G/SPS/GEN/1559  
 
28 June 2017 
(17-3461) 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 26 June  2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex  secretariat.  
 
_______________  
 
 
1  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE  THE LAST MEET ING OF THE COMMITTEE  (MARCH 2017)  
 49th Codex Committee on Food Additives (Macao, China, 20 –24 March 2017)  
 11th Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3 –7 April 2017)  
 49th Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Beijing, China, 24 –29 April 2017)  
 9th FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Near East (Rome, Italy, 15 –19 May 2017)  
 73rd Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland, 10 –
13 July 2017)  
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the followi ng: 
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Additives  continued work on food additive provisions of 
the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), amendments to the International Numbering 
System for Food Additives, Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives and 
alignment of the food additive provisions of commodity standards and relevant provisions of the 
GSFA. The Committee updated the priority list of compounds to be evaluated by JECFA (Joint 
FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives).  
Full repor t: http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/sh -
proxy/e n/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252F
Meetings%252FCX -711-49%252FReport%252FREP17_FAe.pdf  
1.2.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods  concluded work on the development of 
the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Arsenic Contamination in Rice; an annex 
on ergot and ergot alkaloids in cereal grains (for inclusion in the Code of Practice for the 
Prevention and Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals , CAC/RCP 51 -2003); and the 
Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Spices . 
The Committee continues work on the revision of maximum levels for lead in the General Standard 
for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CODEX STAN 193 -1995), maximum levels for total 
aflatoxins in ready -to-eat peanuts and maximum levels for cadmium in chocolate and cocoa -
derived products. The Committee agreed to start new work on : maximum levels for certain 
mycotoxins in five spices (CODEX STAN 193 -1995); maximum levels for methylmercur y in fish 
(CODEX STAN 193 -1995); the development of a Code of Practice for the Reduction of 3-MCPD and 
Glycidyl Esters in Refined Oils and Products made with Refined Oils (especially used in infant 
formula); guidelines for risk analysis of chemicals inadve rtently present in food at low levels; and 
revision of the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Dioxins and Dioxin -like PCBs in 
Food and Feed s (CAC/RCP 62 - 2006).  
Full report:  http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/sh -
proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fc odex%252F
Meetings%252FCX -735-11%252FREPORT%252FREP17_CFe.pdf  G/SPS/GEN/1559  
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.3.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  finalized a number of new and revised 
maximum residue limits for different combinations of pesticide/commodity(ies). The Committee 
also concluded work o n the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed regarding  vegetables 
and grasses (including examples of representative commodities for the establishment of group 
MRLs for these commodity groups) and on the guidelines on performance criteria for metho ds of 
analysis for the determination of pesticide residues in food and feed. The Committee continues 
work on the establishment of MRLs for pesticides in food and feed, revision of the Classification of 
Food and Feed (including tables on examples of represe ntative commodities) and the schedules 
and priority list for evaluation of pesticides by JMPR in the coming years.  
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 -718-49%252FREPORT%252FREP17_PRe.pdf  
2  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETI NGS 
 40th Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland, 17 –22 July, 2017)  
 74th Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 27 –
29 September 2017)  
 20th Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Kampal a, Uganda, 2 –6 October 
2017)  
 44th Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Asunción, Paraguay, 16 –20 October 2017)  
 
__________