origin, reference to the organic production method may
appear only in the list of ingredients;
- (ab) the product satisfies
the requirements of paragraphs 3.3(c), (d) (e), (f) and (g);
- (bc) the indications
referring to organic production methods should only appear on the front panel
as a reference to the approximate percentage of the total ingredients including additives
but excluding salt and water, appear in the list of
ingredients and only in relation to those ingredients obtained in accordance with the
organic production method
- - the statement shall be
in following form: "x% of the agricultural ingredients were produced in accordance
with the rules of organic production;
- (cd) the ingredients,
appear in descending order (mass/mass) in the list of ingredients;
- (de) indications in the
list of ingredients appear in the same colour and with an identical style and size
of lettering as other indications in the list of ingredients,
- (f) the labelling refers to the name and/or the code
number of the official or officially approved certification body or authority to which the
operator who has carried out the most recent preparation is subject
3.6 Labelling of product in Transition/Conversion to Organic
Products of farms in transition to organic production methods may only be labelled as
"transition to organic" after 12 months of production using organic methods
providing that:
- (a) the requirements referred to in paragraphs 3.2 and 3.3 are fully satisfied;
- (b) the indications referring to transition/conversion do not mislead the purchaser of
the product regarding its difference from products obtained from farms and/or farm units
which have fully completed the conversion period; than the sales description of the
product;
- (c) such indication take the form of words, such as "product under conversion to
organic farming", or similar words or phrases accepted by the competent
authority of the country where the product is marketed, and must appear in a
colour, size and style of lettering which is not more prominent than the sales description
of the product;
- (d) foods composed of a single ingredient may be labelled as "transition to
organic" on the principal display panel;
- (e) product prepared of more than one ingredient of
agricultural origin may only refer to transition to organic in the list of ingredients
providing it satisfies the requirements of paragraphs 3.2 and 3.3;
- (ef) the labelling refers
to the name and/or the code number of the official or officially approved certification
body or authority to which the operator who has carried out the most recent preparation is
subject.
Labelling of non-retail containers
3.7 Information on non-retail containers of a product
specified in paragraph 1.1 should be given either on the container or in accompanying
documents, except that the name of the product, lot identifiation, and the name address of
the manufacturer or packer [and the name and/or the code number of the official or
officially recognised certification body or authority] should appear on the container;
- Lot identification, and the name and address of the
manufacturer or packer may be replaced by an identification mark provided that such mark
is clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents.
3.7 The labelling of non-retail containers of product specified in paragraph 1.1 should
meet the requirements set out in Annex 3, paragraph 10.
9 Codex Stan 1-1985 (Rev 1-1995)
TABLE 3:
Ingredients of non agricultural origin referred to in Section 3 of these Guidelines
TABLE 4 6: Processing aids which may be used for the preparation of
products of agricultural origin referred to in Section 3 of these guidelines
Codex Alimentarius Working Group, May 27th, 1998. (Draft copy)
Important Note
Text that appears in bold and underlined letters
indicates new text relative to the last document of the "Codex Alimentarius Working
Group".
Text that appears in red italics letters
indicates eliminated text.
Text that appears in green will be discussed next year.
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