U.S. Codex News — Friday, July 1, 2011
A summary of recent and upcoming events published biweekly; direct inquiries to USCodex@fsis.usda.gov
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Recent Committee Meetings
The Executive Committee met June 28-July 1 and endorsed all of the proposed standards and guidance up for adoption by the Codex Commission next week. In other action:
- The Committee began discussions on an updated Strategic Plan covering 2014-2019, and assigned the North America delegation (Canada and the United States) to develop a draft plan for discussion at the next Executive Committee meeting (tentatively scheduled for February 2012).
- Endorsed applications for Codex observer status from three organizations: the European Chilled Food Federation; Safe Supply of Affordable Food Everywhere (SSAFE); and the European Association of Polyol Producers. The latter is a member of another observer organization (the Federation of European Food Additives, Food Enzymes, and Food Cultures Industries - ELC) and will not be eligible to participate as an observer at any Codex meeting where ELC is present. The recommendations will be forwarded to the Director Generals of FAO and WHO for a final decision.
- Recommended that the Codex Commission ask the Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables to consider its terms of reference as they relate to the consultation provisions with the Working Party on Agriculture Quality Standards of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Upcoming Meetings
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) will open its 34th Session in Geneva, July 4. In addition to taking decisions on proposed new standards, proposals for new work and discontinuing work, and the revocation of old standards, the Commission will confirm the selection of countries serving as regional coordinators, and the Commission will elect a new Chairperson and three new vice chairpersons. The Session concludes on July 9. The Agenda for the 34th Session and related documents are available on our companion page: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/Codex+Alimentarius+Commission
Other News
WHO/FAO issued a call for data on existing daily vitamin and mineral intake reference values for healthy men (ages 19-65) and women (19-5). The call is in response to a request made at the most recent session (Santiago, Chile, November 2010) of the Committee on Nutrition and Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) to support work on a Proposed Draft Additional or Revised Nutrient Reference Values for Labelling Purposes in the Codex Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling, currently at step 4, on which the Committee will continue to work at its next session (Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany, November 14-18, 2011. The list of 13 vitamins and 15 minerals for which intake reference values are requested is provided in table form, below. The deadline is August 15, and the links to the FAO and WHO calls are:
| Vitamins | Minerals |
|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Calcium |
| Vitamin D | Magnesium |
| Vitamin E | Iodine |
| Vitamin K | Iron |
| Vitamin C | Zinc |
| Thiamin | Selenium |
| Riboflavin | Copper |
| Niacin | Chloride |
| Vitamin B6 | Chromium (3+) |
| Folate | Sodium |
| Vitamin B12 | Fluoride |
| Pantothenate | Manganese |
| Biotin | Molybdenum |
| Phosphorus | |
| Potassium |