G/SPS/GEN/1964  
 
15 October  2021 
(21-7828) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION (CODEX)  
The following communication, received on 14 October  2021, is being c irculated at the request of 
the Codex  secretariat.  
 
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NOTE: All Codex meetings in 2021 are being held virtually.  
1  CODEX MEETINGS HELD SINCE THE LAST SESSION OF THE SPS COMMITTEE 
(14-16 JULY  2021) 
1.1  25th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods 
(CCRVDF25, 12 -19 July 2021)  
1.1.1   MRLs for Veterinary Drugs in Foods  
1.1.  MRLs for flumethrin (honey), diflubenzuron (salmon - muscle plus skin in natural proportion) 
and halquinol (swine - muscle, skin plus fat, liver and kidney) were forwarded to the 44th session of 
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC44) for final adoption. MRLs for ivermectin (sheep, goats, pigs 
– fat, kidney, liver and muscle) w ere forwarded to CAC44 for preliminary adoption.  
1.1.2   MRLs for zilpaterol hydrochloride (cattle fat, kidney, liver, m uscle)  
1.2.  CCRVDF25 was unable to reach consensus o n either advancing the MRLs for adoption or to 
retain  them. The Chairperson further noted that all efforts had been exhausted in CCRVDF to reach 
consensus and the Chairperson observed that CCRVDF had reiterate d the views that there are no 
public health concerns regarding the proposed MRLs and supported the JECFA scientific evaluations 
while recognizing that some members disagreed. The Chairperson requested CCEXEC81 (2021) to 
provide a recommendation on the way forward in the framework of the critical review and to inform 
a CAC decision on the path forward for the MRLs in the Codex step process.  
1.1.3   Extrapolation of maximum residue limits to one or more species  
1.3.  CCRVDF agreed to forward the approach for extrapolation of MRLs for veterinary drugs to one 
or more species and amendment to the procedural manual on the Risk Analysis Principle Applied by 
CCRVDF  to CAC44 for adoption.  
1.4.  The report of CCRVDF25 is available on the Codex webpage . 
1.2  52nd Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR52, 
26-31 July 2021)  
1.3  MRLs for different combinations of pesticides and commodities  
1.5.  CCPR52 agreed to forward to CAC44 , MRLs for different combinations of pesticides and 
commodities for final adoption, and CXLs (Codex Maximum Residue Limit for Pesticide) for G/SPS/GEN/1964  
 
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  revocation. CCPR52 also forwarded the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed to CAC44 for 
final adoption.  
1.4  Guidelines for compounds of low public health concerns that may be exempted from 
the establishment of CXLs or do not give rise to residues  
1.6.  CCPR52 agreed to advance the Guidelines for preliminary adoption by CAC44.  
1.7.  The report of CCPR52 is available on the Co dex webpage . 
1.5  52nd session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA52, 
1-10 September  2021)  
1.5.1   Food additive provisions in the General Standard for F ood Additives and commodity 
standards  
1.8.  CCFA52 forwarded its work on Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives; 
food-additive provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA); revision of the 
Class Names and the International N umbering System for Food Additives for final adoption. With 
respect to alignment of food additive provisions, CCFA52 agreed to forward the revised food additives 
section of several commodity standards and GSFA to CAC44 for adoption.  
1.9.  CCFA52 agreed to includ e xanthan gum (INS 415) and pectins (INS 440) in FC 13.1.3 
"Formulae for special medical purposes for infants", and forward the revised provisions for 
sweeteners in different food categories in GSFA to CAC44 for adoption.  
1.5.2   Guideline on avoiding future diver gence of food additive provisions in the GSFA with 
Commodity Standards  
1.10.  CCFA52 agreed to publish on the Codex website the document titled "Guideline on avoiding 
future divergence of food additive provisions in the GSFA with Commodity Standards" as an 
inform ation document and inform the corresponding Commodity Committees of this document.  
1.11.  The report of CCFA52 is available on the Codex webpage . 
1.6  46th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL46, 
27 September -7 October 2021)  
1.6.1   Guidance for the Labelling of Non -Retail Containers  
1.12.  CCFL46 concluded it s work on the Standard for the Labelling of Non -Retail Containers of Foods 
and forwarded to CAC44 for final adoption.  
1.6.2   Guidelines on Front -of-Pack Nutrition Labelling  
1.13.  CCFL46 concluded its work on Guidelines on Front -of-Pack Nutrition Labelling and forwarded  
to CAC44 for final adoption and inclusion as an Annex to the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling 
(CXG2 -195).  
1.14.  The report of CCFL46 will be made available on the Codex webpage  (at the time of submission 
of this document only the draft report was available on the CCFL46 page).  
1.7  8th Session of the Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance (TFAMR8, 4 -16 October 2021)  
1.7.1   Revision of the Code of practice to minimize and contain foodborne AMR  
1.15.  TFAMR8 concluded its work on the revision of the Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain 
Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance (CXC 61 -2005) and forwarded to CAC44 for final adoption.  G/SPS/GEN/1964  
 
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  1.7.2   Guidelines on integrated monitoring and surveillance of foodborne antimicrobial 
resistance  
1.16.  TFAMR8 concluded its work on the Proposed Draft Guidelines on Integrated Monitoring and 
Surveillance of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance and  was forwarded to CAC44  for final adoption.  
1.17.  The draft report of TFAMR8 will be made available on the Codex webpage  (at the time of 
submission of this document only the draft  report was available on the TFAMR8 page).  
2  OTHER CODEX EVENTS  
2.1.  Several virtual working group meetings and webinars in support of upcoming sessions of Codex 
subsidiary bodies were held to support delegations' preparations and facilitate discussions and 
conse nsus-building:  
− Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) Working Group on 
Priority List of Veterinary Drugs for Evaluation / Re -Evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 6 July 2021 ; 
− Codex Committee  on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) Working Groups on Revision of the 
Classification of Food and Feed, Review of the IESTI Equations, and Compounds of low public 
health concerns that may be exempted from the establishment of CXLs or do not give rise 
to residues,  22–23 July 2021 ; 
− Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) Working Group on Front of Pack Nutrition 
Labelling (FOPNL), 21 –22 September 2021 . 
3  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
− 81st Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission  
(28 October -5 November 2021) ; 
− 44th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission  (8–18 November 2021) ; 
− 42nd Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses  
(19 November -1 December 2021) . 
3.1.  Regular updates on the status of work of these Committees are published on their dedicated 
webpages on the Codex website . For specific questions on the status of work in Codex committees 
of interest to SPS delegates please check the dedicated webpages or send an email to 
codex@fao.org . 
3.2.  The Codex secretariat in collaboration with host secretariats and working group leads are 
continuing to convene working group meetings and webinars in advance of Codex subsidiary sessions 
to support delegations' preparations , and facilitate discussions and consensus -building. 
Further  information is available on the Committee webpages and the Codex calendar . 
 
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