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| Report of the U.S. Delegate, 10th Session, Codex Committee on North America and the South West Pacific,
Oct 28-31, 2008, Naku'alofa, Tonga |
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The work of the 10th Session of the Codex Committee for North America and the South West Pacific (CCNASWP)
focused on completion of a 2008-2013 Strategic Plan, consideration of two commodity standards for Kava and Nonu (Noni) developed by the
Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and consideration of nutritional issues within the Region with a special focus on the WHO
Global Strategy for Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The Committee adopted the regional plan, agreed to continue consideration
of the Kava standard with certain recommendations relating to safety assessment, and agreed that broader consultation on the
appropriateness of a Codex standard for Nonu was needed before proceeding further. Further details on these and other items
considered by the 10th Session of CCNASWP are given below.
The 10th Session of CCNASWP was attended by 37 delegates representing 11 member and 4 international organizations. The United States was
represented by Dr. H. Michael Wehr, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The full report of the 10th Session can be found in ALINORM 09/32/32 on the Codex Web site, www.codexalimentarius.net.
CCNASWP Strategic Plan
A preliminary CCNASWP Strategic Plan had been developed by the Committee beginning with the 9th Session of CCNASWP. Through an electronic
working group and a physical working group that meet just prior to the 10th Session, the Strategic Plan was revised and presented to the
10th Session of consideration. The Strategic Plan is largely focused on further developing the Codex capabilities of Pacific Island Countries
(PICs) that constitute the majority of the Members of the Region.
The Plan focuses, among other things, on improving the coordination and communication of the Region's activities in Codex and participation
in Codex, with particular emphasis on the engagement of the PICS in developing their knowledge of issues coming before Codex Committees,
developing country comments, and enhancing their effective participation in Codex, particularly though use of the Codex Trust Fund.
The United States proposed changes to the plan relating to identifying items arising from Codex Committees and Task Forces that are
of particular significance to the Region with a view of enhancing the participation of the PICs in Codex. This proposal was linked
to a mentoring portion of the Strategic Plan, again with the strategy of enhancing the participation of PICs in the work of Codex.
The Strategic Plan also includes provisions relating to: strengthening the exchange of scientific and technical expertise amongst the
developed and developing countries of the Region: developing the capability of Codex Contact Points within the Region; and promoting
the development of standards for food products produced in the Region.
Based on the revised Plan coming forward from the Working Group, the Committee had a general discussion on the plan, made several
minor technical adjustments and agreed to accept the Plan as revised.
The final CCNASWP Strategic Plan for 2008-2013 can be found in Appendix II of Report of the 10th Session of CCNASWP, ALINORM 09/32/32.
Kava Standard
The Pacific Island Countries, working via an electronic working group had developed a Discussion Paper proposing a new Codex international
standard for Kava. The Discussion Paper also contained a Project Document for the new work.
The World Health Organization (WHO) representative tabled a Conference Document relating to a safety assessment of Kava prepared by WHO.
The WHO report noted the current uncertain state of the safety of Kava, that appropriate measures needed to be applied for the prevention
of health risks arising from kava consumption, and noted that it was premature to treat kava as a food due to the effects attributed
to its pharmacological properties.
Several delegations supported the WHO assessment and noted that the Project Document contained a number of health-related scientific
questions that needed to be answered prior progressing a standard for kava. These delegations also noted the importance of focusing
the scope of the document on food uses of kava.
The Committee after further discussion, agreed that the PICs would prepare a Discussion Paper for the next session of CCNASWP which would
compile information on: the scope of kava products and evidence of the use of kava as food; processing methods; regulatory measures for
safety control of those products by countries; and, the market of export and other relevant issues.
Nonu (Noni) Standard
The PICs, similar to the work done for Kava, also developed a discussion Paper on the consideration of developing a commodity standard for
Nonu (Noni). Several delegations noted the number of scientific and technical issues relating to Nonu brought forward in the Paper and
that these issues should be resolved prior to proceeding with the development of a standard. As with the Kava standard, questions were
raised regarding the scope of the standard and that the standard needed to focus on the food uses of Nonu, particularly Nonu juice,
and on certain of the safety aspects of the product.
It was noted that consideration should be made as to whether the need for a Codex standard for Nonu juice could be handled through an
amendment to the Codex General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars, assuming that the safety concerns associated with consumption of Nonu
juice were resolved.
After discussion, the Committee endorsed the recommendation of the working group that it was premature to consider the development of a
standard for nonu (noni) products and that broader consultation be carried out with producing countries and industry.
Nutritional Issues Within the Region
The Committee received a report and presentation by WHO on nutritional matters in the region that had also been presented at a Workshop
held prior to the Session. The Paper, among other things, noted initiatives being carried out in the South West Pacific relating to obesity.
The WHO presentation also summarized the work of Codex relating to the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, including
those aspects currently being carried out in the Codex Committee on Food Labelling and the
Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses.
The WHO presentation noted two specific items on which concern was raised by some delegations. The first was the revision to Codex commodity
standards to accommodate the recommendations of the Global Strategy and the need for Codex to address advertising in relation to foods with
respect to health and nutrition. With respect to the aspect of commodity standards, some delegations noted that undertaking a review of
individual commodity standards was not feasible and that, if there was a need to address commodity standards with respect to the Global
Strategy, it was preferable to address the issues through general principles and guidance that might allow countries flexibility to modify
Codex commodity standards to accommodate the objectives of the Global Strategy. Additionally, regarding advertising some delegations
noted that advertising was best regulated at the national level and not through the development of Codex guidance on this subject.
Further, with respect to advertising, it was noted that CCFL had developed, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission had adopted, a definition
for advertising with respect to health and nutrition claims and that further work on the subject was unnecessary.
Other Matters
As a matter arising from the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Committee addressed the issue as to whether the Terms of Reference of
CCNASWP needed to be modified to provide for a Codex Region to take regional positions on matters coming before the Commission or Codex
committees/task forces. Some Codex Regional Coordinating Committees have favored this addition of a specific item to the Terms of
Reference for Codex Coordinating Committees. CCNASWP agreed that the addition of a specific term of reference relating to developing
regional positions was not necessary and that the current Terms of Reference were sufficiently broad to allow Regional Coordinating
Committees to develop regional positions if they wished to do so.
In regards to the participation of developing countries in Codex, the Committee noted the particular importance of the Codex Trust Fund
in this regard.
The Committee received reports from participating countries regarding: 1) the status of their national food safety systems; 2) the
operation of their national Codex Contact Points; 3) consumer participation in Codex, and, 4) the use by countries of Codex standards.
The Committee noted that these items are standard items on the agenda of Codex Regional Coordinating Committees, that they are generally
pro-forma in nature and that more ought to be done to make this part of the agenda more relevant. The Committee agreed to ask the Commission
to reconsider the need to request information on these matters. The Committee also agreed to request issuance of Codex Circular Letter
in the form of a questionnaire, which would link more directly the information on the status of national food legislation, Codex structure,
consumer participation in Codex and use of Codex standards at national and regional level to the objectives of the CCNASWP Strategic Plan.
It was felt that the results of such a questionnaire might help guide the Committee and Codex to make certain standing Codex Regional
Coordinating Committee Agenda items more useful. The Committee accepted the offer of New Zealand to prepare the questionnaire.
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Last Modified:
November 7, 2008 |
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