G/SPS/GEN/1236  
 
21 March 2013  
(13-1561)  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 20 March 2013, is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex secretariat. 
 
_______________ 
 
 1  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE (OCTOBER 2012) 
 FAO/WO Coordinating Committee for Asia  (Tokyo, Japan, 5-9 November 2012) 
 Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (New Orleans, United States of America, 12-
16 November 2012) 
 FAO/WO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (San Jose, Costa 
Rica, 19-23 November 2012) 
 Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Bad Soden am Taunus, 
Germany, 3-7 December 2012) 
 FAO/WO Coordinating Committee for the Near East (Beirut, Lebanon, 21-25 January 2013) 
 FAO/WO Coordinating Committee for Africa (Yaoundé, Cameroon, 29 January-1 February 
2013) 
 Ad hoc  Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding (Bern, Switzerland, 4-8 February 
2013) 
 Codex Committee on Food Import and Export In spection and Certification Systems (Chiang 
Mai, Thailand, 18-22 February 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (Langkawi, Malaysia, 25 February, 1 March 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, Hungary, 4-8 March 
2013) 
 In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following: 
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  finalised the Proposed Draft Revision of the 
Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods and the Annex on Berries to the Code of Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for final adoption by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (July 2013). It agreed to proceed with its work on the Proposed Draft 
Guidelines for Control of Specific Zoonotic Parasites in Meat: Trichinella  spp. and Cysticercus bovis , 
and with the revision of the renamed Code of Hy gienic Practice for Spices and Dried Aromatic 
Herbs. The Committee expressed appreciation to FAO/WHO for the scientific advice provided and 
put forward new requests for scientific advice fr om FAO/WHO; and expressed appreciation to OIE 
for their contribution to the work of the Committee and noted the need for continued collaboration 
in areas of mutual interest. The Committee proposed new work on a Code of Hygienic Practice for 
Low-Moisture Foods and agreed to consider at its next session two discussion papers on (i) occurrence and control of parasites in foods; an d (ii) the need to revise the Code of Hygienic 
Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables and its annexes. G/SPS/GEN/1236 
 
- 2 - 
 
  Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2013/REP13_FHe.pdf  
1.2.  The ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding  finalised the Draft Guidelines 
on Application of Risk Assessment for Feed and th e renamed Guidance on Prioritizing Hazards in 
Feed, for adoption by the Co dex Alimentarius Commission. 
Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2013/REP13_AFe.pdf  
1.3.  The Codex Committee on Food Import and Ex port Inspection and Certification 
Systems  finalised the Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control Systems and the 
amendments, addressing animal feeding, to the Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of 
Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations (CAC/GL 19-1995) for adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Committee agreed to consider at its next session (in approximately 18 months) proposals for new work on principles and guidelines for the elaboration and 
management of questionnaires directed at expo rting countries; principles and guidelines for 
monitoring regulatory performance of national food control systems; and the revision of the Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations 
(CAC/GL 19-1995). 
Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2013/REP13_FCe.pdf  
1.4.  The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling  finalised the Principles for 
the Use of Sampling and Testing in International Food Trade (section on Principles) for adoption by 
the Commission and agreed to consider further the section on Explanatory Notes. It agreed to proceed with it work on the application of the cr iteria approach to the determination of marine 
biotoxins in bivalve molluscs and similar provisions; and will consider sampling issues at its next 
session. 
1.5.  The FAO/WHO Coordinating Committees  consider Codex matters of interest to the 
region, promote exchange of information within th e region on food legislation and food control 
issues, Codex structures and participation, the use of Codex standards, identifying issues related 
to the use or non-use of Codex standards and related texts at the national and regional levels. They define the problems and needs of the region concerning food standards and food control, and 
some of them develop regional standards for products that may not be traded internationally but 
for which there is significant regional trade. The Commission also forwarded some questions on general issues to Coordinating Committees, especially as regards the draft Strategic Plan 2014-2019. 
1.6.  FAO and WHO generally convene regional work shops on issues of interest to the region in 
conjunction with the Coordinating Committees, and with funding from the Codex Trust Fund. Regional workshops were convened prior to the FAO/WO Coordinating Committees listed above. 
1.7.  More information on technical cooperation activities will be presented to the SPS Committee 
in June 2013, as a comprehensive document will be prepared by FAO and WHO for the 36
th 
Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (July 2013). 
2  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS 
 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: 
2.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Additives  will proceed with its work on food additive 
provisions in the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives, and Specif ications for the Identity and Purity of Food G/SPS/GEN/1236 
 
- 3 - 
 
  Additives. It will consider the Pr iority List of Food Additives proposed for evaluation by JECFA and a 
discussion paper on the revision of the Guidelines for the Evaluation of Food Additive Intakes. The 
Committee will also consider for endorsement the proposals for food additive provisions in Codex standards put forward by other committees. 
2.2.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods  w i l l  c o n s i d e r  t h e  r e v i s i o n  o f  t h e  
maximum levels for lead in selected commodities in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed; the revision of guideline levels for radionuclides in foods; and the 
elaboration of maximum levels fo r deoxynivalenol (DON) in cereals and cereal-based products and 
associated sampling plans; the 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); the Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of 
ochratoxin A contamination in cocoa; the maximum levels for hydrocyanic acid in cassava and 
cassava products and the related Code of practice to reduce the presence of hydrocyanic acid in cassava and cassava products; and the Code of practice for weed control to prevent and reduce 
pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination in food and feed. The Committee will consider the priority list 
of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants proposed for evaluation by JECFA and several discussion papers. 
2.3.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  (CCPR) will discuss new and revised MRLs; 
it will proceed with the revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds and the revision of the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues. The 
Committee will continue work on: principles and guidance for the use of the concept of 
proportionality to estimate maximum residue limits for pesticides; the review of the commodity 
groups in the database for maximum residue limits for pesticides to determine the need for revision of relevant group MRLs; guidance to facilitate the establishment of maximum residue 
limits for pesticides for minor crops/specialty crops. The Committee will consider the 2012 JMPR 
report, including responses to specific concerns raised by the CCPR in 2012. 
 
__________