REPORT OF THE TWENTY-EIGHTH SESSION CODEX COMMITTEE ON FOOD HYGIENE
Washington D.C., 27 November - 1 December 1995

INTRODUCTION

1.   The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene held its Twenty-eighth Session from 27 November to 1 December 1995, by courtesy of the Government of the United States of America. The session was chaired by Dr. I. Kaye Wachsmuth, Deputy Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration. The session was attended by 170 delegates and observers from 39 countries and 14 international organizations. A complete list of participants, including the Secretariat, is provided in Appendix I to this report.

OPENING OF THE SESSION (Agenda Item 1)

2.   The Committee was addressed by Dr. Sanford A. Miller, Professor and Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas, Health Sciences Center.

3.   The subject of his talk was “The Globalization of Food Safety: A Proposal”. Dr. Miller proposed the need for the separation of science based risk assessment from the application of risk management by governments, as well as the need for applying a harmonized food safety approach internationally.

ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA ¹ (Agenda Item 2)

4.   The Committee adopted the Provisional Agenda as proposed, and agreed to discuss matters regarding other business and future work under Agenda item 13.

REPORT BY THE SECRETARIAT ON MATTERS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION AND/OR OTHER CODEX COMMITTEES ² (Agenda Item 3)

5.   The Committee was informed that the Commission at its 21^st Session approved the Medium-Term plan recommended to it by its Executive Committee. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene noted the high priority rating accorded to work on Listeria and on the Principles for the establishment of microbiological criteria. The Committee further proposed that priority should be given to entero-haemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella, (see Agenda Item 13).

¹ CX/FH 95/1
² CX/FH 95/2, CX/FH 95/2 Addendum 1

6.   The Committee noted action being taken by the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products in reviewing the technical aspects of the Code of Hygienic Practice for Uncured/Unripened Cheese and Ripened Soft Cheese.

7.   The Committee was informed that the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling at its 20^th Session requested the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene to examine the Draft Codex General Guidelines on Sampling and advise on the applicability of the Guidelines for microbiological investigations, (see Agenda Item 13).

CONSIDERATION OF THE DRAFT REVISED INTERNATIONAL CODE OF PRACTICE - GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE ³ (Agenda Item 4(i))

8.   The Code of Practice revised at the 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (ALINORM 95/13, Appendix III), had been adopted by the 21st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission at Step 5 (ALINORM 95/37, para. 51). Subsequent to the Commission meeting, comments were requested on the draft code (including definitions) at Step 6 under Circular Letter CL 1995/24-FH.

9.   The Committee decided to form an ad hoc Working Group under the direction of the Delegation of the United Kingdom to review the Code, to consider the comments submitted and the definitions proposed.

10.   The Committee reviewed the revised Code elaborated by the ad hoc Working Group and agreed to the proposed text with minor changes.

11.   Notwithstanding the opinion of the delegations of Indonesia and the Philippines that Section 8.3 concerning Use and Maintenance was overly restrictive and should be deleted since it might constitute a trade barrier, the Committee agreed to leave this section as drafted.

12.   The Committee also noted the opinion of the Delegation of Brazil in Section 5.8 concerning Recall Procedures, that adequate measures should be taken in plant design and operation to prevent cross-contamination, especially for recalled products that could not be reused or reprocessed.

Status OF THE Draft Revised International Code OF Practice - General Principles OF Food Hygiene

13.   The Committee thanked the working group for its outstanding efforts and agreed to forward the draft revised International Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene to the 22^nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption at Step 8. The Code is attached to this report as Appendix II.

³ ALINORM 95/13, Appendix III; CL 1995/24-FH 95/3 comments by Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, and the International Dairy Federation; CRD 1 comments by France and the Netherlands; CRD 3 comment by WHO; and CRD 12 comment by the European Community.

REVISION OF THE GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL CONTROL POINT SYSTEM ⁴ (Agenda Item 4(ii))

14.   The 20^th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission had adopted the Guidelines and decided that improvements to the Guidelines could be carried out by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene in the course of the revision of the Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene. Comments were requested under CL 1995/24-FH.

15.   The Committee decided to convene an ad hoc Working Group under the direction of the United States to review the Guidelines, to consider the comments submitted and to present a revised draft to the Committee.

16.   The Delegation of the United States presented the revised draft to the Committee for discussion section by section. The Committee noted that several amendments to the text were based on the result of a WHO Consultation (with the participation of FAO) on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System: Concept and Application, which was held in Geneva from 29–31 May 1995 (unpublished document WHO/FNU/FOS 95.6).

17.   The Committee agreed to the revised text as presented by the Working Group with minor modifications. The Committee also agreed that additional comments should be requested, including an appropriate definition for the term “flow diagram”, as well as requirements concerning record keeping and documentation (Principle 7), especially as related to flexibility for small businesses.

Status OF THE Revised Guidelines FOR THE Application OF THE HAZARD Analysis Critical Control Point System

18.   The Committee thanked the ad hoc Working Group for its outstanding efforts, and agreed to forward the proposed draft Guidelines to the 43^rd Session of the Executive Committee for adoption at Step 5, with the understanding that additional comments would be requested immediately. The Guidelines, which will eventually be annexed to the Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene, are annexed to Appendix II of this report.

REVISION OF CODEX CODES OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE FOLLOWING ADOPTION OF THE REVISED GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE ⁵ (Agenda Item 4 (iii))

⁴ CL 1995/24-FH; CX/FH 95/3 Addendum 1 comments by Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States; CRD 2 comment by the Netherlands, CRD 3 comment by WHO; CRD 12 comment by the European Community
⁵ CX/FH 95/3, Addendum 1 and CX/FH 95/3 Annexes to Addendum 1

19.   At its 27^th Session, the Committee recommended that appropriate sections of all product codes which contained materials based on sections of the current Recommended International Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene be highlighted and amended following the final adoption of the Revised General Principles of Food Hygiene by the Commission (ALINORM 95/13, para. 27). In view of the progress being made with regard to the elaboration of the Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene and in order not to delay the elaboration of new codes or the revision of current ones, the Delegation of the United Kingdom had been requested by the Codex Secretariat to consider how the product Codes could be revised.

20.   The Delegation of the United Kingdom stated that the relevant document outlined administrative process presenting three ways by which the product Codes could be revised for consideration by the Committee. Five product Codes had been selected for this purpose. The Committee was informed of the rationale behind the three approaches, i.e. Method A, Method B and Method C, and also of their advantages and disadvantages.

21.   In Method A, the revised Product Code contained references made to relevant sections of the General Principles of Food Hygiene. Although this method would result in a less voluminous text and cost less to produce, it would have to be read in conjunction with the General Principles. The user could refer to product specific differences to the General Principles of Food Hygiene and it would be less time-consuming to carry out the changes to the Product Codes. It was suggested that Method A might be preferred by Government Agencies.

22.   On the other hand, in Method B, the Product Code was made by inserting product specific sections at relevant points in the General Principles of Food Hygiene and by amending various sections in the General Principles. By this approach, there would be no need for cross-referencing because all the information would be in one document, in logical order. However, the size and cost of production of the Code would be more than for Method A. It was also suggested that some industry users might prefer this option.

23.   Method C was a variation of Method A, in which the objectives and rationale for each section were included to add reinforcement to the importance of the General Principles of Food Hygiene.

24.   The majority of the delegations indicated their preference for Method A, while some others preferred Method B. It was suggested to seek the opinions of the Commodity Committees. It was noted that within the European Union, an approach which was closely related to Method A was being considered in the review of all the EU Directives.

Status OF THE REVISION OF Codex Codes OF Hygienic Practice Following Adoption OF THE Revised General Principles OF Food Hygiene

25.   The Committee agreed to recommend to the Commodity Committees to consider utilising Method A in the elaboration or revision of their Product Codes, with the understanding that the opinions of the Commodity Committees should also be taken into account.

REVISION OF THE PRINCIPLES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND APPLICATION OF MICROBIOLOGICAL CRITERIA FOR FOODS ⁶ (Agenda Item 5)

26.   The paper was prepared and introduced by the Representative of the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF). The Committee was informed that at its 27^th Session, the ICMSF was requested to revise the draft document in view of the substantial comments made.

27.   The Committee was informed that the draft document which was circulated under CL 1995/31-FH took account of most of the improvements and suggestion made during the Committee's 27^th Session. The draft also contained square bracketed elements which required further discussion by the Committee.

28.   In view of the written comments received in response to the circular letter and in order to facilitate work on this subject matter, the Committee agreed that an ad hoc Working Group chaired by the Delegation of France should revise the document during the session.

29.   The Committee was informed by the Delegation of France that the document was revised by the working group and that consensus was reached on the amendments proposed. Some of the changes made included replacement of the word “specifications”, which appeared throughout the document, with “criteria” and where appropriate with “criterion”.

30.   The Committee considered the amended draft prepared by the ad hoc Working Group section by section and made several editorial changes, in addition to those submitted for its consideration.

31.   Although some delegates supported forwarding the text for adoption by the Commission at Step 8 by omitting Steps 6 and 7, other delegations felt that in view of the significant changes made during the session, the text should be re-circulated for additional comment. The draft text is attached as Appendix III to this report

Status OF THE Revision OF THE Principles FOR THE Establishment AND Application OF Microbiological Criteria FOR Foods

32.   The Committee thanked the Working Group for its efforts, and agreed to forward the proposed draft Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods to the 43^rd Session of the Executive Committee for adoption at Step 5. Governments were requested to direct their comments to the Delegation of France. (see para. 50).

⁶ CL 1995/31-FH; CX/FH 95/4, comments by Canada, Czech Republic, Hungary, Republic of South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom United States, Asean Executing Agency, and the IDF CRD 4, comments by France, the Netherlands and New Zealand; CRD 12, comment by European Community

PROPOSED DRAFT CODE OF PRACTICE FOR REFRIGERATED FOODS WITH EXTENDED SHELF LIFE ⁷ (Agenda Item 6)

33.   The proposed draft Code had been revised by the Delegations of Canada and France based on comments made at the 27^th Session of the Committee.⁸ Revisions and/or additions were made to those sections concerning the Scope, HACCP principles and guidelines, general hygienic principles and barrier methods to prevent contamination.

34.   Several delegations felt that the text of the draft should be strengthened to allow for greater flexibility with respect to refrigeration requirement, storage temperature other than 4°C and methods to ensure the safety of extended shelf life products might be suitable if supported by scientific evidence.

35.   Most delegations agreed that the mention of specific pasteurization values was unadvisable, especially in view of the broad spectrum of products covered by the Scope of the Code (Section 1). It was also noted that HACCP principles should be incorporated throughout the text, instead of their somewhat limited reference in Section VIII.

36.   The Committee decided to form an ad hoc Working Group under the direction of the Delegation of Canada to review the Code, to consider the comments submitted and to present a revised draft to the Committee.

37.   In presenting the revised text elaborated by the ad hoc Working Group, the Delegation of Canada indicated that the group focussed attention on those sections related to Scope, Refrigeration Requirements (Section 7.7.1) and Important Elements (Section 8.3). The Delegation also noted that in future drafts, sections already covered in the General Principles of Food Hygiene would be highlighted to identify possibilities for eliminating redundant text.

38.   The Committee agreed to the revised draft Code as presented with minor modifications. The draft Code will be distributed separately.

Status of the Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Refrigerated Packaged Foods with Extended Shelf Life

39.   The Committee thanked the Working Group for its outstanding efforts, and agreed to forward the proposed draft Code to the 43^rd Session of the Executive Committee for adoption at Step 5, with the understanding that government comments would be requested immediately.

⁷ CL 1995/34-FH; CX/FH 95/5, comments by Denmark, Hungary, Spain, United Kingdom, United States; CRD 13, comment by the Netherlands; CRD 12, comment by the European Community
⁸ ALINORM 95/13, paras. 47–52

PROPOSED DRAFT CODE OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE FOR UNCURED/ UNRIPENED CHEESE AND RIPENED SOFT CHEESE ⁹ (Agenda Item 7)

40.   The Chairperson informed the Committee that the body of the text was not available for discussion, primarily because the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene was awaiting action to be taken by the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products in May 1996. It was proposed that in revising the body of the text, the Code should also address the health condition of the milk cows, the hygienic conditions for the treatment and conservation of the milk on the farm, criteria for somatic cell counts and microbiological criteria for the raw milk prior to processing and the criteria for milk destined for the manufacture of soft cheeses where the milk is not to be pasteurised.

41.   The Delegation of France presented the Annex to the Draft Code. The delegation recalled the background to the development of the Annex, from the 25^th to the 27^th Sessions¹⁰ of the Committee. As requested by the Committee, the paper prepared by the Delegation of France addressed the microbiological criteria for products covered by the Code and for raw milk used in the production of soft cheese.

42.   The Delegation also prepared a practical example for the application of the HACCP approach for the specific production of Normandy Camembert. The Scope of the document was defined and microbiological risks which were the main concern of such types of products were identified. Some specific definitions were taken from the French legislation and a model production diagramme was also provided. The document proposed risk analysis for microorganisms of concern which included: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Brucella abortus, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Specification Sheets were included in the annex to the document as well as applicable excerpts from the French legislation.

43.   The view was expressed that the safety of cheeses made with unpasteurised milk, regardless of the use of HACCP principles, could not be consistently assured and that the use of raw milk for cheese production should not be considered by the Committee. It was also noted that the document should evaluate the risk of entero-haemorrhagic Escherichia coli in order to enhance protection of the consumer.

44.   The opposing view was that with strict compliance to HACCP system throughout the production of such cheeses and the application of animal health standards in milk production, it was possible to achieve a sufficient guarantee of quality and safety.

⁹ CRD 5, Paper prepared by France; CRD 6, comments by Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand; CRD 12 comment by European Community
¹⁰ ALINORM 95/13, para. 72

45.   The Committee agreed that comments to be requested on the document prepared by the Delegation of France (CRD 5), would be discussed at the Committee's 29^th Session. These discussions would include the possibility of elaborating a document concerning Hygienic Practice for Cheeses made from Unpasteurized Milk. It was understood that if such a document was elaborated, it would eventually be included as an Annex to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Uncured/Unripened Cheese and Ripened Soft Cheese.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES ¹¹fs (Agenda Item 8)

46.   The Representative of the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), stated that the revised document included comments made during the 27^th Session of the Committee, as well as a harmonized approach to the certification of HACCP based procedures for use in trade for the control of Listeria monocytogenes.

47.   The Committee was informed the ICMSF felt it was too early to propose protocols or guidelines for certification as the HACCP text¹² was under revision and some general principles on certification ought to be provided by the Codex Committee on Food Export and Import Certification and Inspection Systems. The revised draft document therefore focussed on the control of Listeria monocytogenes.

48.   The revised draft text was meant to give guidance for the development of criteria and also to provide governments, industries and food handlers, guidance for the inspection of lots of consignments of foods of unknown history. The ICMSF re-iterated that control over Listeria monocytogenes hazard could only be achieved by applying HACCP based systems. The Committee was informed that the sampling plans proposed followed closely the principles for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria for foods.

49.   Some delegations provided clarifications on some of the issues raised in their written comments. The following points were discussed:

• the tolerance level for Listeria monocytogenes for foods with unknown history should be at the point of entry, which was more useful for regulatory purposes, than at the point of consumption;

• that the standard of 100 cells of Listeria monocytogenes/g of food at the point of consumption was unacceptable to some countries which already have a zero tolerance;

• that the draft text should define foods which have potential to support growth of Listeria monocytogenes and also to address approaches to assessing the safety of imported foods of unknown history;

• that there was need to make distinction between foods specifically intended for high risk groups and foods for the general population of consumers which also includes high risk groups;

• that the strategy for the control of Listeria monocytogenes should include using both HACCP throughout production and educational approaches because public health advice was considered to be important in the control of Listeria monocytogenes;

• in the case of vulnerable consumer groups in combination with high risk foods, safety was not ensured by taking high number of samples, nor can that approach be applied cost-effectively;

• that the sampling plan with n=5, c=0 was not a sensitive sampling plan, because it would not offer sufficient confidence that Listeria monocytogenes would be detected; and

• that the epidemiological link early in the Decision Tree was considered inappropriate. Also that it was difficult to use the decision tree in real-life sampling situation. A 3-class sampling plan was suggested.

¹¹ CL 1995/32-FH, Paper prepared by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods; CX/FH 95/7, comments by Canada, Czech Republic, Hungary, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and IDF; CRD 7, comment by France; CRD 11, comment by Denmark and CRD 12, comment by the European Community
¹² ALINORM 95/13, Appendix III - Guidelines for the Application of the HACCP System

50.   The Committee agreed to request the ICMSF to re-draft the text in light of the discussions and the comments made. It was also agreed that background documents on the revised text should include criteria for Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella with special reference to S. enteriditis, Campylobacter and entero haemorrhagic Escherichia coli. (see para. 32).

GUIDELINES ON THE APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF RISK ASSESSMENT AND RISK MANAGEMENT TO FOOD HYGIENE INCLUDING STRATEGIES FOR THEIR APPLICATION ¹³ (Agenda Item 9)

51.   The Committee noted that the 21^st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission considered the report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Application of Risk Analysis to Food Standards Issues, which was held in Geneva from 13–17 March 1995.

52.   The Commission agreed that there was a need for further clarification of terms and definitions used for risk analysis and therefore, comments were solicited under CL 1995/37-CAC. The circular letter drew the attention of governments to amendments proposed for the terms risk communication (to include explicit reference to consumers), risk assessment (to include reference to severity of effects) and risk characterization (to include reference to probability).

¹³ ALINORM 95/9 and WHO/FNU/FOS/95.3; CRD 8, comments by the Netherlands and the United States; CRD 12, comment by the European Community

53.   The Commission also recommended further work to address risk management, risk communication and defining the roles and responsibilities of the different bodies involved in the risk analysis process as well as on uncertainty and variability in risk analysis in relation to standard setting and food regulation.

54.   The Commission agreed that the Report and recommendations of the Consultation should be examined by relevant Codex Committees, including the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. The Commission noted the need for taking into consideration the problems of developing countries in regard to implementing the risk analysis approach in their food regulations.

55.   The Committee was informed that the Consultation examined both chemical and biological risks; the latter were addressed in part by Codex codes of hygienic practice. It was noted that the need for qualitative and/or quantitative risk assessment approaches for biological hazards should be incorporated into the texts elaborated by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene.

56.   The Committee supported a science-based approach to incorporate risk analysis into its work, while recognizing the use of HACCP as a primary means to this end. It was noted, however, that a more formalized approach was required when quantitative values were incorporated into those CCFH texts under consideration.

57.   Although it was noted that FAO and WHO contemplated the convening of another expert consultation related to risk management, the development of a specific framework, including principles and guidelines specific to the work of the Committee was required. The importance of examining current private and government approaches to these issues was also highlighted, especially as related to the relationship between HACCP and risk analysis.

58.   The Committee agreed that a discussion paper, including a preliminary framework, would be developed under the direction of the United States, with assistance provided by Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom, for consideration at its 29^th Session. It was noted that the paper should address the implementation of the recommendations of the FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Application of Risk Analysis to Food Standards Issues in the work of CCFH.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE BROADER APPLICATION OF THE HACCP SYSTEM ¹⁴ (Agenda Item 10)

59.   The Committee at its 27th Session requested the Delegation of Australia to further develop the above document based on government comments¹⁵ to be submitted. Additional comments had not been received.

¹⁴ CX/FH 95/9
¹⁵ ALINORM 95/13, para. 102

60.   The Committee accepted the offer of the Delegation of Australia to further develop the discussion paper (i.e. CX/FH 95/9) into a general guidance document for circulation and comment prior to its next session.

PROPOSED CODE OF PRACTICE FOR ALL FOODSTUFFS TRANSPORTED IN BULK ¹⁶ (Agenda Item 11)

61.   The Committee was informed that this new work was approved by the 21^st Session of the Commission. The Commission requested that the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene take first action on this matter in cooperation with the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants.

62.   The Committee was informed by the Delegation of the United States that food-borne disease outbreaks had been associated with food conveyed in unsanitary vehicles. It was therefore necessary to address this issue in order to protect the consumer. In this regard, the delegation referred to concerns highlighted in the discussion paper which should be considered in developing the proposed code. These concerns included methods of eliminating prior cargo contamination, construction materials for food contact surfaces in bulk food conveyances so as to eliminate contamination, minimum requirements for refrigerated or frozen food transport or storage, maximum temperature during transportation or during loading and unloading, methods of live animal haulage, record keeping and the incorporation of relevant sections of the General Principles of Food Hygiene.

63.   Several delegations felt that live animals should not be included in the proposed code as this issue was addressed by other international bodies. However, it was recognized that live animal transport could contaminate further processed products. The Committee recognised the work of other bodies such as the International Dairy Federation, the ATP Agreement on the international transport carriage of perishable foodstuffs and on the special equipment to be used for such carriage and the draft Code of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Fats and Oils in Bulk¹⁷ and agreed that these would be taken into account in the elaboration of the proposed code.

64.   The Committee agreed that a drafting group lead by the Delegation of the Netherlands, in cooperation with Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Republic of South Africa and the United States, would prepare an initial draft for circulation for comments at Step 3 of the Procedure.

PROPOSED DRAFT CODE OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE FOR BOTTLED WATER
(OTHER THAN MINERAL WATER) ¹⁸ (Agenda Item 12)

65.   The Committee was informed that the 21^st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission endorsed this proposal for new work at Step 1 (ALINORM 95/37, para.85).

¹⁶ CX/FH 95/10, Paper prepared by the Delegation of the United States; CRD 9, comments by the Netherlands
¹⁷ CL 1995/42-FO (currently in circulation for comment)
¹⁸ CX/FH 95/11; CRD 10, comment by France

66.   In introducing the document, the Delegation of the United States noted the increased trade in bottled water (other than natural mineral water), especially as a means to provide relief to areas affected by drought or other natural disasters. Although it was noted that some bottled water was of questionable quality, adequate treatment and good bottling practices could assure the production of safe products. The issue of contamination of bottled water by various protozoa was also noted.

67.   The Committee supported the elaboration of the code in order to insure the protection of consumers' health. The Committee suggested that the following items should be considered in the elaboration of the proposed draft code:

• the scope should be adequately defined to prevent confusion with other similar products;

• limits of protozoan contamination should be established;

• heat treatment, as well as other purification methods highlighted in the discussion paper, should be considered;

• the water source, including naturally protected and subsurface sources, should be defined;

• appropriate validated methods of analysis should be defined;

• provisions concerning surface water contamination by algae should be addressed; and

• labelling provisions concerning water origin, treatment and microflora should be included.

Status OF THE Code OF Hygienic Practice for Bottled Water (Other than Natural Mineral Water)

68.   The Committee agreed that a proposed draft Code would be prepared under the direction of the United States based on the discussion, with assistance provided by France, Indonesia, Japan, Spain and Switzerland, for consideration at its next session.

OTHER BUSINESS AND FUTURE WORK (Agenda Item 13)

(a) Other Business

69.   The Committee addressed two issues.

• The Committee considered the request of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) (see CX/FH 95/2, Addendum 1) to indicate the applicability of the Codex General Guidelines on Sampling to microbiological investigations. The Committee decided that individual governments should provide comments directly to the CCMAS in this regard.

• The Committee noted the view expressed by the Delegation of Sweden that for consistency within Codex system, the terms of reference for the CCMAS may need to be reviewed to include the endorsement of microbiological methods.

(b) Future Work

70.   The Committee agreed to continue work on the following items:

• Revision of the Guidelines for the Application of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) System;

• Revision of the Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods;

• Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Refrigerated Packaged Foods with Extended Shelf-Life;

• Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Unripened/Uncured Cheese and Ripened Soft Cheese;

• Recommendations for the control of Listeria monocytogenes;

• Guidelines on the Application of the Principles of Risk Assessment and Risk Management to Food Hygiene including Strategies for their application;

• Implications for the Broader Application of the HACCP System;

• Code of Practice for all Foodstuffs Transported in Bulk; and

• Code of Hygienic Practice for Bottled Water.

The Committee also agreed to follow the Commission's request to embark on new work related to the microbiological contamination of food, especially in regard to entero-haemorrhagic Escherichia coli. The Committee also decided that work should commence on Salmonella and Campylobacter. The Committee accepted the offer of the Representative of the ICMSF to prepare a discussion paper for the aforementioned pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, with assistance provided by Denmark.

71.   The Committee noted that the 42nd Session of the Executive Committee had not approved its proposal to establish “Guidelines for the Education of Consumers in Food Hygiene”, as FAO was preparing guidelines for consumer education in food handling and food safety and that WHO had published materials to promote health education in food safety. The Committee was of the opinion that the active role of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene was required. The Delegation of the United States agreed to prepare a short explanation of such a proposal for the 43rd Session of the Executive Committee in this regard.

72.   In regard to the request of the United States to develop an annex to the General Principles of Food Hygiene concerning cleaning and disinfection and the recycling of water used in food processing, the Representative of WHO indicated that these subjects were already addressed.

DATE AND PLACE OF THE NEXT SESSION (Agenda Item 14)

73.   The Committee was informed that its 29th Session was tentatively scheduled to be held in Washington D. C. in October 1996, the exact dates will be determined by the United States and the Codex Secretariats.

SUMMARY STATUS OF WORK