CODEX COMMITTEE ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES
CODEX COMMITTEE ON FOOD HYGIENE
CODEX COMMITTEE ON FOOD IMPORT AND EXPORT INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS
CODEX COMMITTEE ON FOOD LABELLING
CODEX COMMITTEE ON METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING
CODEX COMMITTEE ON PESTICIDE RESIDUES
CODEX COMMITTEE ON RESIDUES OF VETERINARY DRUGS IN FOODS
NUTRITION AND FOODS FOR SPECIAL DIETARY USES
FATS AND OILS
FOOD INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS
Review of the Status of Codes, Guidelines and Related Texts55
55 ALINORM 97/7
137. The review of the Status of Codes, Guidelines and Related Texts had been discussed at the 12th Session of the Committee on General Principles56 on the basis of a request made by the 43rd Session of the Executive Committee57 for the Secretariat to undertake an analysis of all texts other than standards with a view to clarifying the status of these texts under the WTO Agreements.
56 ALINORM 97/33, paras. 25-32.
57 ALINORM 97/3, paras. 51-52.
138. Proposals arising from the Committee on General Principles concerning the status of Codex Advisory Texts were discussed under this item and also under Item 11 (see paras. 168-172 for further discussion).
Microbiological Aspects of Food Safety58
58 ALINORM 97/13A, para. 53.
139. The Commission requested FAO and WHO to convene an international expert advisory body similar to JECFA and JMPR on the microbiological aspects of food safety to address particularly microbiological risk assessments.
Guidelines and Criteria for a Generic Official Certificate Format59
59 ALINORM 97/30A, paras. 35-39 and Appendix III.
140. In view of the diverse opinions expressed, the 5th Session of the Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems had appended proposed draft Criteria for a Generic Certificate for the Export of Food and Food Products and the Model Certificate to its report in order to facilitate Commission discussions as to the need for further consideration by CCFICS of this matter from the different perspective of Codex commodity committees.
141. In view of the difficulty in developing a generic certificate applicable to a broad range of agricultural commodities, the Commission agreed that the Committee should not undertake the elaboration of such a document per se. However, the Commission requested the Committee to consider a discussion paper addressing general guidelines and criteria for official certificates and to present a proposal for future work to the next session of the Executive Committee.
Guidelines on Food Import Control Systems60
60 ALINORM 97/30A, paras. 40-44.
142. The Commission requested Mexico, in collaboration with the Secretariat, to revise its discussion paper on the development of guidelines for food import control systems for consideration at the next session of the Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems.
Foods That Can Cause Hypersensitivity61
61 ALINORM 97/22a, paras. 44-45; and ALINORM 97/21, Part II, Section 3.4.1.
143. See paras. 119-121.
Analytical Terminology for Codex Use62
62 ALINORM 97/23A, paras. 27-28 & Appendix III; ALINORM 97/21, Part II, Section 3.5.1; and CAC/LIM 8.
144. The Commission endorsed the list of Analytical Terminology for Codex Use with the deletion of the last sentence of Note 1 in the definition of "Laboratory-Performance (Proficiency) Study" to improve the technical accuracy. The list would be contained in the Procedural Manual.
Other Matters63
63 ALINORM 97/23A., paras. 55, 44, 45-47 & Appendices IV &V; ALINORM 97/23, paras. 51-55 & Appendix IV; ALINORM 97/21, Part II, Sections 3.5.2-4; and CAC/LIM 8.
145. The Commission approved the amended Terms of Reference of the Committee. It agreed to the abolition of the CAC/RM Numbering System as recommended by the Committee.64 The Commission also confirmed the endorsement of methods of analysis for food additives and contaminants and a number of commodity standards.
64 ALINORM 97/23A, para. 44.
Periodic Review Procedure65
65 ALINORM 97/24, Appendix III; and ALINORM 97/21, Part II, Section 3.6.1.
146. The Commission endorsed the Procedure to be included as an annex to the relevant Codex Alimentarius volume.
Response to Matters Referred by the Commission66
66 ALINORM 97/24, paras. 8 & 10; ALINORM 97/24A, paras 5-7; and ALINORM 97/21, Part II, Section 3.6.2.
147. The Commission concurred to the Committee's opinion that the elaboration of MRLs for honey, low-fat meat and fish was of low priority. The Delegation of Germany stated that residues of pesticides in fish was a growing problem, especially in relation to increasing amount of organochlorine compounds in water. The Commission requested the Committee to monitor the gravity of the problem for necessary action.
Methods Validation for Food Control Purposes67
67 ALINORM 97/31A, para. 60; ALINORM 97/23A, para. 18; ALINORM 97/24A, para. 88; ALINORM 97/21, Part II, section 3.7.1.
148. The Commission noted that FAO was planning to hold a joint FAO/IAEA Expert Consultation on Methods Validation for Food Control Purposes later this year.
Risk Assessment in the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods68
68 ALINORM 97/31A, paras. 11-12; ALINORM 97/21, Part II, section 3.7.2.
149. The Commission noted the activities on risk assessment in the Committee as contained in ALINORM 97/21, Part I, section 3.7.2. The Chairperson of the Committee added that the Committee's deliberation on this issue was still at its early stage and a substantial time would be needed to clearly separate risk assessment and risk management components of its work, which had been combined at present. He invited delegations to send comments on the paper to the Delegation of France as soon as possible.
Terms of Reference of the Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses 69
69 ALINORM 97/26, para. 6
150. The Commission approved the amended Terms of Reference as proposed, noting that they reflected the emphasis on the horizontal aspects of the Committee's work.
Potentially Harmful Herbs and Botanical Preparations sold as Foods
151. The Commission concurred with the view of the Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses that no further action was needed concerning these products as this was a matter for national authorities to address, especially as regulations and practices in this area greatly differed from one country to another. The matter was deleted from the Commission's Work Programme.
Draft Standard for Mayonnaise
152. The Commission considered a question of the Committee on Fats and Oils on the need to convert the Regional European Standard into a world-wide standard. It agreed to discontinue this work.
153. The Observer from CIAA, noting the discontinuation of work on the application of ISO 9000, indicated that this system was widely used in European industry and could also be used by control services. The Observer offered to make a presentation on this subject at the next session of the Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems. Many delegations reasserted their objections to further work on such Guidelines as it was not within the mandate of a Codex Committee to endorse a system intended for voluntary application in the industry.
154. The Chairperson of the Committee recalled that it had been agreed to discontinue work on the Guidelines as no consensus could be reached but that an information document was being circulated by France on this matter. The Commission confirmed that this work was deleted from its Programme.
