Front of Package Warning Labelling Process

In January 2021, the Regional Technical Sub-Committee completed a final draft of the pre-packaged food standard which retained the warning labels and PAHO Nutrient Profile. This draft was then submitted for voting to all CARICOM MS during 17 February- 14 April, 2021 and further extended to May 2021.

The voting process was facilitated by the National Bureaus of standards through consensus building with all stakeholders.

Vote Outcome: CARICOM Member States failed to reach the 75% threshold needed to escalate the draft to the CROSQ Council and then onto COTED. Nine (9) MS voted in all with six (6) approving the Standard, three (3) disapproving and six (6) abstaining.

This opened another regional consultative process.

​Throughout the process, the private sector sent communications to the National Standards Bodies detailing their lack of support for the octagonal warning FOPNL. They also hosted radio shows, webinars and lobbying meetings with high-level decision-makers to counter public health efforts. For example, their efforts in Jamaica, would have resulted in an unorthodox last-minute change against the final draft standard which raised concerns around voting irregularities and industry interference which was captured in TV Jamaica’s documentary – Food for Thought.

In 2021, the CPSO received approval by the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) to launch its own study, “The CARICOM Impact Assessment (CIA) study on front-of-package Nutritional Labelling,”

Second Review of FCDRS: In 2022, the standard was relegated to a draft standard and sent out for further regional consultations. From November 2022, through their local Standards Bureaus, National Mirror Committees in eleven (11) Member States reviewed Draft CARICOM Regional Standard for Specification for labelling of pre-packaged foods (DCRS 5:2010) which incorporates specifications for the ‘high-in’ monochromatic octagonal front of package warning label system (OWL) and the PAHO Nutrient Profile Model to guide the thresholds for labelling of pre-packaged foods as ‘high-in’.

In February 2022 the CPSO study “Determination of An Appropriate FoPNL Scheme and the Identification of a Harmonized Approach for Implementation” was launched.

The study found that the US Facts Up Front and the UK Traffic Light FoPNL models, which are already included on the packaging of several products within the Region, are best suited for achieving the regional population’s health objectives, compared to the proposed Octagon Warning Label (OWL). The findings were presented to Ministers of Health and Trade later on that year during the 6th joint (Council for Trade and Economic Development) and COHSOD (Council for Human and Social Development) meeting.

On 21 July 2023 the final revised draft standard went out to Member States for voting with a deadline of 14 October 2023. 

What did the national stakeholder voting forms say?

The national stakeholder voting forms in 2023 provide for three (3) options:

1. We agree to the proposed presentation for Front of Package Labelling (FOPL) as set out in the Informative Annex D of the draft CARICOM Regional Specification for the Labelling of Pre-packaged foods (DCRS 5) with or without comments;
2. We do not agree to the proposed presentation for Front of Package Labelling (FOPL) as set out in the Informative Annex D of the draft CARICOM Regional Specification for the Labelling of Pre-packaged foods (DCRS 5) with reasons for disagreement attached; 
3. We abstain from voting without or with reason.

In September 2023, PAHO released a FOPWL modelling study “Front-of-package warning labels save lives and resources: results from a modeling study in Barbados” highlighting the health and economic benefits of implementation. Findings showed that warning labels have the potential to avert 16% of the deaths caused by NCDs and save USD 732.8 million in Barbados.

On Monday 9 October 2023, CARPHA in partnership with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), hosted a webinar entitled Promoting Octagonal Warning Labels in CARICOM.

In October 2023, the study findings were released publicly via the regional media. The study found that, “the US Facts Up Front and the UK Traffic Light schemes are best suited to achieve the regional population’s health objectives, in comparison to the CARICOM Regional Standards Scheme Octagonal Warning Label”.

Accordingly, the CPSO will establish a Working Group to address NCDs, with a focus on a comprehensive package of measures that address diets, education and awareness, exercise, and prudent public policy.  This Working Group will facilitate a more ‘joined up’ response by the regional private sector to the challenges faced by NCDs.

Vote Outcome: CARICOM Member States voted on the final draft standard which did not reach the required 75% support threshold. The decision was made to remove FOPWL and PAHO’s Nutrient Profile Model from the standard which was then approved by COTED in October 2024.

In an effort to advance the front of the package labelling process, CROSQ proposed an FOPWL embedded QR code to be placed on food labels across CARICOM.

From May – June 2025, CROSQ holds consultations with National Mirror Committees/bodies of key stakeholders to discuss the embedded QR code.