WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/519 
20 October 2004 
 (04-4445) 
Committee of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
 
 
Submission by the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 18 Octo ber 2004, is being circulated at the request 
of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
 
 
_______________  
 
 
I. CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE (22-
23 JUNE 2004) 
• The 54th Session Executive Committee of the Co dex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, 
Switzerland, 24-26 June 2004). 
• The 27th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commi ssion (Geneva, Switzerland, 28 June - 3 
July 2004). 
• The 14th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (Jeju, Republic of 
Korea, 7-10 September 2004). 
• The 24th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Co mmittee for Europe (Bratislava, Slovak 
Republic, 20-23 September 2004). 
• The 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (Washington 
DC, United States, 27 September -1 October 2004). 
 
1. In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to  draw its attention to the following. 
2. The 27th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, among others: 
a) Adopted amendments to several sections  of the Procedural Manual, including 
amendments to Procedures for the Elaboration of  Codex Standards and Related Texts 
and to Definitions for the Purpose of  the Codex Alimentarius, namely the definition for 
"Traceability / Product tracing" ; 
b) Adopted 19 new or revised Codex standa rds or related texts, including the Code of 
Practice for Good Animal Feeding  and the Standard for Oranges (see Appendix I) ; 
c) Approved a number of new work proposals, including the re-establishment of the Ad Hoc  
Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology; G/SPS/GEN/519 
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 d) Agreed that a new Strategic Plan should cover the period 2008-2013 and, once adopted, 
be renewed every two years on a rolling basis; 
e) Approved the procedures for the review of the Committee structure and mandates of 
Codex Committees and Task Forces; 
f) Agreed, in regard to its relations with  other international organizations, that: 
• FAO and WHO initiate discussion with OIE on how to foster and oversee the 
relations between Codex and OIE; and  
• the Secretariat maintain its contacts with  ISO and report to the Executive Committee 
and the Commission on ISO’s activities of relevance to Codex work; 
g) Welcomed that the FAO/WHO Trust Fund fo r Enhanced Participation in Codex had 
become operational, expressed its appreciation to the donor countries, and requested that 
the criteria used in the distribution of funds be kept under review;  and 
h) Expressed its appreciation to FAO and WHO fo r their efforts to improve the scientific 
advice provided to the Commission, agreed to fu rther consider how to address the issue of 
antimicrobial resistance at its 28
th session, and noted the capacity building activities 
provided by FAO and WHO. 
3. The full report of the meeting is availa ble at: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/  
 
II. FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
• The 8th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and South 
West Pacific (19-22 October 2004, Apia, Samoa). 
• The 15th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (26-29 
October 2004, Washington DC, United States) 
• The 26th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (1-
5 November 2004, Bonn, Germany)  
• The 21st Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (8-12 November, Paris, 
France) 
• The 14th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the 
Caribbean (29 November- 3 December 2004, Buenos Aires, Argentina) 
• The 13th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and 
Certification Systems (6-10 December 2004, Melbourne, Australia) 
• The 16th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa (14-17 December 
2004, Venue to be confirmed) 
• The 55th Session of the Executive Committee (9-11 February 2005, Rome, Italy) 
• The 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Meat  Hygiene (14-18 February 2005, 
Christchurch, New Zealand) 
• The 19th Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils  (21-25 Febr uary 2005, London, 
United Kingdom) 
• The 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Fish an d Fishery Products  (28 February- 4 
March 2005, venue to be determined)  G/SPS/GEN/519 
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 • The 3rd Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Comm ittee for Near East  (7-10 March 2005, 
Amman, Jordan) 
• The 37th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  (14-19 March 2005, Buenos 
Aires, Argentina) 
4. In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to  draw its attention to the following: 
(a) The 15th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in 
Foods will consider the recommendations arising from the 60th and 62nd meetings of 
the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Food Additives (JECFA) and will proceed with its work on draft Maximum Residues Limits for Veterinary Drugs . In 
addition, the Committee will continue its work on the revision of Codex Guidelines 
for the Establishment of a Regulatory Programme for the Control of Veterinary 
Drugs in Foods and on the development of the Code of Practice to Minimize and 
Contain Antimicrobial Resistance .  It will discuss the paper on Risk Management 
Methodologies, including Risk Assessment Policies , which aims at defining risk 
assessment policies and risk management guidelines related to the establishment of 
Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs  in the Committee. 
(b) The 13
th Session of the  Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection 
and Certification Systems will consider three new work items:  i) proposed draft 
Appendices on the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with 
Food Inspection and Certification ; ii) proposed draft Principles for Electronic 
Certification ; and iii) proposed draft Guidelines for Risk-based Inspection of 
Imported Foods . The Committee will continue its discussion on the development of 
work on Traceability/Product Tracing in the context of food import and export 
inspection and certification systems in the light of the definition of 
Traceability/Product Tracing, which was adopted by the 27th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  As requested by the Commission, the Committee will 
consider the submission of a proposal for new work on principles for the application 
of Traceability/Product Tracing as a matter of priority.  
(c) The 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Meat Hygiene  will be primarily 
involved in the discussion and finalisation of the draft Codex Code of Hygienic 
Practice for Meat , in view of its submission for final approval by the 28th Session of 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
 
III. MEMBERSHIP OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
Ukraine has become a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission since the last session of 
the SPS Committee. The membership currently co mprises 171 member nati ons and one member 
organization.   
  
 G/SPS/GEN/519 
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 Appendix I 
 
Standards and Related Texts Adopted by the 27
th Session 
of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
Part 1.  Standards and Related Texts Adopted at Step 8 as Final Texts  
Standard and Related Text Reference 
Code of Practice on Good Animal Feed ing  ALINORM 04/27/38; Appendix II and 
ALINORM 03/38A: Appendix II 
Food Category System of the Codex General Standard 
for Food Additives ALINORM 04/27/12; Appendix V, para. 68 
Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of 
Aflatoxin Contamination in Peanuts ALINORM 04/27/12; Appendix XV, para. 
140 
Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Lead Contamination in Food ALINORM 04/27/12; Appendix XVI, para. 
168 
Revisions to Table 1 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives ALINORM 04/27/12; Appendix VI, para. 
81 
Standard for Salted Atlantic Herring and Salted  Sprat ALINORM 04/27/18; Appendix II, para. 54 
Model Certificate for Fish a nd Fishery Products (sanitary 
certificate) ALINORM 04/27/18; Appendix III, para. 
68  
Amendment to the Standard for Quick Frozen Lobsters ALINORM 04/27/18; Appendix IV, para. 
74 
Standard for Oranges ALINORM 04/27/35; Appendix II, para. 18 
Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products ALINORM 04/27/13; Appendix II, para. 53 
Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and Health Claims ALINORM 04/27/22; Appendix III, para. 
51 
Amendment to the Standard for Quick Frozen Fish 
Sticks (Fish Fingers), Fish Portions and Fish Fillets, 
Breaded or in Batter (Labelling Section)  ALINORM 04/27/22; Appendix II, para. 11 
Amendment to the Guidelines for the Production, 
Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically 
Produced Foods: Revised  Annex 2 – Tables 1 and 2 ALINORM 04/27/22; Appendix IV, para. 
75 
General Guidelines on Sampling ALI NORM 04/27/23; Appendix III, para. 
25 
Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty  ALINORM 04/27/23; Appendix IV, para. 
37 
Methods of Analysis for Additives and Contamin ants ALINORM 04/27/23; Appendix VI- Part E 
Methods of Analysis (for inclusion in the Standard of 
Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils) ALINORM 04/27/23; Appendix VI- Part A 
Methods of Analysis (for inclusion in the Standard of 
Named Vegetable Oils) ALINORM 04/27/23; Appendix VI- Part A  G/SPS/GEN/519 
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 Standard and Related Text Reference 
MRLs for Pesticides ALINORM 04/27/24; Appendix II, paras 
60-175 
 
Part 2.  Standards and Related Texts Adopted at Step 5 and Step 8 
as Final Texts with Recommendations to Omit Step 6 and 7  
Standard and Related Text Reference 
Revisions to Table 1 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives ALINORM 04/27/12; Appendix VI, 
para. 81 
Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives (Category I) arising from the 61
st JECFA Meeting ALINORM 04/27/12; Appendix XI, 
para. 99 
Amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives ALINORM 04/27/12; Appendix 
XII, para. 103 
Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (quick frozen coated fish products)
1 ALINORM 04/27/18, Appendix V, 
para. 113; ALINORM 06/27/13, 
paras. 13-14 
Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in 
Food Safety Emergency Situations ALINORM 04/27/30; Appendix II, 
para. 61 
MRLs for Pesticides ALINORM 04/27/24; Appendix III, 
paras 60-175  
 
 
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1  The Code of Practice supersedes the provisions on fish products in the Code of Practice for Frozen 
Battered and/or Breaded Fishery Products (CAC/RCP 35-1985).