WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/393
8 May 2003
(03-2448)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
RECENT ACTIVITIES OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Statement by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at the Meeting
of 2-3 April 2003
Several Codex meetings were held since the last session of the SPS Committee
(November 2002), and in particular the following:
Codex Alimentarius Commission (25th Session, 13-15 February 2003)
The 25th (Extraordinary) Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission was convened to
consider the Joint FAO (/WHO Evaluation of Codex Alim entarius and Other FAO and WHO Work on
Food Standards .  The Commission adopted a Statement concerning the outcome of the Joint
FAO/WHO Evaluation for submission to the Gove rning Bodies of FAO and WHO (World Health
Assembly and FAO Conference).  In particular the Commission:
- supported the overall thrust of the Evaluation report and expressed its commitment to the
implementation of strategies that would meet the objectives of the recommendations
contained therein;
- was of the opinion that its existing mandate to protect consumers' health and to ensure fair 
practices in the food trade continued to be appropriate but might be discussed in the future;
- emphasized that its first priority would be the development of standards having an impact on 
consumer health and safety;
- called for a more coordinated approach for capacity building between FAO and WHO and
requested the parent bodies to urgently analyse their existing means of providing capacity
building and inform the Codex Alimentarius  Commission on how they will improve
coordination and distribution of work drawing on their mutual strengths and synergies.
A Circular Letter (CL 2003/8-CAC) was distributed to ask for further comments on specific
recommendations of the Evaluation, for consideration at the 26th (Regular) Session of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 30 June-7 July 2003).
Trust Fund
The Trust Fund for the Participation of Developing Countries and Countries in Transition in
the Work of Codex was launched during the 25th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission by
the Directors-General of FAO and WHO.  The Trust Fund is intended to assist developing countries
and countries in transition to increase their participation in the work of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission.  The Commission discussed a progress report on the establishment of the Trust Fund.
The FAO/WHO Consultative Group for the Trust Fund will take into account the discussions held at
the Commission in order to revise and complete the proposed criteria for the selection ofG/SPS/GEN/393
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beneficiaries.  Once the proposed criteria have been reviewed by the Commission (July 2003), a first
call for application and the selection of beneficiaries will begin, subject to the availability of sufficient
funding.
Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
The Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
(Adelaide, 2-6 December 2002) finalized the draft Guidelines for the Judgement of Equivalence of
Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification Systems  for adoption by the
Codex Alimentarius Commission.  The Committee agreed to ask for further comments on a discussion
paper on the Judgement of Equivalence of Technical Regulations Associated with Food Inspection
and Certification Systems.   The Committee discussed the question of traceability in the context of
inspection and certification systems but did not reach any specific conclusion and agreed to discuss it
further at its next session.
Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Fo rce on Foods Derived from Biotechnology
The Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology
(Yokohama, 11-14 March 2003) finalized the Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety
Assessment of Foods Produced Usi ng Recombinant-DNA Microorganisms , including an Annex on the
Assessment of Possible Allergenicity .  This completes the work assigned by the Commission to the
Task Force as regards the establishment of recommendations to address risk analysis of foods derivedfrom biotechnology.
Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants
The 35
th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (Arusha,
Tanzania, 17-21 March 2003) finalized the Draft Codex General Standard for Irradiated Foods , the
Draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduct ion of Patulin Contamination in Apple Juice and
Apple Juice Ingredients in Other Beverages  and the Draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and
Reduction fo Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals,  including Annexes on Ochratoxin A, Zearlenone,
Fumonisin and Tricothecenes.
Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding
The Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding finalized the Proposed Draft
Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding .  This completes the work assigned by the Commission to
the Task Force.
Forthcoming Meetings
- Committee on Pesticide Residues (Rotterdam, Netherlands, 31 March – 5 April 2003)
- Committee on General Principles (Paris, France, 7-11 April 2003) Risk Analysis/Traceability- Committee on Food Labelling (Ottawa, Canada, 28 April – 2 May 2003)- Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruits and Vegetable Juices (Salvador de Bahia,
Brazil, 5-9 May 2003)
- Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 30 June – 7 July 2003).G/SPS/GEN/393
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The Codex Committee on Food Labelling  (31st Session, May 2003) will consider the
version of the Guidelines for the Production Processing Labelling and Marketing of Organically
Produced Foods :  criteria for permitted substances and lists of permitted substances.  It will continue
its discussion of the controversial question of labelling of foods derived from biotechnology, and
proceed with the consideration of nutrition labelling and health claims, among other labelling issues.The Committee will also discuss traceability and labelling of country of origin.
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