INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES

Communication from the Codex Alimentarius Commission (codex)

The following communication, received on 8 March 2016, is being circulated at the request of the Codex secretariat.

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1  CODEX SESSIONs since the last MEETING OF THE Committee (OCTOBER 2015)

·    34^th Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (Ålesund, Norway, 19-24 October 2015)

·    47^th Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Boston, United States, 9-13 October 2015)

·    37^th Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Bad Soden a.T, Germany, 23–27 November 2015)

·    22^nd Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (Melbourne, Australia, 6–12 February 2016)

·    37^th Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, Hungary, 22‑26 February 2016)

In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:

1.1.  The Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products concluded work on revision the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 52-2003) to include sections on fish sauce; fresh and quick frozen raw scallop products; and sturgeon caviar. The Committee agreed to amend the food additive provisions of several standards for fish and fishery products; Section 7.4 - Estimation of fish content of the Standard for Quick Frozen Fish Sticks (Fish Fingers), Fish Portions and Fish Fillets – Breaded or in Batter (CODEX STAN 166-1989); and Section 11 – Processing of salted and dried salted fish of the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 52-2003). The Committee also agreed to start new work on specific guidance on histamine control in the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 52-2003) and sampling plans for histamine in relevant standards for fish and fishery products. The Committee further agreed to suspend physical meetings of the Committee and to continue working by correspondence.

Full report: _http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FMeetings%252FCX-722-34%252FReport%252FREP16_FFPe.pdf

1.2.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene concluded work on Guidelines for the Control of Nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. in Beef and Pork; Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Foodborne Parasites; Annex I "Examples of Microbiological Criteria for Low-Moisture Foods when Deemed Appropriate in Accordance with the Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods (CAC/GL 21-1997)" and Annex II "Guidance for the Establishment of Environmental Monitoring Programmes for Salmonella spp. and other Enterobacteriaceae in Low-Moisture Food Processing Areas" to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods (CAC/RCP 75-2015); and Annex III "Spices and Dried Aromatic Herbs" to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture. The Committee agreed to start new work on revision of the General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969) and its HACCP Annex and revision of the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 53-2003).

Full report: _http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FMeetings%252FCX-712-47%252FReport%252FREP16_FHe.pdf

1.3.  The Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems concluded work on Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Importing and Exporting Countries to Support the Trade in Food; revision of the Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations (CAC/GL 19-1995); and revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food (CAC/GL 25-1997). The Committee will continue work on guidance for monitoring the performance of national food control systems; system comparability/equivalence; the use of electronic certificates by competent authorities and migration to paperless certification; third party certification (with broad parameters); consideration of emerging issues and future directions for the work of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems; and food integrity/food authenticity as emerging issues.

Full report: _http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FMeetings%252FCX-733-22%252FReport%252FREP16_FICSe.pdf

1.4.  For 37^th Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling, orally report will be made for the matters relevant to SPS Committee.

2  Forthcoming CODEX Meetings

·    48^th Codex Committee on Food Additives (Xi'an, China, 14-18 March 2016)

·    10^th Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (Rotterdam, Netherlands, 4-8 April 2016)

·    30^th Codex Committee on General Principle (Paris, France, 11–15 April 2016)

·    48^th Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Chongqing, China, 25–29 April 2016)

·    43^rd Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Ottawa, Canada, 9–13 May 2016)

·    71^st Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 20–23 June 2016)

·    39^th Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 27 June – 1 July)

In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:

2.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Additives will proceed with its work on food additive provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA). The Committee will examine other issues related to the GSFA; in particular: the results of the 80^th meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), including specifications for the identity and purity of food additives with a view to their adoption as Codex specifications; amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives;  the alignment of the food additives provisions of commodity standards and the GSFA; the revision of food category 01.1 "Milk and dairy-based drinks" and related sub-categories of the GSFA; and the use of specific food additives in the production of wine. The Committee will also consider the Priority List of Food Additives proposed for evaluation by JECFA; the endorsement of the proposals for food additive provisions in Codex standards; the use of secondary additives and the revision of the General Standard for the Labelling of Food Additives When Sold As Such (CODEX STAN 107-1981).

For the agenda see _http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FMeetings%252FCX-711-48%252FWD%252Ffa48_01e.pdf.

2.2.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods will proceed its work on the establishment of maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in husked rice including the development of a code of practice to prevent and reduce arsenic contamination in rice to assist countries to contain arsenic contamination in this product and to comply with the Codex MLs; maximum levels for lead in selected fruits and vegetables (fresh and processed) in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CODEX STAN 193-1995); maximum levels for cadmium in cocoa and cocoa-derived products; the revision of the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals (CAC/RCP 51-2003) and Annexes specific to certain mycotoxins; and the development of a code of practice for the prevention and reduction of mycotoxin contamination in spices. The next session of the Committee will also consider discussion papers on an Annex for ergot/ergot alkaloids to the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals; the development of maximum levels for mycotoxins in spices; and the development of maximum levels for methylmercury in fish.

For the agenda see _http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FMeetings%252FCX-735-10%252Fcf10_01e.pdf.

2.3.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues will discuss new and revised maximum residue limits for pesticides in various commodities / commodity groups; will continue with the revision of the Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds; will continue to consider examples of selection of representative commodities (vegetable and other commodity groups) (for inclusion in the Principles and guidance for the selection of representative commodities for the extrapolation of maximum residue limits for pesticides to commodity groups); guidance on performance criteria for methods of analysis for the determination of pesticide residues; priority lists of pesticides for evaluation/re-evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR).

For the agenda see _http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FMeetings%252FCX-718-48%252Fpr48_01e.pdf.

2.4.  The 71^st Session of the Executive Committee and 39^th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission will be held in Rome (Italy) on 20-23 June 2016 and 27 June - 1 July 2016, respectively.

(Agenda will be available on the website in the near future.)

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