118. The results of the Commission’s consideration of these proposed draft standards and related texts are presented in tabular form in Appendix VI of the present report. The following paragraphs of this report provide additional information concerning the discussions that took place on certain items or contain additional decisions taken by the Commission in regard to the adoption of certain texts.
Proposed Draft Standard for Instant Noodles[55]
119. The Commission recalled that this standard had been proposed by the Regional Coordinating Committee for Asia, and that based on the decision of the 47th Session of the Executive Committee[56] the completion of the Standard would be undertaken by the Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes by correspondence. The Coordinating Committee for Asia decided to forward the Proposed Draft Standard for Instant Noodles to Step 5, however, member countries could not achieve consensus, especially on the inclusion of “Peroxide Value” proposed by Japan.
120. The Delegation of Japan stressed the importance of the inclusion of Peroxide Value for the purpose of quality control and protection of consumer health and requested consideration of peroxide value by the Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants and JECFA before the standard could be advanced to Step 8. The delegation also announced that Japan had started a new study of peroxide value and the results would be publicized by the end of March 2004. The Delegation of Indonesia strongly supported the adoption at Step 5 and proposed additional technical comments including the list of food additives. The Delegation of France, while supporting the draft proposed standard, raised its concern over the issue raised by Japan on peroxide value.
121. The Commission adopted the Proposed Draft Standard for Instant Noodles at Step 5 and forwarded it to the Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes for further consideration by correspondence including technical comments submitted by Indonesia. The Commission also asked the Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants to consider “peroxide value”.
122. The Commission adopted at Step 5 and advanced to Step 6 all standards and texts as proposed by the Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants at its 34th and 35th sessions except the proposed draft Maximum Levels for Cadmium in Various Commodities. The Commission made a number of observations on the proposals.
Proposed draft amendments to the Food Category System for the General Standard for Food Additives
123. The Commission noted that technical comments from Greece, regarding the description of ouzo in the proposed draft Category Descriptor for Food Category 14.2.6 Distilled Spirituous Beverages Containing More Than 15% Alcohol, should be submitted to the Committee for consideration at its next meeting.
Advisory Text on the Principles for Exposure Assessment of Contaminants and Toxins in Foods
124. The Commission noted the expectation of the Committee, expressed in the report of the 35th Session that the text “would eventually be included in the Codex Alimentarius Commission Procedural Manual as advice to Codex Committees and as an Annex to the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods”. The Commission noted that the text could not be included in both documents and advised the Committee to clarify whether the text was intended to be included either in the Procedural Manual, for the advice of the Commission, or in the standard, for the advice of member countries (and by implication the Commission).
Maximum Levels for Cadmium in various Commodities[58]
125. The Delegation of Japan expressed its opinion that the proposed draft maximum levels (ML) for cadmium, which had been recommended by the 35th Session of Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants, had not been fully based on exposure assessment and risk assessment. Japan advised the Commission that it had submitted data on cadmium for consideration at the 61st meeting of JECFA, which was held in June 2003. The Delegation of Japan proposed that the Commission return the MLs to the Committee at Step 3 to enable consideration of these MLs together with the MLs currently at Step 3, taking into consideration the 61st JECFA’s risk assessment and to request the Committee to clarify to what food commodities each ML applies. The Delegation of Mexico asked that the review also take into account MLs for mollusc flesh.
126. The Commission returned the proposed draft maximum levels for cadmium to Step 3 and asked the Committee to accelerate its work to move revised draft maximum levels to Step 8 as soon as practicable.
Proposed Draft Model Certificate for Fish and Fishery Products
127. The Commission adopted the Proposed Draft Model Certificate at Step 5 as proposed and noted that this referred only to the Sanitary Certificate for fish and fishery products.
Proposed Draft Amendment to the Standard for Quick Frozen Lobsters
128. The Commission adopted the Proposed Draft Amendment at Step 5 as proposed.
Proposed Draft Codex Standard for Table Grapes[60]
129. The Commission adopted the proposed draft Codex Standard for Table Grapes at Step 5 as proposed. The Delegation of Australia advised that it would be submitting data to support the inclusion of Australian varieties in the Standard for consideration at the 11th Session of the Committee in September 2003.
Proposed Draft Minimum Brix Level for Reconstituted Juice and Reconstituted Purée and Minimum Juice and/or Purée Content for Fruit Nectars (% v/v)[61]
130. The Commission adopted the Proposed Draft Minimum Brix Levels for Reconstituted Juice and Reconstituted Purée and Minimum Juice and/or Purée Content for Fruit Nectars (% v/v) - grape, guava, mandarine/tangerine, mango, passion fruit and tamarind (Indian date) juice, at Step 5 (See also para. 89 above).
Proposed Draft Amendment to the Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Marketing and Labelling of Organically Produced Foods - Annex 2 (Permitted Substances for the Production of Organic Foods)
131. The Delegation of the Republic of Korea expressed its reservation on the inclusion of 303 Potassium Ascorbate in meat products (Table 3). The Commission noted the comments submitted by Denmark, Poland and the European Community concerning a number of substances proposed for inclusion in the Guidelines, and agreed that the Committee should take all comments into account when considering the text at Step 7. The Commission also recalled that the lists of substances were intended to be indicative and not prescriptive (ALINORM 03/22A para 83).
132. The Commission adopted the Proposed Draft Amendment at Step 5 as proposed. It was noted that comments at Step 6 would be requested on all substances included in Annex 2 and the structure of the Table.
Proposed Draft General Guidelines on Sampling
Proposed Draft Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty
133. The Commission adopted both Proposed Draft Guidelines at Step 5 as proposed.
Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Meat[64]
134. The Commission adopted the proposed draft Code of Practice for Meat at Step 5 as proposed. It noted the reservations by the European Union, concerning veterinary ante- and post-mortem inspection, expressed at the last session of the Committee and by the Delegation of Iran on the definition of meat.
Proposed Draft Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residues[65]
135. The Commission advanced the Proposed Draft Maximum Residue Limits to Step 6.
Proposed Draft Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs[66]
136. The Commission adopted the proposed draft Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drug at Step 5. The Delegation of Italy, speaking on behalf of the member countries of the European Union, said that their agreement for further advancement of cefuroxime would depend on the outcome of further evaluation and discussion by JECFA and Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods.
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[54] ALINORM 03/26/8; ALINORM
03/26/8A; ALINORM 03/26/8A:Add.1; CAC/26 LIM.4 (comments of Poland, the European
Community, The United States of America and Egypt), CAC/26 LIM.10 (comments of
Indonesia). [55] ALINORM 03/15 Appendix II; ALINORM 03/26/8A: Add.1(Japan); CAC/26 LIM.10 (comments of Indonesia). [56] ALINORM 01/3, Appendix III. [57] ALINORM 03/12A; ALINORM 03/26/8A (comments of Australia and Japan). [58] ALINORM 03/26/8A (comments from Japan). [59] ALINORM 03/18, Appendices V and VI, ALINORM 03/26/8A-Add.1 (comments of Iran and The United States of America). [60] ALINORM 03/35, Appendix VI. [61] ALINORM 03/39A, Appendix III. [62] ALINORM 03/22A, Appendix VI; ALINORM 03/26/8A-Add.1 (comments of Denmark); CAC/26 LIM.4 (comments of Poland and the European Community). [63] ALINORM 03/23, Appendices III and IV; ALINORM 03/26/8A-Add.1 (comments of Brazil and The United States of America). [64] ALINORM 03/16A, Appendix III. [65] ALINORM 03/24A, Appendix V. [66] ALINORM 03/31A, Appendix II; ALINORM 03/26/8A: (Comments of The United States of America and the European Community); CAC/26 LIM.4 (Comments of Egypt). |
