G/SPS/GEN/1677  
 
25 February 2019  
(19-1078) Page: 1/3 
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 20 February  2019, is being c irculated at the request of 
the Codex  secretariat.  
 
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1  CODEX SESSIONS BETWEEN OCTOBER 2018 AND FEB RUARY 2019  
• 24th Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems 
(Brisbane, Australia, 22 –26 October 2018)  
• 50th Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Panama City, Panama, 12 –16 November 2018)  
• 40th Codex Committe e on Nutrition and Foods for Special Di etary Uses (Berlin, Germany, 
26–30 November 2018)  
• 6th Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (Busan, Republic 
of Korea, 10 –14 December 2018)  
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:  
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification 
Systems  continued the discussion on the subject of food integrity and food authenticity as well as 
emerging issues and future directions for the work of CCFICS.  
Full Report:  http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codex alimentarius/sh -
proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252F
Meetings%252FCX -733-24%252FFinal%252520Report%252FREP19_FCe.pdf  
1.2.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  concluded its work on alignment of the Code of 
Practice fo r Fish and Fishery Products  (CXC 52 -2003) with the guidance for histamine control. The 
Committee agreed to forward the Proposed Draft Code of Practice on Food Allergen Management for 
Food Business Operators in step process and requested CCFL provide advice  on the appropriateness 
of the use of a precautionary allergen labelling statement, the related definition, the list of foods 
which cause allergic reactions and requested FAO/WHO hold an expert consultation on risk 
assessment of food allergens relating to the work of CCFH. The Committee agreed to start new work 
on development of guidelines for the control of Shiga toxin -producing Escherichia coli  (STEC) in beef, 
unpasteurized milk and cheese produced from unpasteurized milk, leafy greens, and sprouts. The 
Committee will continue its work on the revision of the General Principles of Food Hygiene  and its 
HACCP Annex (CXC 1 -1969); guidance for the management of biological foodborne outbreaks.  
Full Report:  http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/sh -
proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsite s%252Fcodex%252F
Meetings%252FCX -712-50%252FReport%252FREP19_FHe.pdf  
1.3.  The Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance  agreed 
to return the proposed revised draft Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial 
Resistance  (CXC 61 -2005) for re -drafting and agreed that the report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Meeting in collaboration with OIE on Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance: Role of Crops, 
Environment, and Biocides should be taken into consideration for the re -drafting. The Task Force 
also agreed to continue working on the development of the Guidelines on integrated surveillance of 
antimicrobial resistance.  G/SPS/GEN/1677  
 
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  Full Report:  http://www.fao.org/fao -who-codexalimentarius/sh -
proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252F
Meeting s%252FCX -804-06%252FREPORT%252FFINAL%252520REPORT%252FREP19_AMRe.pdf  
2  FORTHCOMING CODEX ME ETINGS  
• 51st Codex Committee on F ood Additives (Jinan, China, 25 –29 March 2019)  
• 51st Codex Committee on Pesticid e Residues (Macao SAR, China, 8 –13 April 2019)  
• 13th Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (Yogyakarta, In donesia, 29 April – 3 May 
2019)  
• 77th Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentari us Commission (Rome, Italy, 1 –5 July 
2019)  
• 42nd Codex Alimenta rius Commission (Rome, Italy, 7 –12 July 2019)  
In particula r, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:  
2.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Additives  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: the results of the 86th meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert 
Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) as well as the proposed draft specifications for identity and 
purity of food additives arising from the 86th JECFA meeting; the use of nitrates (INS  251, 252) and 
nitrites (INS 249, 250); the development of wording for an alternative to Note 161 relating to the 
use of sweeteners; and the use of the terms "fresh", "plain", "unprocessed " and "untreated " in 
existing Codex texts. The Committee will consider alignment of the food additive provisions of 
commodity standards; revision to the International Numbering System (INS) for Food Additives  
(CXG 36 -1989); and the endorsement of the proposals for food add itive provisions in commodity 
standards. The Committee will also consider the priority list of food additives proposed for evaluation 
by JECFA.  
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 -711-51%252Ffa51_0 1e.pdf  
2.2.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  will discuss maximum residue limits (MRLs) 
for pesticides in food and feed and the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed  (CXM 4/1989) 
for the following commodity groups: Primary feed commodities an d Processed foods of plant origin. 
The Committee will also discuss tables on examples of representative commodities for these 
commodity groups for inclusion in the Principles and Guidance for the Selection of representative 
commodities for the extrapolatio n of MRLs for pesticides to commodity group  (CXG 84 -2012) to 
facilitate the establishment of group MRLs for the aforesaid commodi ties/group of commodities. 
In addition, the Committee will consider the possible revision of the Guidelines on the use of mass 
spectrometry for the identification, confirmation and quantitative determination of pesticide residues  
(CXG 56 -2005), the international estimated short -term intake (IESTI) equations, the development 
of guidance for compounds of low public health concerns t hat could be exempted from the 
establishment of CXLs, the management of unsupported compounds as well as information on 
national registrations of pesticides vis-à-vis proposals for schedules and priority lists of pesticides 
for evaluation by the Joint FAO/ WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR).  
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 -718-51%252FINV -PA%252Fpr51_01e_REV.pdf  
2.3.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods  will proceed with it s work on the: revision 
of maximum levels for lead in selected commodities in the General Standard for Contaminants and 
Toxins in Food and Feed  (GSCTFF) (CXS 193 -1995); establishment of maximum levels (MLs) for 
cadmium in chocolate and cocoa -derived produc ts; a Code of practice for the reduction of 
3-monochloropropane -1,2-diol esters (3 -MCPDEs) and glycidyl esters (GEs) in refined oils and 
products made with refined oils, especially infant formula; and guidelines for risk analysis of 
instances of contaminan ts in food where there is no regulatory level or risk management framework 
established. The Committee will also consider discussion papers on: a structured approach to 
prioritize commodities for which new MLs for lead in commodities could be established; L ead and 
cadmium in quinoa; revision of the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Lead 
Contamination in Foods  (CXC 56 -2004); development of a Code of practice for the prevention and 
reduction of cadmium contamination in cocoa; establishment o f MLs for methylmercury in additional G/SPS/GEN/1677  
 
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  fish species; establishment of MLs for HCN in cassava and cassava -based products and occurrence 
of mycotoxins in these products; establishment of MLs for total aflatoxins in cereals (wheat, maize, 
sorghum and rice), fl our and cereal -based foods for infants and young children. The work on MLs for 
total aflatoxins in ready -to-eat peanuts and for total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A in selected spices 
(i.e. nutmeg, dried chili and paprika, ginger, pepper and turmeric is on ho ld to allow sufficient time 
for implementation of relevant codes o f practice and data collection.  
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 -735-13%252FINV -PA%252Fcf13_01e.pdf  
 
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