G/SPS/GEN/1260  
 
28 June 2013  
(13-3364)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE CODEX AL IMENTARIUS COMMISSION (CODEX) 
The following communication, received on 26 June 2013, is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex secretariat. 
 
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 1  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE (MARCH 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, Hungary, 4-8 March 
2013) 
 Codex Committee on Food Additives (Beijing, China, 18-22 March 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (Moscow, Russian Federation, 8-12 April 
2013) 
 Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Beijing, China, 6-11 May 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Charlottetown, Canada, 14-17 May 2013) 
 In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following: 
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling  finalised Principles for the 
Use of Sampling and Testing in International Food Trade (section on Principles) and is proceeding with work on the other sections and explanatory notes; and endorsed or updated many methods of 
analysis and sampling proposed by various Codex Committees. It agreed to consider further the 
issue of how to address sampling in Codex standard s; and the criteria approach for multi-analyze 
methods, especially in cases where total toxicity  resulted from toxicity of several substances. 
1.2.  The Codex Committee on Food Additives  finalized a number of food additive provisions of 
the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives and Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and 
endorsed, with and without amendments, food a dditive provisions of commodity standards. 
The Committee: 
 requested to revoke Specifications for mineral oil, medium and low viscosity and new work 
on the revision of the Guidelines for the Simple Evaluation of Food Additive Intakes 
(CAC/GL 3-1989). 
 agreed to a process to deal with food additives included in the GSFA with no corresponding 
monograph specifications; to continue work on the alignment of 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. 
 will discuss the use of additives in additives (secondary additives); and will discuss 
different options to identify comp ounds for re-evaluation by JECFA. G/SPS/GEN/1260 
 
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  1.3.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods  finalised maximum levels for lead in 
fruit juices and nectars, ready-to-drink, canned fr uits, and canned vegetables; maximum levels for 
DON in raw cereal grains (wheat, maize and barley) and associated sampling plan; in flour, semolina, meal and flakes derived from wheat, maize or barley; and in cereal-based foods for 
infants and young children; the Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of ochratoxin A 
contamination in cocoa; the Code of practice for the presence of hydrocyanic acid in cassava and cassava products; and Maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid for cassava flour and gari and 
consequential amendments to the Standards for Edible Cassava Flour, Gari, and Sweet Cassava.  
The Committee agreed: 
 to recommend the revocation of the maximum levels for lead in the individual standards 
for canned fruits and vegetables; 
 to inform the Commission on discontinuation of work on the revision of the guideline levels 
for radionuclides in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed including development of guidance to facilita te the application and implementation of the 
guideline levels and on the establishment of maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid in 
cassava and cassava products; 
 to retain the current maximum levels for lead for milks, cereals, and juices and nectars 
from berries and other small fruits, ready-to-drink, and to inform the Commission 
accordingly; 
 to resume work on maximum levels for arsenic in rice and rice products and on fumonisins 
in maize and maize products and to pr epare revised proposals for comments and 
consideration by its next session; 
 to redraft the draft Annex for the prevention and reduction of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A 
contamination in sorghum (Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of mycotoxin 
contamination in cereals); and to submit the proposed draft Code of practice for weed 
control to prevent and reduce pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination in food and feed  for comments and consideration by its next session; 
 to discuss methylmercury in fish; aflatoxins in cereals; and total aflatoxins in ready-to-eat 
peanuts and associated sampling plans at its next session. 
1.4.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  finalized a number of MRLs for pesticides 
and forwarded for preliminary adoption the Classi fication of Food and Feed (selected vegetable 
commodity groups – roots and tubers). The Commi ttee also finalized the Principles and guidance 
for application of the proportionality concept for estimation of MRLs (for inclusion in the Procedural Manual as an Annex to the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide 
Residues) and consequential amendments to maximum residue limits for pesticides for fruit 
commodity groups due to the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed. The Committee 
agreed to request new work on Guidance on performance criteria specific for methods of analysis 
for the determination of pesticide residues. 
The Committee agreed:  
 on the completion of the pilot project for JMPR recommendation of MRLs before national 
governments or other regional registration authorities for a global joint chemical review; 
 to continue working on the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed through the 
identification of other vegetable commodity groups; to continue to work 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 for inclusion in the 
Principles and Guidance for the Selection of Representative Commodities for the Extrapolation of Maximum Residue Limits  for Pesticides to Commodity Groups; 
 to continue work on criteria for use by CCPR and JMPR to determine the minimum number 
of field trials necessary to support the esta blishment of MRLs for minor crops / specialty 
crops in order to facilitate data submission to JMPR and other related issues; and 
 to continue the revision of the Risk Analysis  Principles applied by the Codex Committee on 
Pesticide Residues with a view to their finali zation by the next session of the Committee. G/SPS/GEN/1260 
 
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  2  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
 Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 25-28 June 
2013) 
 Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 1-5 July 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drug s (Minneapolis, United States of America, 
26-30 August 2013)  
 Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Bad Soden am Taunus, 
Germany, 4-8 November 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Hanoi, Viet Nam, 11-15 November 2013) 
 In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following: 2.1.  The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs  will discuss: Maximum residue 
limits at different steps of the procedure; Risk Management Recommendations for Residues of 
Veterinary Drugs for which no ADI and/or MRLs has been recommended by JECFA due to specific human health concerns; Proposed draft Guidelines on performance characteristics for multi-
residues methods; Risk Analysis Policy on Extrapol ation of MRLs of Veterinary Drugs to Additional 
Species and Tissues; Proposed "concern form" for the CCRVDF (format and policy procedure for its use); and Discussion Paper on Guidelines on the Establishment of MRLs or other Limits in Honey. 
2.2.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  will continue working on Guidelines for Control of 
Specific Zoonotic Parasites in Meat: Trichinella spp. and Cysticercus bovis; Code of Hygienic Practice for Spices and Dried Aromatic Herbs. Subject to approval by the Commission there will be new work on a Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods. The Committee will also consider 
criteria for evaluating and prioritizing new work and a forward workplan, as well as discussion 
papers on occurrence and control of parasites and on the need to revise the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 53-2003) 
3  TECHNICAL COOPERATION 
3.1.  The document on relevant activities of FAO and WHO, including specific projects at the 
regional and national level, is av ailable at the following address: 
ftp://ftp.fao.org/Codex/Meetings/cac/cac36/cac36_15_add1e.pdf  
3.2.  The documents on the Codex Trust Fund are available at the following addresses: 
ftp://ftp.fao.org/Codex/Meetings/cac/cac36/cac36_14_add1e.pdf  
ftp://ftp.fao.org/Codex/Meetings/cac/cac36/cac36_14e.pdf  
 
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