CODEX UPDATE SPS workshop Abu Dhabi November 2013 Tom Heilandt C O D E X A L I M E N T A R I U S

The Codex year 2012 – CCFFV17 CCNASWP12 CCEURO28 CCFFP32 CCPFV26 CCASIA18 CCFH44 CCLAC18 CCNFSDU34 CCNEA7 CCAFRICA20 TFAF7 CCFICS20 CCFO23 CCMAS34 CCFA45 CCCF7 CCPR45 CCFL41 CCEXEC68 CAC36 CCRVDF21 CCNFSDU35 CCFH45 CCSCH1 CCFFP33 CCFA46 CCCF8 CCGP28 CCPR46 CCEXEC69 CAC37

General issues at CAC36 Codex 50 anniversary: opened by DG FAO and WHO, Ministers from Costa Rica, India, Papua New Guinea and other officials Adoption of standards Plan discussion on successor of trust fund Codex communication strategy

CAC36: Achievements Codex Strategic Plan ; Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods (following trust fund pilot project) Application of Risk Assessment for Feed and the Guidance on Prioritizing Hazards in Feed

CAC36: Issues Potatoes or no potatoes Processed cheese or no processed cheeses Vet drugs in the pipeline: Zilpaterol and BST Discussion on New work on Halal Discussion onNew work on frozen or chilled meat

Codex Strategic Plan Strategic Goal 1: Establish international food standards that address current and emerging food issues Strategic Goal 2: Ensure the application of risk analysis principles in the development of Codex standards. Strategic Goal 3: Facilitate the effective participation of all Codex Members. Strategic Goal 4: Implement effective and efficient work management systems and practices.

Food hygiene Adopted: Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods; and the Annex on Berries to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables New work: Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods. O NGOING : Guidelines for Control of Specific Zoonotic Parasites in Meat: Trichinella spp. and Cysticercus bovis; and the renamed Code of Hygienic Practice for Spices and Dried Aromatic Herbs. Discussion papers: occurrence and control of parasites and; Revision of the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.

Nutrition and Special foods Adopted: revision of the Guidelines on Formulated Supplementary Foods for Older Infants and Young Children; Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) (saturated fatty acids and sodium); General Principles for Establishing Nutrient Reference Values for Nutrients Associated with Risk of Diet- Related Non-Communicable Diseases for General Population (NRVs-NCD) and additional or revised Nutrient Reference Values for Labelling (Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenate, Biotin, Calcium and Iodine) New work: Revision Codex Standard for Follow-up Formula. Ongoing additional or revised Nutrient Reference Values for Labelling Purposes in the Codex Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling (Other values than described above, including protein), evision of the Codex General Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients to Foods; and amending the Standard for Processed Cereal-Based Foods for Infants and Young Children to Include a New Part B for Underweight Children.

Import/export inspection Adopted: Guidelines for National food control systems New work: amendments to the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between Countries on Rejections of Imported food (CAC/GL ) to address animal feeding Project documents on the burden of multiple questionnaires directed at exporting countries and on Principles and Guidelines for Monitoring Regulatory Performance of National Food Control Systems

Methods and sampling Adopted: Principles for the Use of Sampling and Testing in International Food Trade; methods of analysis and sampling in Codex Standards at different steps for adoption; the amendments to the Guidelines for Establishing Numeric Values for Method Criteria and/or Assessing Methods for Compliance Thereof in the Procedural Manual. Ongoing: the principles for the Use of Sampling and Testing in International Food Trade – Other sections - Explanatory Notes.

Food additives Adopted: food additive provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives; amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives; Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives. The Committee reviewed Food additive provisions of commodity standards; Process to deal with food additives included in the GSFA with no corresponding monograph specifications; Ongoing: alignment food additive provisions of commodity standards and relevant provisions of the GSFA with a view to finalise work on the meat standards by its next Session; decision-tree approach for its work on the alignment of the food additives provisions of commodity standards and relevant provisions of the GSFA. Discussion paper on the use of additives in additives (secondary additives); different options for the use of the outcomes of the prioritization exercise and other feasible steps to identify compounds for re-evaluation by JECFA.

Contaminants Adopted: maximum levels for lead; maximum levels for DON and associated sampling plan; Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of ochratoxin A contamination in cocoa; Code of practice for the reduction of hydrocyanic acid in cassava and cassava products; and Maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid for cassava flour and gari New: establishment of maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid in cassava and cassava products. Ongoing: maximum levels for arsenic in rice and rice products and on fumonisins in maize and maize products; draft Annex for the prevention and reduction of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A contamination in sorghum and the proposed draft Code of practice for weed control to prevent and reduce pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination in food and feed. Discussion paper methylmercury in fish; aflatoxins in cereals; and total aflatoxins in ready-to-eat peanuts and associated sampling plans

Pesticide residues Adopted: MRLs for pesticides at various steps; the Principles and guidance for application of the proportionality concept for estimation of MRLs (for inclusion in PM); priority list for the Establishment of MRLs for Pesticides; pilot project for JMPR recommendation of MRLs. New work: Guidance on performance criteria specific for methods of analysis for the determination of pesticide residues. Several MRLs were withdrawn. Ongoing: work on several MRLs awaiting for JMPR evaluations; revision of the Classification of Food and Feed; on examples of selection of representative commodities for vegetable and other commodity groups in parallel with the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed; on criteria for use by CCPR and JMPR to determine the minimum number of field trials necessary to support the establishment of MRLs for minor crops / specialty crops in order to facilitate data submission to JMPR and other related issues; on the revision of the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues

Labelling Adopted: amendments to the Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims (CAC/GL ) concerning Non-Addition of Sodium Salts and amendments to the Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods concerning use of ethylene as sprouting inhibitor for Onions and Potatoes. Ongoing: organic aquaculture; New: date marking.

Thank you!