G/SPS/GEN/1481  
 
9 March 2016  
(16-1383)  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 8 March 2016, is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex secretariat. 
 
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 1  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE (OCTOBER 2015) 
 34
th Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (Ålesund, Norway, 19-24 October 2015) 
 47th Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Boston, United States, 9-13 October 2015) 
 37th Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Bad Soden a.T, 
Germany, 23–27 November 2015) 
 22nd Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems 
(Melbourne, Australia, 6–12 February 2016) 
 37th Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, Hungary, 
22-26 February 2016) 
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following: 
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products  concluded work on revision the 
Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products  (CAC/RCP 52-2003) to include sections on fish 
sauce; fresh and quick frozen raw scallop products; and sturgeon caviar. The Committee agreed to 
amend the food additive provisions of several stan dards for fish and fishery products; Section 7.4 - 
Estimation of fish content of the Standard for  Quick Frozen Fish Sticks  (Fish Fingers ), Fish Portions 
and Fish Fillets – Breaded or in Batter  (CODEX STAN 166-1989); and Section 11 – Processing of 
salted and dried salted fish of the  Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products  (CAC/RCP 52-
2003). The Committee also agreed to start new work on specific guidance on histamine control in 
the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products  (CAC/RCP 52-2003) and sampling plans for 
histamine in relevant standards for fish and fishery products. The Committee further agreed to suspend physical meetings of the Committee and to continue working by correspondence. 
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-722-34%252FReport%252FREP16_FFPe.pdf  
1.2.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  concluded work on Guidelines for the Control of 
Nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. in Beef and Pork; Guidelines on the Application of General Principles 
of Food Hygiene to the Control of Foodborne Pa rasites; Annex I "Examples of Microbiological 
Criteria for Low-Moisture Foods when Deemed Appropriate in Accordance with the Principles and 
Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods  
(CAC/GL 21-1997)" and Annex II "Guidance for the Establishment of Environmental Monitoring 
Programmes for Salmonella spp. and other Enterobacteriaceae in Low-Moisture Food Processing 
Areas " to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods  (CAC/RCP 75-2015); and Annex III 
"Spices and Dried Aromatic Herbs" to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture . The 
Committee agreed to start new work on revision of the General Principles of Food Hygiene  
(CAC/RCP 1-1969) and its HACCP Annex and revision of the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh 
Fruits and Vegetables  (CAC/RCP 53-2003). G/SPS/GEN/1481 
 
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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
Meetings%252FCX-712-47%252FReport%252FREP16_FHe.pdf  
1.3.  The Codex Committee on Food Import and Ex port Inspection and Certification 
Systems  concluded work on Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between 
Importing and Exporting Countries to Support the Trade in Food; revision of the Principles and 
Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations  (CAC/GL 19-
1995); and revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between Countries on 
Rejections of Imported Food  (CAC/GL 25-1997). The Committee will continue work on guidance for 
monitoring the performance of national food control systems; system comparability/equivalence; the use of electronic certificates by competent authorities and migration to paperless certification; 
third party certification (with broad parameters); consideration of emerging issues and future 
directions for the work of the Codex Committ ee on Food Import and Export Inspection and 
Certification Systems; and food integrity/ food authenticity as emerging issues. 
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-733-22%252FReport%252FREP16_FICSe.pdf  
1.4.  For 37th Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling, orally report will be made 
for the matters relevant to SPS Committee. 
2  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS 
 48th Codex Committee on Food Additives (Xi'an, China, 14-18 March 2016) 
 10th Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (Rotterdam, Netherlands, 4-8 April 2016) 
 30th Codex Committee on General Principle (Paris, France, 11–15 April 2016) 
 48th Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Chongqing, China, 25–29 April 2016) 
 43rd Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Ottawa, Canada, 9–13 May 2016) 
 71st Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 20–23 June 
2016) 
 39th Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 27 June – 1 July) 
In particular, 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; in particular: the results of the 80th meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO 
Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), includin g specifications for the identity and purity of 
food additives with a view to their adoption  as Codex specifications; amendments to the 
International Numbering System for Food Additi ves;  the alignment of the food additives 
provisions of commodity standards and the GSFA; the revision of food category 01.1 "Milk and 
dairy-based drinks" and related sub-categories of the GSFA; and the use of specific food additives 
in the production of wine. The Committee will also  consider the Priority List of Food Additives 
proposed for evaluation by JECFA; the endorsement of the proposals for food additive provisions in Codex standards; the use of secondary additives and the revision of the General Standard for the 
Labelling of Food Additives When Sold As Such  (CODEX STAN 107-1981).  
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-711-48%252FWD%252Ffa48_01e.pdf . 
2.2.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods will proceed its work on the 
establishment of maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in husked rice including the development of a code of practice to prevent and reduce arsenic contamination in rice to assist countries to contain 
arsenic contamination in this product and to comply with the Codex MLs; maximum levels for lead 
in selected fruits and vegetables (fresh and processed) in the General Standard for Contaminants 
and Toxins in Food and Feed (CODEX STAN 193-1995); maximum le vels for cadmium in cocoa and 
cocoa-derived products; the revision of the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of 
Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals  (CAC/RCP 51-2003) and Annexes specific to certain 
mycotoxins; and the development of a code of practice for the prevention and reduction of 
mycotoxin contamination in spices. The next session of the Committee will also consider discussion G/SPS/GEN/1481 
 
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  papers on an Annex for ergot/ergot alkaloids to the Code of Practice for the Prevention and 
Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals ; the development of maximum levels for 
mycotoxins in spices; and the development of  maximum levels for methylmercury in fish. 
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-735-10%252Fcf10_01e.pdf . 
2.3.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  will discuss new and revised maximum 
residue limits for pesticides in various commodities / commodity groups; will continue with the 
revision of the Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds ; will continue to consider examples of 
selection of representative commodities (vegetable  and other commodity groups) (for inclusion in 
the Principles and guidance for the selection of repr esentative commodities for the extrapolation of 
maximum residue limits for pesticides to commodity groups ); guidance on performance criteria for 
methods of analysis for the determination of pesticide residues; priority lists of pesticides for evaluation/re-evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings 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-718-48%252Fpr48_01e.pdf . 
2.4.  The 71st Session of the Executive Committee and 39th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission  will be held in Rome (Italy) on 20-23 June 2016 and 27 June - 1 July 
2016, respectively. (Agenda will be available on the website in the near future.) 
 
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