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 1997/4-FICS.

The report of the fifth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems is attached. It will be considered by the Twenty-second Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva from 23–28 June 1997.

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE 22ND SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION

1. Draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems at Step 8; ALINORM 97/30A, paras. 8– 11 and Appendix II.

Governments wishing to propose amendments or to comment on the above Guidelines 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 (Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual, Ninth Edition, pages 33–35) to the Chief, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, FAO, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy not later than 1 May 1997.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The fifth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION:

• Advanced draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems to the Commission for adoption at Step 8, with the understanding that the Commission and the Legal Counsels of FAO and WHO would review the appropriateness of extending the Guidelines to regional economic groupings (paras. 8–11 and Appendix II);

• Discontinued the consideration of proposed draft Guidelines on the Principal Elements in an Electronic Documentation System (paras. 12–17);

• Discontinued the consideration of proposed draft Guidelines on the Application of the ISO 9000 Series to Food Inspection and Certification Systems (paras. 18–21);

• Decided to make no proposal for amendment of the Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification already adopted by the Commission (paras. 30–34);

• Appended the Guidelines and Criteria for a Generic Official Certificate Format in order to facilitate Commission discussions as to the need for further consideration of this matter by the Committee (paras. 35–39 and Appendix III), and;

• Agreed that a discussion paper on issues related to the process of judgement of equivalence be prepared for circulation and comment prior to its next Session (para. 53).

OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION:

• Agreed to revise the proposed draft Guidelines for the Development of Agreements Regarding Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems for circulation and comment prior to the Committee's next Session (paras. 22–29);

• Agreed to further develop the discussion paper on Guidelines on Food Import Control Systems for consideration at its next Session (paras. 40–44);

• Decided to discuss a proposal concerning Rules Relating to the Production and Issue of Certificates at its next Session (para. 45);

• Decided not to pursue the consideration of Residue Management Initiatives in Codex (paras. 46–50), and;

• Noted that a proposal concerning the Development of a Data Base on Rejections of Foods could be independently developed for consideration at a future meeting (paras. 51–52).

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and Opening of the Session

Adoption of the Agenda

Matters Referred from Codex Committees

Draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems

Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Principal Elements in an Electronic Documentation System

Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Application of the ISO 9000 Series to Food Inspection and Certification Systems

Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Development of Agreements Regarding Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems

Implications of Deleting the Phrase “or Risk of Contamination” from the Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification

Guidelines and Criteria for a Generic Official Certificate Format

Guidelines on Food Import Control Systems

Other Business and Future Work

- Rules Relating to the Production and Issue of Certificates
- Residue Management Initiatives in Codex
- Development of a Data Base on Rejections of Foods
- Judgement of Equivalence

Date and Place of Next Session

LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX I: List of Participants

APPENDIX II: Draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems

APPENDIX III: Criteria for a Generic Certificate for the Export of Food and Food Products