INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES
Communication from the Codex Alimentarius Commission
(codex)
The following communication,
received on 21 June 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 (MARCH 2016)
· 48th
Codex Committee on Food Additives (Xi'an, China, 14-18 March 2016)
· 10th
Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (Rotterdam, Netherlands, 4-8 April
2016)
· 30th
Codex Committee on General Principle (Paris, France, 11–15 April 2016)
· 48th
Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Chongqing, China, 25–29 April 2016)
· 43rd
Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Ottawa, Canada, 9–13 May 2016)
· 71st
Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 20–23
June 2016)
· 39th
Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 27 June – 1 July 2016)
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:
1.1. The Codex Committee on Food Additives continued its work on food additive provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), amendments to
the International Numbering System for Food Additives, and Specifications for
the Identity and Purity of Food Additives. The Committee finalized work on: the
alignment of the food additives provisions for the standards for chocolate and
chocolate products; the revision of food category 01.1 "Milk and
dairy-based drinks" and related sub-categories of the GSFA; and the
revision of the General Standard for the Labelling of Food
Additives When Sold As Such (CODEX STAN 107-1981). The Committee
updated the priority list of compounds to be evaluated by JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO
Expert Committee on Food Additives).
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-711-48%252FReport%252FREP16_FAe.pdf
1.2. The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods completed its work on the establishment of maximum levels for
inorganic arsenic in husked rice; the revision of 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); and Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of
Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals (CAC/RCP 51-2003) (general provisions) and
the proposed draft Annexes on zearalenone, fumonisins, ochratoxin A,
trichothecenes and aflatoxins (specific provisions). The Committee continues
its work on; proposed draft annex on ergot and ergot alkaloids in cereal
grains; proposed draft maximum levels for lead in selected fruits and vegetables
(fresh and processed) and other selected food categories; proposed draft Code
of Practice for the prevention and reduction of arsenic contamination in rice;
proposed draft maximum levels for cadmium in chocolate and cocoa-derived
products; proposed draft code of practice for the prevention and reduction of
mycotoxin contamination in spices and its annexes; and proposed draft maximum
level for total aflatoxins in ready-to-eat peanuts. The next Session of the
Committee will also consider discussion papers on: maximum levels for
mycotoxins in spices; methylmercury in fish; and non-dioxin like PCBs in the
code of practice for the prevention and reduction of dioxins and dioxin-like
PCB.
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-735-10%252FReport%252FREP16_CFe.pdf
1.3. The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues finalized a number of new and revised maximum residue limits for
pesticides and updated the priority list of pesticides for evaluation by JMPR (Joint
FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues) in 2016. The Committee continues work
on: the revision of the Classification of Foods and Feeds including examples of
selection of representative commodities; guidance on performance criteria for
methods of analysis for the determination of pesticide residues; and the
priority list and schedules of pesticides for evaluation by JMPR in the coming
years.
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-718-48%252FReport%252FREP16_PRe.pdf
1.4. For the following Committees, orally report will be made for the matters
relevant to SPS Committee.
· 71st
Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 20–23
June 2016)
· 39th
Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 27 June – 1 July 2016)
2 Forthcoming CODEX Meetings
· 72nd
Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland,
30 August – 1 September 2016)
· 28th
Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (Washington D.C., USA, 12‑16 September
2016)
2.1. Next round of FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committees start in
September 2016 from CCNASWP.
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