CODEX UPDATE TO THE TBT COMMITTEE

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
(CODEX)

This document contains information provided by the Codex Secretariat at the TBT Committee meeting of 26‑28 March 2025 under Agenda Item 7.a on Updates by Observers.

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1  Codex meetings held since the last meeting of the TBT Committee (November 2024)

1.1  48^th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL48, Quebec City, Canada, 27 October - 1 November 2024)

1.1.  CCFL48 finalized work on the revisions to the General standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods (CXS 1-1985) to address allergen labelling and guidelines on the provision of food information for pre-packaged foods offered via e-commerce and on the use of technology to provide food information in food labelling, which were all adopted by CAC47 (see list below). CCFL48 further agreed to start new work for a Guideline on the application of food labelling provisions in emergencies for approval by CAC47. CCFL will continue to work on guidelines on the use of precautionary allergen labelling and labelling provisions relevant to food in joint presentation and multipack formats.

1.2  87^th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC87, Geneva, Switzerland, 18-22 November 2024)

1.2.  CCEXEC87 focused on the critical review of Codex texts proposed for adoption and new work proposals for approval by CAC47, as well as monitoring the progress of standards development in the various technical subsidiary bodies. Furthermore, CCEXEC87 worked on developing the Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2031.

1.3  47^th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47, Geneva, Switzerland, 25‑30 November 2024)

1.3.  CAC47 adopted new and revised Codex standards and guidelines, including:

a._         Standards

·_              Standard for spices derived from dried or dehydrated fruits and berries – small cardamom;

·_              Standard for spices derived from dried or dehydrated fruits and berries – allspice, juniper berry, and star anise;

·_              Standard for spices derived from dried or dehydrated roots, rhizomes and bulbs – turmeric;

·_              Revision to the Standard for named vegetable oils (CXS 210-1999): Inclusion of avocado oil, camellia seed oil, sacha inchi oil, and high oleic acid soya bean oil;

·_              Revision to the Standard for olive oils and olive pomace oils (CXS 33-1981): Revision of Sections 3, 8 and Appendix (with amendments);

·_              Revision to the Standard for fish oils (CXS 329-2017): Inclusion of calanus oil

·_              Amendments to the Standard for canned sardines and sardine-type products (CXS 94-1981);

·_              Amendment to the General standard for fruit juices and nectars (CXS 247-2005);

·_              Revision to the Class Names and the International Numbering System for food additives (CXG 36- 1989);

·_              Revision to the List of Codex Specifications for Food Additives (CXA 6-2023);

·_              Methods of analysis/performance criteria for provisions for inclusion in the Recommended methods of analysis and sampling (CXS 234-1999);

·_              Sampling plan for methylmercury in fish for inclusion in the General standard for contaminants and toxins in food and feed (CXS 193-1995);

·_              Revision to the General standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods (CXS 1- 1985): Provisions relevant to allergen labelling.

b._         Guidelines

·_              Guidelines on the provision of food information for pre-packaged foods to be offered via e-commerce;

·_              Guidelines on the use of technology to provide food information in food labelling;

·_              General principles for establishing Nutrient Reference Values - Requirements (NRVs-R) for persons aged 6 – 36 months (inclusion in CXG 2-1985 as Annex 1, Part B);

·_              NRVs-R for persons aged 6 – 36 months: Vitamins A, B6, D, and E, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iodine, potassium, zinc, and protein (CXG 2-1985).

c._         CAC47 approved new work, including:

·_              Standard for foods for older infants and young children;

·_              Standards for sweet marjoram, dried seeds-coriander, large cardamom, and cinnamon;

·_              Standards for microbial omega-3 oils, baker's yeast, and whole millet grains;

·_              Guidance on appeals mechanism in the context of rejection of imported food;

·_              Principles for the digitalisation of National Food Control Systems (NFCSs);

·_              Guidance on the standardization of the representation of sanitary requirements;

·_              Guideline for competent authorities on actions that may be taken when residues of veterinary drugs in food are below or above Action Levels or there are no Action Levels established;

·_              Guideline on the application of food labelling provisions in emergencies.

1.4  23^rd Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV23, Mexico City, Mexico, 25 February - 1 March 2025)

1.4.  CCFFV23 finalized the Standard for fresh dates, and the Standard for fresh curry leaves, noting that the provisions on food additives and food labelling in the Standard for fresh curry leaves would need to be endorsed by CCFA and CCFL before CAC adoption. CCFFV23 further agreed to forward two proposals for new work, one on fresh turmeric and the other on fresh broccoli to CAC48 for approval.

1.5.  Working documents, including the reports of the above-mentioned Codex sessions, are available on the respective pages on the Codex webpage: CCFL48, CCEXEC87, CAC47 and CCFFV23.

2  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS OF TBT RELEVANCE

2.1.  The following Codex meetings relevant to the TBT Committee will be held as of March 2025:

·_              44^th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS44, Virtual, 5-8 May with report adoption on 14 May 2025).

·_              34^th Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP34, Lille, France, 2‑6 June 2025)

2.2.  Regular updates on the status of the work of these Committees are published on their dedicated webpages: CCMAS44, and CCGP34.

2.3.  For specific questions on the status of work in Codex committees of interest to TBT delegates, please check the dedicated webpages or email codex@fao.org.

3  GENERAL

3.1.  In collaboration with Host Country Secretariats, the Codex Secretariat continues to convene working group meetings and webinars before Codex subsidiary sessions to support delegations' preparations and facilitate discussions and consensus-building. Further information is available on the Committee webpages and the Codex calendar.

3.1  Codex Strategic Plan

3.2.  CAC47 adopted the Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2031. While continuing to highlight the importance of responding to Members' needs, use of Codex texts and efficient work practices, the new strategic plan also aims to Strengthening relationships with relevant international organizations, promoting a coordinated approach to address global challenges.

3.3.  A monitoring framework will be submitted to CAC48 (2025) for approval.

3.4.  An interim report on the implementation of the Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025 was also considered with a final implementation report to be delivered at CAC49 (2026).

3.2  Monitoring the use and impact of Codex texts

3.5.  In 2022, at CCEXEC82, Codex Members endorsed the Secretariat's proposed approach for building a mechanism to monitor the use and impact of Codex texts, including an annual survey, case studies, and collaboration with WTO. The results of the 2022 and 2023 surveys on the use and impact of Codex texts were published[1] and include recommendations to the Codex Secretariat, Codex Members, FAO, and WHO. The 2024 survey was submitted to Codex Members in September 2024, and results will be published in 2025. In addition, a case study on the use and impact of the Code of Practice on the prevention and reduction of mycotoxin contamination in cereals (CXC 51-2003) in Brazil was implemented. The results of the case study will be published in 2025.

3.6.  Collaboration among the three sisters, Codex, IPPC, and WOAH, under the SPS Agreement has been progressing. In 2024, a joint publication was published on the efforts made to monitor how and why each of the three sisters monitors the use and impact of their standards and what challenges they face in doing so.[2] This paper considers the challenges and benefits of monitoring the use and impact of their texts and highlights some of the successes to date. Collaboration among the three sisters continues through regular meetings and the exchange of information, methodologies, and lessons learned to identify areas of joint work.

3.7.  In addition, the three sisters met with the SPS and TBT Secretariats at WTO HQ in December 2024 to continue discussions on the use of the WTO databases and the SPS and TBT notification system as potential data sources that can contribute to monitoring the use and impact of international standards. It was noted that the three sisters would be observers of the working group on transparency to be established as part of the Sixth Review of the Operation and Implementation of the SPS Agreement, noting the link to information sharing on the use of international standards.

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