The 28th Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 19–23 February. As the meeting approaches, we spoke to Ms Norrani Eksan, Chairperson of this Codex subsidiary body. Appointed as CCFO Chairperson in 2020, Norrani is the Senior Director for Food Safety and Quality at the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

Norrani, thanks for your time. Sixty years ago, a small drop of oil started a ripple called CCFO. Can you tell us more about the work of the Committee?
It always brings me great joy to narrate the CCFO story. Over the past sixty years, CCFO has consistently been instrumental in addressing a range of considerations related to the establishment of standards and codes of practice for fats and oils sourced from vegetables, animals, and marine origins. Our discussions cover broad areas of interest, all aimed at promoting safe food and fair-trade practices worldwide.

The discussions within CCFO are highly technical and complex, reflecting the intricate nature of the topics related to fats and oils standards globally. As a commodity committee, our challenges are mostly in setting indicators for high quality and authentic oils. We have been adding new oils in our standards, corresponding to global trade demands for better nutrition, healthier fats and oils, alternative food sources and enhanced food security. In essence, the CCFO is committed to developing international food standards based on scientific evidence, facilitating smooth and safe global trade of fats and oils, and ultimately safeguarding the interests of consumers while promoting fair practices within the food industry.

And what has changed over the last six decades in the world of fats and oils?
Over the last six decades, there has been a significant shift in dietary trends, where consumers are increasingly aware of the impact of fats and oils on health. There are now more demands for healthier oils and we are now seeing more and more new sources of oils, which we may not have heard of in the last decades. This creates an opening for new technology, for example in higher oleic acid varieties as compared to traditional oil, and new fats and oils based on alternative sources.

Ongoing research and development in the field of nutrition and food science also have contributed to a deeper understanding of the health effects of different fats and oils, influencing product formulations and consumer choices. Consequently, it is CCFO’s responsibility to ensure the safety, quality, and fair trade of fats and oils globally through the establishment of international standards on fats and oils.

New oils, trans-fatty acids (TFAs), new foods… Where is the Committee's future heading and how is it adapting to new emerging challenges and requests?
The Committee will continue to evolve in response to emerging challenges and requests within the fats and oils industry, requests from food and beverage manufacturers, as well as consumer demand for healthier food. Responding to the increasing number of submissions for new work, CCFO26 in 2019 agreed to a mechanism that could help promote better management of its work to ensure we are providing a platform for Codex Members to highlight emerging issues on fats and oils to CCFO, and that work is undertaken effectively in CCFO - especially since CCFO only meets every 24 months.

I believe the food insecurity and sustainability agendas do contribute to the introduction of alternative sources of edible fats and oils nowadays, which has gained more prominence. The Committee will likely continue to consider standards for these non-traditional sources of fats and oils, such as microbial oil.

There is considerable work involved in assessing the need for a new standard and in evaluating the relevant safety and nutritional profiles and other aspects of these emerging alternatives. The expertise that exists in the Committee makes that work manageable.

Taking everything into consideration, the Committee’s work will continue to facilitate the safety and quality of the international trade of fats and oils in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The safety of fats and oils, authenticity, quality, identity and best practices, all contribute to the overall gold standard for edible fats and oils

CCFO also supports the ongoing global efforts to achieve health- and nutrition-related goals through reducing the risk factors connected to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) when considering new standards, or during the review of standards relating to the composition of foods. CCFO has been working on developing standards for new oils and for healthier oils. This session, CCFO will consider possible ways to reduce the presence of trans fatty acids (TFAs) in fats and oils due to their negative impact on consumer health. This CCFO work could expedite the WHO-led concerted effort globally on the reduction of TFAs in food and set the tone for the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) on how it can offer further support from the labelling perspective.

How does the work of CCFO protect consumer health? Where is it most important?
CCFO has developed standards for 30 vegetable oils, 6 fish oils, fat spreads, margarine and animal fats; and one code of practice. For the 30 vegetable oils, CCFO prescribed the identity of such oils and set standards for their authenticity and quality, as well as determining what additives can be used in these oils. These standards assist food producers, processors, traders and regulators in ascertaining whether an oil is what it claims to be and what is safe and good for the consumer.  The same applies to named fish oils and fat spread products.

In developing standards for new as well as healthier fats and oils, CCFO is also open to considering relevant issues in the development of fats and oils, including how we can contribute to efforts in addressing NCDs.

No less important, the Code of Practice (COP) for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk (CXC 36-1987) provides guidance on the good handling, storage and transport of crude and processed fats and oils in bulk. Since a cargo container that carries edible fats and oils may previously have been used to carry either other food or non-food items, it is critical that undesirable contamination from the previous cargo is avoided.

A lot has been incorporated into the COP since it was first adopted in 1987. Good design and operation, the banned and acceptable previous cargoes list, as well as the criteria for acceptability of previous cargoes are important elements that prevent contamination of fats and oils carried for human consumption.

All these areas of work are equally important in my view. The safety of fats and oils, authenticity, quality, identity and best practices, all contribute to the overall gold standard for edible fats and oils.

What do you see as highlights or key issues on the agenda this year?
We have two agenda items that have nearly reached the approved completion timeline at this session i.e. the review of the Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils (CXS 33-1981) and the inclusion of avocado oil in the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (CXS 210-1999), so we will prioritize these two. Olive oil has been one of the most challenging agenda items that I have ever been involved with in Codex, so completing that work in this session would be a highlight .

Another agenda item will be on the recommendations forwarded from the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) 90th and 91st meetings related to the assessment of substances proposed as previous cargoes.

We will also be looking at the very important subject of the elimination of TFAs from fats and oils that is translated from WHO’s action package to eliminate industrially produced trans-fat from the global food supply (known as REPLACE). This is a cross-committee agenda: it started in the Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), then it went to CCFL and CCFO. And now, CCFL is waiting for CCFO to deliberate before they decide what is on their plate. So, we will have a very interesting discussion here.

Prior to your role as CCFO Chairperson, you also served as Head of Delegation of Malaysia in several Codex meetings. Based on your long experience, what would you say to a first-time delegate?
To CCFO first-time delegates, welcome to the CCFO! Since CCFO has always had a heavy agenda, I would recommend all delegates be well prepared by reviewing all the meeting documents. Do follow updates on incoming Conference Room Documents (CRDs) through the CCFO webpage on a regular basis and be prepared with your country position - and hopefully be prepared to agree to some win-win compromises. Lastly, browsing the Understanding Codex publication would help with understanding how Codex works.

Any final advice or comment?
This year, 2024, marks 60 years of CCFO, from the first historic 1st CCFO meeting in February 1964 hosted, by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to the 8 sessions hosted by Malaysia. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate CCFO delegates for all the hard work and for their contributions, and I look forward to a fruitful CCFO28 meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

Not to forget also, to those attending CCFO in person, please do experience “Malaysia Truly Asia”!

Read more
CCFO28 webpage
WHO’s REPLACE package
Understanding Codex

Photo ©FAO/Roberto Sciotti