The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture is sponsoring a public meeting June 8 to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the 32nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to be held in Rome, Italy, June 29-July 4, 2009.
US Public Meeting on Codex Agenda Items
Slow International Progress Toward Harmonized Audits
EAS e News (June 2009) reports on the recent Food Safety Summit technical sessions on third-party audits and the slow process of harmonizing international audits. Because there is an overlap between the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission's general principles of food hygiene, GFSI's proponents hope to use the overlap to gain easier international acceptance of GFSI's criteria.
“According to Mark Overland, corporate certification manager for Cargill, who moderated the sessions, general acceptance of the GFSI in the United States would require three key elements: a public audit standard instead of the numerous proprietary standards that exist; accreditation of audit bodies to the international standard; and auditors that are qualified to the international standard. . . . Codex Chair Karen Hulebak expressed concern about any moves to expand the international use of proprietary standards for third-party auditing. . . .”
The whole article is available here.
JECFA 2008 "blue book" on food additives
The Technical Report from JECFA's June 2008 meeting on various food additives has now been published and runs to 222 pages. Amongst the chemicals covered at this meeting were phytosterols, phytostanols and their esters, steviol glycosides and polydimethylsiloxane. A number of flavouring agents were also evaluated and revisions made to the specifications for several additives. WHO Technical Report Series 952.
Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food
From the IFT Newsletter April 22, 2009:
The Third Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) was held on March 23–27, 2009, at Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Four documents from the Committee will go forward to the Commission at Step 8 including:
· General Standards for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods; Code of Practice (COP) for the Reduction of Acrylamide in Food;
· COP for Reduction of Food Contamination with Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Smoking and Direct Drying Processes; and
· COP for the Prevention and Reduction of Ochratoxin A Contamination in Coffee.
Other contaminants discussed were total aflatoxins in Brazil nuts, fumonisins in corn and its products, benzene in soft drinks, cyanogenic glycosides, mycotoxins in sorghum, and ethyl carbamate in alcoholic beverages. Three substances (deoxynivalenol, furan, and perchlorate) from the Priority List of Contaminants and Naturally Occurring Toxicants were proposed for evaluation by the 72nd meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives in February 2010. Proposed new work for this committee includes revision of the COP for the Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxins in Tree Nuts and establishing maximum levels of non-intentional melamine in food and feed and fumonisins in corn and corn products.
For further details please refer to the full reports available here.
Codex Committee on Food Additives
From the IFT Newsletter April 22, 2009
The 41st Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) was held in Shanghai, China on March 16–20, 2009. The committee was very productive with several documents moving forward for adoption by the 32nd Codex Alimentarius Commission including: food additive provisions for the General Standards for Food Additives (GSFA); amendments to the International Numbering System; and specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives arising from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) 68th meeting (i.e., 20 additives including carob bean and guar gum, phytosterols and steviol glycosides, and 105 flavorings). Several substances such as pullulan and flavorings (315 of them) were proposed for evaluation by JECFA. CCFA discontinued work on several provisions for a number of food additives such as acesulfame potassium, alitame annatto extracts, lycopenes, carotenoids, etc. (see report for full list) due to lack of technological justification for use. Category 16 (Composite Foods) of the GSFA was maintained for the time-being on the basis that products in the category may need additives. However, product examples and technological justification are needed for the category to stay on.
For further details please refer to the full reports available on the Codex website here.
USDA Public Meeting to Discuss CCRVDF Agenda
The USDA will hold a public meeting to address agenda Items for the 18th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF). The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Room 107-A, Jamie Whitten Federal Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. Attendees must pre-register and present photo identification at the door. To pre-register, please send your name, organization, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address to Jasmine Matthews by e-mail touscodex@fsis.usda.gov, by phone at (202) 690-1124 or by fax at (202) 720-3157. More information is available here.
Documents and agenda items related to the 18th Session of CCRVDF will be available on the Codex Alimentarius Web site at www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp. The 18th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF), to be held in Natal, Brazil, May 11-15, 2009.
Codex Committee on Food Additives Report Available
The report of the Codex Committee on Food Additives session 41, Alinorm 099/32/12, is now available here.
The Report of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils
The report of the Codex Committee on on Fats and Oils session 21, Alinorm 09/32/17, is now available here.
Forthcoming Events
| 5th Session Codex Regional Committee in Near East, |
The provisional agenda and working documents for this and all other upcoming Codex meetings are available at: www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp
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Codex Committee on Fats and Oils 21st Session,
| Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, 16-20 February 2009 |
The provisional agenda and working documents for this and all other upcoming Codex meetings are available from the following meetings page: www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp
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| Pre-Codex workshop on Risk Analysis applied to Mycotoxins , Accra, Ghana, 23 February 2009 |
FAO will organize a one-day pre-Codex workshop on Risk analysis applied to mycotoxins on 23 February 2009 in Accra, Ghana.
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| FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa 18th Session, Accra, Ghana, 24-27 February 2009 |
The provisional agenda and working documents for this and all other upcoming Codex meetings are available from the following meetings page: www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp
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FAO Subregional Workshop on Food Safety Risk Analysis: A Guide for National Food Safety Authorities in Southern Africa, Botswana, February 2009
FAO is planning to hold a 4-day regional training workshop in Botswana in February 2009 to train approximately 20 experts from countries in Southern Africa (Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana) about the principles and components of food safety risk analysis along with the regional case studies and to equip them with the skills necessary apply the framework in their own countries. For further details please contact food-quality@fao.org.
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| Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on the Application of Nanotechnologies in the Food and Agriculture Sectors: Potential Food Safety Implications |
Given the increased global interest in the use of nanotechnology and concerns on the potential food safety implications, FAO and WHO have recognized a need for scientific advice on any food safety implications that may arise from the use of nanotechnologies in the food and agriculture sectors. Therefore a joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on the Application of Nanotechnologies in the Food and Agriculture Sectors: Potential Food Safety Implications will be held from 1 to 5 June 2009 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The scope and objectives, together with call for experts and information are available at: http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/index_en.asp Deadline for application: 15 January 2009
Summary report of the 70th JECFA meeting, Geneva, Switzerland, 21-29 June 2008
The 70th meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee for Food Additives (JECFA) took place at WHO headquarters, Geneva, from 21 to 29 October 2008. The Committee meeting was devoted to the evaluation of residues of veterinary drugs. The summary report of the 70th JECFA meeting has now been posted on the FAO JECFA website under: What's new at: http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/jecfa_new_en.asp The direct link to the document is: http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/agns/files/jecfa70_final.pdf.
Former WHO official urges takeover of Codex
As reported in Food Chemical News by Stephen Clapp (steve.clapp@informa.com):
Gerald Moy, a newly retired UN World Health Organization official who says he’s now free to speak his mind, last week urged a takeover of the Codex Alimentarius by WHO as part of an effort to strengthen global food protection.
“The world needs an international food safety agency,” Moy told the annual winter meeting in Washington, D.C., of the Toxicology Forum, an organization of high-level scientists. “By and large, food standards work in Codex is finished, but the food safety work is ongoing.”
Comparing the proposed new international agency to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Moy said it could be easily established under WHO rules with its own governing council and budget. The agency would exercise farm-to-fork oversight and hire a staff capable of multidisciplinary risk assessment. He said the new agency would provide risk assessment advice to individual governments and Codex, and would review risk assessment methodologies.
Established in 1963, the Codex Alimentarius Commission is an intergovernmental food standard-setting body with more than 170 member countries; it is jointly sponsored by WHO and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Moy said the proposed international food safety agency would take over the Codex secretariat, which is currently housed at FAO headquarters in Rome, and would liaise with FAO, WHO and other international bodies.
A questioner noted that Codex members complain about inadequate contributions from WHO to the Codex budget, which is mainly funded by FAO. “FAO is highly inefficient,” Moy responded. “WHO would do a much better job.
“The real future of Codex is in the health-oriented committees,” he continued, adding, “WHO is much more efficient. For example, we’d like to outsource translations. We’re ready to take over the health and safety aspects of Codex and provide a counterpart to organizations in other countries [such as EFSA].”
In opening remarks, Moy described the global food safety arena as “fragmented,” with WHO and FAO as the biggest players. “FAO has no health mandate and declining resources,” he said. “That leaves WHO.”
He acknowledged that WHO has a problem with food safety, because the agency mainly focuses on major diseases such as AIDS. “It’s hard to make food safety a priority,” he said, joking that WHO officials “don’t put people in jail” for food safety violations. However, the agency’s strengths include a mandate for standard-setting and a high degree of decentralization, he added.
Public Meeting for US stakeholders interested in the Codex Committee on Food Additives
The public meeting for the US Delegation to the Codex Committee on Food Additives will be held on February 10 from 1 until 4 PM at the Wiley Building (5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD). A Federal Register Notice announcing details of how to register for this meeting should publish soon.
Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses - Delegate Report
The U.S. delegate to the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses has issued a report of the 30th session, which met November 3-7, 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa.
You may view a copy of the report here.
US Public Meeting on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
The US Codex Office announced a public meeting to discuss agenda items coming before the 17th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee (CAC) on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), to be held in Cebu, Philippines Nov. 24 - 28, 2008.
The public meeting will be held on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the South Agriculture Building, Room 0161, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.
Agenda items to be discussed during the public meeting will include general matters referred to the committee by the Codex bodies. These include the proposed draft "Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Foreign On-Site Audits and Inspections," the proposed draft "Generic Model Health Certificate," the annex to the "Guidelines for Design, Production, Insurance and Use of Generic Official Certificates." Also on the agenda are discussion papers on the need for guidance for national food inspection systems, the need for further guidance on traceability and product tracing and the development of guidance on the prevention of international contamination of food. Other business and future work will be discussed as well. Documents and agenda items related to the 17th Session of the CCFICS are available at the Codex Web site at www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
For further information concerning the 17th Session of the CCFICS, contact Mary Stanley, the U.S. Delegate to the CCFICS, by phone at (202) 720-0287 or by e-mail at Mary.Stanley@fsis.usda.gov. Individuals are invited to submit their comments electronically to the following e-mail address: Michael.Wehr@fda.hhs.gov.
For further information about the public meeting, contact Edith Kennard, Staff Officer, U.S. Codex Office, FSIS, by phone at (202) 720-5261 or by e-mail at Edith.Kennard@fsis.usda.gov.
US Public Meeting on the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene
A public meeting that has been scheduled for October 30 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in Room 1A001 of the Wiley Building, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD, 20740. The meeting is to discuss the draft U.S. positions for the 40th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. If you are interested in attending the public meeting, please pre-register by providing your name and affiliation to Ms. Tiffany Paulsin at Tiffany.Paulsin@fda.hhs.gov or 301-436-2380. The Wiley Building is directly across the street from the College Park Station on Metro’s Green Line. Visitor parking is available, but you should indicate you will be driving when you pre-register.
Codex Committee on Food Hygiene Meeting
The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene will meet December 1-5, 2008, at the Marriott Hotel in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The agenda for the 40th Session and documents, as they become available, can be downloaded from the Codex website: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp?lang=en. Items on the agenda include the following:
- Matters Referred to the Committee on Food Hygiene from the Other Codex Bodies.
Progress Report on the Joint FAO/WHO Expert meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) and Related Matters. - Information from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
- Microbiological Criteria for Powdered Follow-up Formula and Formulas for Special Medical Purposes for Young Children (Annex to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Powdered Formulae for Infants and Young Children).
- Proposed Draft Microbiological Criteria for Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Foods.
- Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Control of Campylobacter and Salmonella spp. in Chicken Meat.
- Proposed Draft Annex on Leafy Green Vegetables including Leafy Herbs to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables.
- Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Vibrio spp. in Seafood.
Discussion of the New Work Proposals submitted to the Ad Hoc Working Group for Establishment of CCFH Work Priorities
Available documents can also be found on the U.S. Codex Office website: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Codex_Committee_Food_Hygiene/index.asp.
The U.S. Codex office invites your comments on the documents that will be considered during the 40th Session. You can contribute to the development of U.S. country comments in two ways. If you would like to participate in drafting U.S. comments on a particular agenda item, please email Rebecca Buckner (address below) as soon as possible regarding which items you are interested in working on and a conference call will be arranged with the agenda item leaders to discuss developing comments. Otherwise, please provide written comments on agenda items preferably by October 24, though we will accept them through November 14. Please provide your comments by FAX or email to:
Rebecca Buckner
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5100 Paint Branch Parkway, HFS-316
College Park, MD, 20740
Phone (301) 436-1486; FAX (301) 436-2668
Email: Rebecca.Buckner@fda.hhs.gov
Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses
The next Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) session will be held in South Africa from November 3 to 7, 2008. In addition, a working group will meet on November 1 to discuss agenda items on the Scientific Basis of Health Claims, Nutrient Reference Values, and any other matters related to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health which are under consideration by the CCNFSDU. The agenda for the upcoming session will be posted at the following web address, along with reference documents on each agenda item as they become available: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp?lang=en.
CCNFSDU documents for certain agenda items are also available on the U.S. Codex Office Web site at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Codex_Committee_Nutrition/index.asp.
A Codex circular letter recently requested comments on the draft nutritional risk analysis principles and guidelines. U.S. interested parties are invited to submit comments to the CCNFSDU U.S. delegate for consideration in preparing U.S. comments by September 2, 2008. The mail-box for submission of these comments is CCNFSDU@fda.hhs.gov.
In addition, USDA and FDA are sponsoring a public meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on the agenda items that will be discussed at the next CCNFSDU session and on draft U.S. positions. The public meeting will be held in the Auditorium (1A003), Food and Drug Administration, Harvey Wiley Federal Building, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740. To gain admittance to this meeting, individuals are required to pre-register by sending -Your Name - Organization - Mailing address - Phone number - E-mail address to this e-mail address (nancy.crane@fda.hhs.gov ) by September 17, 2008.
Codex General Standard for Food Additives
The updated version of the "Codex General Standard for Food Additives" (GSFA) Online, incorporating the outcome of the 31st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is now available on Codex website in English, French, Spanish and Chinese (new).
La version mise à jour du GSFA Online, incluant les résultats de la trente-et-unième réunion de la Commission du Codex Alimentarius, est maintenant disponible sur le site web du Codex en anglais, français, espagnol et chinois (nouveau).
La versión actualizada de GSFA Online, que incluye los resultados de la 31a reunión de la Comisión del Codex Alimentarius, está ahora disponible en el sito web del Codex en inglés, francés, español y chino (novedad)
English: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/gsfaonline/index.html?lang=en
français: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/gsfaonline/index.html?lang=fr
español: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/gsfaonline/index.html?lang=es
Chinese: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/gsfaonline/index.html?lang=zh
International Portal on Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health
The International Portal on Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health (IPFSAPH) announced the launch of its new website, which has been extensively redesigned to incorporate new functionality and make it easier for users to search for official SPS Agreement related information. Although the website address remains the same (www.ipfsaph.org), additional functionality includes RSS newsfeeds on particular topics and a more intuitive and easier to use advanced search option. With over 35,000 records, new data sets recently incorporated into www.ipfsaph.org include WTO's SPS Information Management System (containing all WTO trade notifications and concerns) and IAEA's Clearance of Irradiated Foods Database.
Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables 15-19 September
Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables
24th Session, Washington, D.C., USA, 15-19 September 2008
The provisional agenda and working documents for this and all other upcoming Codex meetings are available from the following meetings page: www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp
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