ALINORM 97/31A

JOINT FAO/WHO FOOD STANDARDS PROGRAMME

CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Twenty-second Session
Geneva, 23–28 June 1997

NOTE: This report includes Codex Circular Letter CL 1996/40-FH

The report of the Twenty-Ninth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) is attached. It will be considered by the Twenty-second Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Geneva, 23–28 June 1997.

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION:

1. Draft Revised Guidelines for the Application of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System at Step 8; ALINORM 97/13A, paras. 16–19 and Appendix II.

2. Draft Revised Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods at Step 8; ALINORM 97/13A, paras. 20–27 and Appendix III.

3. Amendment to the Procedural Manual: Guidance on revision of commodity-specific codex of practice; ALINORM 97/13A, paras. 28–31¹

Governments wishing to propose amendments to or comment on the above matters should do so in writing in conformity with the Guide to the Consideration of Standards at Step 8 of the Procedure for the Elaboration of Codex Standards Including Consideration of Any Statements Relating to Economic Impact (Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Ninth Edition, pages 33–35). Comments or proposed amendments should be sent to the Secretary, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy (fax: +39(6)5225.4593 or e-mail: [email protected]) not later than 1 April 1997.

REQUEST FOR COMMENTS AND INFORMATION

1. Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Assessment at Step 3; ALINORM 97/13A, paras. 35–39 and Appendix IV.

Governments and interested international organizations are invited to comment on the text cited above. Comments should be forwarded to the US Coordinator for Codex Alimentarius: U.S. Codex Contact Point, Food Safety and Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture, Room 311, West End Court, Washington D.C. 20250-3700, U.S.A. (fax: +1(202)254 2530 or email: [email protected]) not later than 1 April 1997.

2. Implications for the broader application of the HACCP System; ALINORM 97/13A, paras. 61–63.

The Committee has invited governments to communicate their experience of implementing the HACCP system by sending a status report to Australia on the application of HACCP to the regulatory and the business sectors particularly in developing countries. This information is required in order to assist in the development of the Committee's further work in this area. Comments should be forwarded to the Codex Contact Point for Australia; Mr. Digby Gascoine, Director, Food Inspection Division, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, GPO Box 858, Canberra ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA (fax: +61(6)272 5226) not later than 1 April 1997.

¹ This matter also referred to the Codex Committee on General Principles for information.

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.

Contents

Summary and Conclusions

List of Abbreviations

Report of the Twenty-Ninth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene

Introduction

Opening of the Session

Adoption of the Agenda

Report by the Secretariat on Matters Referred to the Committee

General Matters

Endorsement of Hygiene Provisions in Codex Standards

Consideration of the Draft Revised Guidelines for the Application of the HACCP System at Step 7

Consideration of the Draft Revised Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods at Step 7

Consideration of Approaches for the Revision of Commodity Codes

Consideration of the Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Refrigerated Packaged Foods with Extended Shelf-Life at Step 7

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

Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Uncured/Unripened Cheese and Ripened Soft Cheese at Step 4

Proposed Draft Code of Practice for All Foodstuffs Transported in Bulk

Consideration of Establishment of Sampling Plans for Microbiological Safety Criteria for Foods in International Trade

Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Bottled Water (Other than Mineral Water)

Implications for the Broader Application of the HACCP System

Other Business and Future Work

Date and Place of Next Session

Appendix I: List of Participants

Appendix II: Draft Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application

Appendix III: Draft Revised Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods

Introduction
1. Definition of Microbiological Criterion
2. Components of microbiological criteria for foods
3. Purposes and application of microbiological criteria for foods
    3.1.1 Application by regulatory authorities.
    3.1.2 Application by a food business operator
4. General considerations concerning principles for establishing and applying microbiological criteria
5. Microbiological Aspects of Criteria.
    5.1 Microorganisms, parasites and their toxins/metabolites of importance in a particular food
    5.2 Microbiological methods.
    5.3 Microbiological limits.
6. Sampling plans, methods and handling
7. Reporting

Appendix IV: Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Assessment

BACKGROUND
SCOPE
DEFINITIONS
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF MICROBIOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT
GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION
   Statement of Purpose of Risk Assessment
   Hazard Identification
   Exposure Assessment
   Hazard Characterization
   Risk Characterization
   Documentation

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Matters for consideration by the Codex Alimentarius Commission:

• The following texts are submitted for adoption:

  • Draft Revised Guidelines for the Application of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System (paragraphs 16–19, Appendix II);

  • Draft Revised Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (paragraphs 20–27, Appendix III)

  • Guidance on revision of commodity-specific codes of practice (paragraphs 28–31)².

• The following new work is proposed at Step 1 (see paragraph 66):

  • Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products;

  • Guidance on the hygienic recycling of processing water in food processing plants;

  • Guidance on the application of microbiological risk evaluation to international trade;

  • Revision of the standard wording for Food Hygiene Provisions;

  • Risk-based guidance for the use of HACCP-like systems in small businesses, with special reference to developing countries;

  • Recommendations for the management of microbiological hazards for foods in international trade.

• The Commission is invited to advise FAO and WHO to consider the establishment of an international advisory body addressing the microbiological aspects of food safety and provide scientific advice in the form of formal microbiological risk assessments (paragraph 53).

• The Committee endorsed food hygiene provisions in a number of draft Codex Standards, but not those for milk and milk products (paragraphs 8–15).

Matters referred to Other Codex Committees:

• The Committee requested a technical paper to be prepared by the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products on residual chlorine in frozen shrimps and prawns (paragraph 11);

Other matters:

• The Committee suggested that of the Code of Hygienic Practice for the Collection, Processing and Marketing of Natural Mineral Waters (CAC/RCP 33–1985) might require revision (paragraph 60);

• The Committee invited governments to communicate their experiences of implementing the HACCP system (paragraph 63);

The Committee decided to discontinue the work on consumer education in the application of HACCP, with the understanding that FAO, WHO and other relevant organizations should further develop materials for consumer education adapted to the need of different target groups and local situations (paragraphs 64–65).

² This matter also referred to the Codex Committee on General Principles for information.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

used in this Report