G/SPS/GEN/1764  
 
4 March  2020 
(20-1695) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIV ITIES  
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE CODEX ALIMENTARIU S COMMISSION (CODEX)  
The following communication, received on 3 March  2020, is being c irculated at the request of 
the Codex  secretariat.  
 
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1  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETI NG OF THE COMMITTEE OCTOBER 2019  
− 21st Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, 
7 - 11 October 2019)  
− 21st FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (Santiago, 
Chile, 21 – 25 October 2019)1 
− 51st Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America, 
4 – 8 November 2019)  
− 10th FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Near East (Rome, Italy, 11 – 15 November 2019)  
− 41st Codex Committee on Nutrition and  Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Duesseldorf, 
Germany, 24 – 29 November 2019)  
− 7th Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (Pyeongchang, 
Republic of Korea, 9 – 13 December 2019)  
− 78th Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentariu s Commission (10 – 14 February 2020)  
− 29th Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (Working by correspondence)  
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:  
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  concluded its works on the draft Code of Practice 
on Food Allergen Management for Food Business Operators  and proposed a draft revision of the 
General Principles of Food Hygiene  (CXC 1 -1969) and agreed to forward them to the 43rd Codex 
Alimentarius Commis sion (CAC43) for adoption. The Committee also agreed to forward the proposed 
draft Guidance for the Management of Biological Foodborne Outbreaks  to CAC43 in the step process. 
In addition, the committee agreed to start new work on Guidelines for the Safe Us e and Reuse of 
Water in Food Production . 
Full Report:  http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/sh -
proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252F
Meetings%252FCX -712-51%252FReport%252FREP20_FHe.pdf  
1.2.  The Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial R esistance  agreed 
to forward the proposed draft revision of the Code of Practice to Contain and Minimize Foodborne 
Antimicrobial Resistance  (CXC 61 -2005) to CAC43 for adoption in the step process.  
Full Report:  http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/sh -
proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace. fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252F
Meetings%252FCX -804-07%252FREPORT%252FReport%252FREP20_AMRe.pdf  
 
1 The meeting was discontinued due to security reason in Santiago, Chile. The discussion 
was continued by correspondence to complete the agenda items.  G/SPS/GEN/1764  
 
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  2  FORTHCOMING CODEX ME ETINGS  
− 32nd Codex Committee on General Principles (Bordeaux, France, 23 – 27 March 2020)  
− 14th Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (Utre cht, Netherlands, 20 – 24 April 2020)  
− 25th Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems 
(Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 27 April – 1 May 2020)  
− 41st Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, Hungary, 
11 - 15 May 2020)  
− 25th Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (San Diego, United States 
of America, 25 – 29 May 2020)  
− 52nd Codex Committee on Food Additives (Lanzhou, China, 22 -26 June 2020)  
− 29th Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegeta bles (Working by correspondence)  
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:  
2.1.  The Codex Committee on General Principles will consider procedural guidance for 
committees working by correspondence and discuss monitoring of the use of Code x standards.  
2.2.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods  will continue to work on establishment 
of Maximum Level s (MLs) for total aflatoxins in ready -to-eat peanuts and associated sampling plans, 
MLs for total aflatoxins and ochratoxin in nutmeg, dried chili and paprika, ginger, pepper and 
turmeric and associated sampling plans, and MLs for  chocolate and chocolate product s containing or 
declaring ≥30% to <50% total cocoa solids on a dry matter basis and cocoa powder (100% total 
cocoa solids on a dry matter basis). The Committee will also start its work on establishment of MLs 
for aflatoxins in certain cereals and cereal -based products, including food for infants and young 
children, establishment of MLs for lead in certain food categories, revision of the Code of practice 
for the prevention and reduction of lead contamination in foods (CXC 56 -2004), and development 
of a code  of practice for the prevention and reduction of cadmium contamination in cocoa beans.  
2.3.  The Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification 
Systems will continue work on guidelines on recognition and maintenance of equivalence of Nati onal 
Food Control Systems (NFCS), guidance on paperless use of electronic certificates, and principles 
and guidelines for the assessment and use of voluntary Third -Party Assurance (vTPA) programmes. 
The Committee will start new work on the consolidation of  Codex Guidelines related to equivalence. 
Further, the Committee will discuss matter s regarding tackling food fraud in the context of food 
safety and fair practices in food trade.  
2.4.  The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods  will continue d iscussion 
on Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for zilpaterol hydrochloride (cattle fat, kidney, liver, muscle) 
and priority list of veterinary drugs requiring approval by CAC. The Committee will also discuss 
matters regarding extrapolation of MRLs to one or m ore species and coordination with the CCPR/EWG 
on the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed  (CXM 4 -1987) for the development of a 
harmonized definition for edible offal/animal tissues for the establishment of MRLs.  
2.5.  The Codex Committee on Food Add itives will proceed with its work on food additive 
provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives  (GSFA). The Committee will examine other 
issues related to the GSFA including: (i) the results of the 87th meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committe e on Food Additives (JECFA) as well as the specifications for the identity and purity of food 
additives with a view to their adoption as Codex specifications; and (ii) the relevant provisions for 
sweeteners associated with Note 161. The Committee will also  consider the priority list of food 
additives proposed for evaluation by JECFA, revision to the International Numbering System (INS) 
for Food Additives  (CXG 36 -1989), and the endorsement of the proposals for food additive provisions 
in Codex standards.  
For the agenda see http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/sh -
proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252F
Meetings%252FCX -711-52%252FWorking%2Bdocuments%252Ffa52_01e.pdf  
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