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Upcoming Public Meeting
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC): The public meeting for the 35th Session will be
held Tuesday, June 5, 1:00-4:00 p.m. in the Jamie Whitten Building of USDA, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC,
Room 107-A. Individuals may also participate via teleconference by calling 1-888-858-2144; Participant Code: 6208658.
The public meeting will discuss U.S. draft positions for the items on the agenda for the Commission, including
adoption of proposed standards and amendments to existing standards, the proposed revocation of existing standards,
the approval of new work proposals and budgetary matters. For more details, see the agenda with links to documents
to be discussed at: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
The Commission will meet in Rome, Italy, July 2-7, 2012.
Recent Meeting
Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH): A physical Working Group, attended by approximately
80 participants from over 20 countries and 3 observer groups, was held in Parma, Italy, May 29-June 1 to further
progress the Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological
Criteria Related to Foods.
Due to the technical nature of the document, at its last session in November 2011, the CCFH established eight
teams comprised of a mentor (developed country) and mentees (developing countries) to develop real life examples of
how microbiological criteria for specific foods were developed. The examples could possibly serve as an annex to the
main document. The teams worked electronically and via conference calls to develop their examples. Almost all
the members of each team were present in Parma to discuss their examples, and all considered this to be a very
valuable experience in understanding microbiological criteria. (One mentee described it as "not only being invited
to the banquet, but also being taken to the kitchen to see how the food was prepared.")
The main document was revised based on the example experiences. The document will be sent out for comment at
Step 3, and it is anticipated to be adopted at Step 5/8 at the CCFH meeting in November 2012.
Recent Outreach
Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA): A group of 16 officials who work on Codex issues
from 8 African countries (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, Togo, and Uganda) participated
in the second African Mentoring Program, from May 18-26, in Washington, DC. The program was organized by the U.S.
Codex Office, in conjunction with the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service and the Borlaug Institute for International
Agriculture at the Texas A & M University. The instructors included former USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety,
Elsa Murano, and former Chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Karen Hulebak.
The purpose of the program was to provide advice for strengthening Codex programs in their own countries as well
as enhancing African participation in Codex meetings. The program featured discussions with the U.S. Codex Office
staff, U.S. Delegates/Alternate Delegates, and other government experts, as well as meetings with representatives
from the Food Industry Codex Coalition (FICC) and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The
visiting African officials included a former Vice Chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, several Codex Contact
Points and Chairpersons of Codex National Committees, National Directors of Food Safety, Directors of National
Organizations of Standardization, and University Professors.
Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA): The U.S. Codex Office was invited to send an
observer to the Third Pan-African Meeting of Codex Contact Points, which was convened by the African Union and
Cameroon, the Coordinator for CCAFRICA, in Douala, Cameroon, May 29-31. The purpose of the meeting was to
prepare regional positions for the issues on the agenda of the upcoming 35th Session of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (Rome, July 2-7). Representatives from 33 of the 50 CCAfrica member countries attended, along with
officials from the African Union and the European Union.
Electronic Working Groups (eWG)
Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) has established two eWGs:
- On the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) to (1) implement a horizontal approach to provisions
in Table 1 and 2 for food additives listed in Table 3 with "acidity regulators" function; (2) further
elaborate the horizontal approach for food additives listed in Table 3 with "emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners"
function; and (3) provide recommendations for provisions for the use of aluminum-containing food additives.
The United States is chairing this working group, and invites member countries and observers interested in
participating to send their contact information to ccfa@fda.hhs.gov by June 20, 2012.
- On the development of criteria for the entry of substances into the database for processing aids.
This eWG is being led by New Zealand, which invites member countries and observers interested in participation
to provide contact information to John van den Beuken
(john.vandenbeuken@mpi.govt.nz) with a copy to
codexnz@mpi.govt.nz by June 20, 2012. Anyone with comments on the
structure of the database should send those comments to Ms. Claire Ding of the Peoples Republic of China,
ipa_db@ccfa.cc.
Committee on Methods of Analysis (CCMAS) invites member countries and interested
observers to participate in an eWG to develop Explanatory Notes on Principles for the Use of Sampling and Testing
in International Food Trade. The eWG, which will work in English only, is led by Germany with the assistance of
New Zealand, the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan. A web-based shared workspace will be provided.
Each member country or observer organization may nominate one "participant" and 3 "guests" who will be granted
access to the shared workspace. Persons interested in receiving updates from the U.S. participant should contact
the U.S. Codex Office (USCodex@fsis.usda.gov)
by June 15. Other members and observer organizations should contact Meena Chandra of New Zealand
(meena.chandra@maf.govt.nz) by June 30.
Comments Requested
Committee for Asia (CCASIA) has requested comments from Codex members and interested
international organizations on a proposed draft regional standard for tempe, a compact, white, cake-form product
prepared from dehulled boiled soybeans through solid state fermentation with Rhizopus spp. The circular letter
containing the proposed draft regional standard is available at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Codex_Alimentarius/
Codex_Coordinating_Asia/index.asp.
Parties interested in contributing to a U.S. response should send their comments to USCodex@fsis.usda.gov
by September 7, 2012. International organizations may send their comments directly to the Codex Secretariat
(codex@fao.org), with a copy to Dr. Takako Yano, Secretary for the CCASIA,
ccasia@nm.maff.go.jp by September 15.
Other News
Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) is undertaking new work to amend desmethylsterols
levels and fatty acid composition for rice bran oil in the Codex Standard on Named Vegetable Oils
(Codex Stan 210-1999). If you would like to submit data, please contact the Thai Codex Contact Point
(codex@acfs.go.th) by July 31 for additional information.
Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP): The FAO published Fisheries and
Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 551: Assessment and Management of Biotoxin Risks in Bivalve Molluscs.
The publication is available online:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/i2356e/i2356e00.htm.
Proposed draft performance criteria for reference and confirmatory methods, as well as for screening methods for
marine biotoxins for the Standard for Raw and Live Bivalve Molluscs will be considered at the next session
of CCFFP meeting in Indonesia, October 1-5, 2012.
Previous Codex News:
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