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.
