Understanding the Politics of Food Regulation and Public Health: An Analysis of Codex Standard-Setting Processes on Food Labelling

Boatwright, Monique; Lawrence, Mark; Carriedo, Angela; Slater, Scott; McCoy, David; Northcott, Tanita; Baker, Phillip

doi:10.34172/ijhpm.8310

Understanding the Politics of Food Regulation and Public Health: An Analysis of Codex Standard-Setting Processes on Food Labelling

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Monique Boatwright ¹

Mark Lawrence ²

Angela Carriedo ³

Scott Slater ⁴

David McCoy ⁵

Tanita Northcott ⁴

Phillip Baker ¹

¹ Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

² Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

³ Department of Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK

⁴ School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia

⁵ International Institute for Global Health, United Nations University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

10.34172/ijhpm.8310

Abstract

Background
The importance of the international food regulatory system to global health, is often overlooked. There are calls to reform this system to promote healthy and sustainable food systems centred on the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), the United Nation’s (UN’s) standard-setting body. Yet this presents a significant political challenge, given Codex has historically prioritized food safety risks over wider harms to public health, and is dominated by powerful food exporting nations and industry groups with a primary interest in trade expansion. To better understand this challenge, we examine who participates and contests Codex standards, using the development of the new Guidelines on Front-of-pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) as a case study.

Methods
The study involved: (i) collecting Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) documents (2016-2023); (ii) identification, categorization, and enumeration of actors involved in the development of the Guidelines; and (iii) guided by a constructivist framework, analysis of how actors framed and contested key provisions of the Guidelines.

Results
Country representation was skewed towards high-income (47.9%). Member state delegations were dominated by non-health ministries (59.8%) and industry actors (16.1%). Industry actors comprised the large majority of observers (84.2%) and civil society actors representing public health interests the least (12.2%). Commercial actors used frames supporting positive FOPNL messages (eg, low in salt) opposing negative ones (eg, “high-in” sugar warnings) and called for product exemptions (eg, sports foods and baby foods). Public health actors used frames supporting simplified FOPNL to reduce consumer confusion, that hold up public health goals, and prevent inappropriate marketing.

Conclusion
Participation in the Guidelines development process suggests stronger preferences for trade facilitation and commerce over public health. Ambitions to reform the international food regulatory system may require an examination of who participates and how to address this asymmetrical representation of interests. These results suggest the need to greatly strengthen public health representation at Codex.

Keywords

Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labelling

Food Regulation

Codex

Conflicts of Interest

Public Health

Infants and Young Children

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