The COP is intended to provide guidance to reduce the formation of 3-MCPDE and GE in refined oils and food products made with these oils by offering good management practices for application by national authorities, producers, manufacturers and other relevant bodies.   The forty-second Codex Alimentarius Commission held in Geneva, Switzerland 8-12 July 2019, adopted a Code of Practice (COP) for the reduction of 3-Monochloropropane-1,2- diol esters (3-MCPDE) and Glycidyl Esters (GE) in refined oils and food products made with refined oils. The [...]

Penny K. Lukito, Head of the Food and Drug Authority of the Republic of Indonesia opened the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF), held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia 29 April to 3 May, 2019 and stated how proud Indonesia was to once again be trusted with co-hosting a Codex meeting. Indonesia and The Netherlands are co-hosting CCCF13 The meeting is being attended by approximately 250 participants from 60 countries and in greeting delegates Wieke Tas, Chairperson from the permanent hosts of the [...]

The Netherlands began hosting the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food in 2007 and in the 13 sessions since then, five have been co-hosted abroad. When business gets underway on 29 April 2019, Yogyakarta, Indonesia will be the sixth foreign location. Cooperation with Indonesia … has been a joy When a country co-hosts they make a world-wide contribution to food safety. “The Netherlands and Codex have a long history together and co-hosting for us is a means to bring Codex and everything [...]

Experts met in FAO on 19 – 23 November 2018 to discuss ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) and develop scientific advice for the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food. CFP is one of the most common foodborne illnesses related to seafood consumption. While CFP has been known about for centuries, its true incidence remains unclear. In 2000 it was estimated that 10 000 – 50 000 people per year suffer from this illness. Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer, and FAO Secretary [...]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is holding a webinar on “Food Safety in a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency” on 23 October 2018 at 11:00-14:30 UTC. The web-based discussion aims to help national experts be prepared in case of an emergency involving a significant release of radioactive material into the environment that makes water, local produce, milk from grazing animals and other foods unsafe for consumption. The IAEA safety standards call for [...]

A workshop held 11-12 April 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya is providing participants from COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) with a science-based approach for risk assessment and management of mycotoxins. Mycotoxin contamination of food commodities poses major challenges to both public health and trade. While it remains a global problem, this is particularly relevant in some regions of the world where dietary exposure to mycotoxins is still unacceptably high. Effective national and regional programmes for reducing mycotoxins contamination require [...]

Dr Martin Slayne -  International Council of Grocery Manufacturers Associations Global Head Scientific & Regulatory Affairs The Hershey Company  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) provides a global forum for governments to harmonize regulatory management measures, based on common science, risk assessment and best practices. At the recent 12th meeting of the Committee, good progress was made in some areas, although a key observation when discussing the setting of Maximum Levels for contaminants was an increasing pattern of country [...]

Contaminants are substances that have not been intentionally added to food. They can occur naturally and enter the food while a crop is growing. They can form during manufacturing, handling, storage, processing or distribution. Or they can enter the food from the environment, through our water, the air or soil. The Contaminants Committee establishes or endorses permitted maximum levels or guidelines levels for contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and feed. Nearly 50 countries are expected at this 11th session which [...]

Earlier this week there were stories in the press that the UK Food Standards Agency is warning that overcooked starchy foods can contain acrylamide, a chemical liked to cancer. Risks during high temperature cooking Recent concern over the presence of acrylamide in food dates from 2002. Scientists reported that up to “mg/kg” quantities of acrylamide could be formed in carbohydrate-rich foods during high-temperature cooking, e.g. during frying, baking, roasting, toasting and grilling.  Acrylamide (or acrylic amide) is a chemical compound with the chemical [...]