G/SPS/GEN/1403
23 March 2015
(15-1620)  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 19 March 2015, is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex secretariat. 
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1  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE (OCTOBER 2014) 
• 21
st Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification (Brisbane, 
Australia, 13-17 October 2014) 
• 42nd Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Rome, Italy, 21-24 October 2014) 
• 19th FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (Tokyo, Japan, 3-7 November 2014) 
• 19th FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (San José, 
Costa Rica, 10-14 November 2014) 
• 46th Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Lima, Peru, 17-21 November 2014) 
• 36th Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Bali, Indonesia, 
24-28 November 2014) 
• 21st FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa (Yaoundé, Cameroon, 
27-30 January 2015) 
• 24th Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (Melaka, Malaysia, 9-13 February 2015) 
• 36th Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis (Budapest, Hungary, 23-27 February 2015) 
• 29th Codex Committee on General Principles (Paris, France, 9-13 March 2015)  
• 9th Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (New Delhi, India, 16-20 March 2015)  
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following: 
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification agreed 
to start new work on: development of principles and/or guidelines for the exchange of information 
(including questionnaires) between countries to support food import and export; Guidance for 
monitoring the performance of National Food Control Systems; 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). 
Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2015/REP15_FCe.pdf  
1.2.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene concluded work on Guidelines for the Control of 
Trichinella spp. in Meat of Suidae and Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods. The 
Committee will continue work on Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food 
Hygiene to the Control of Foodborne Parasites; Guidelines for the Control of Nontyphoidal 
Salmonella spp. in Beef and Pork Meat; and the need to revise the Code of Hygienic Practice for 
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 53-2003) and will consider a paper on the revision of the 
General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/R CP 1-1969) and its HACCP annex. The Committee 
agreed to discontinue work on the Annex on statistical and mathematical considerations to the 
Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods (CAC/GL 21-1997). 
Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2015/REP15_FHe.pdf   G/SPS/GEN/1403 
 
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  1.3.  The Codex Committee on Fats and Oils w i l l  c o n t i n u e  w o r k  o n  r e v i e w  o f  t h e  L i s t  o f  
Acceptable Previous Cargoes of the Code of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats 
and Oils in Bulk  (CAC/RCP 36-1987). 
Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2015/REP15_FOe.pdf  
1.4.  The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis endorsed several methods of analysis, 
including methods for safety provisions; and conclu ded explanatory notes to the Principles for the 
Use of Sampling and Testing in International F ood Trade. The Committee will continue work on 
development of information document on Practi cal Examples and Procedures for determining 
uncertainty of measurement results –; developmen t of procedures or guidelines for determining 
equivalency to Type I methods; development of a criteria approach for methods which use a "sum of components"; and will review and update methods in CODEX STAN 234 - 1999. 
Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex /REPORTS/Reports_2015/REP15_MASe.pdf 
1.5.  For the following Committees, an oral report will be made for matters relevant to the SPS 
Committee: 
• 29
th Codex Committee on General Principles (Paris, France, 9-13 March 2015)  
• 9th Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (New Delhi, India, 16-20 March 2015)  
2  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS 
• 47th Codex Committee on Food Additives (Xi’an, China, 23-27 March 2015)  
• 47th Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Beijing, China, 13-18 April 2015)  
• 22nd Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary  Drugs in Foods (San Jose, Costa Rica, 
27 April-1 May 2015)  
• 8th FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Near East (Beirut, Lebanon, 18-22 May 2015) 
• 70th Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland, 
30 June - 3 July 2015) 
• 38th Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland, 6-11 July 2015) 
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 
Additives. It will consider the Priority List of Food Additives proposed for evaluation by JECFA and discussion papers on secondary additives and the inconsistent terminology related to flavourings in 
Codex texts. The Committee will also consider the endorsement of the proposals for food additive 
provisions in Codex standards put forward by other committees. For the agenda see http://www.codexalimentarius.org/ download/report/924/fa47_01e.pdf  
2.2.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues will discuss new and revised maximum 
residue limits for pesticides in various commodi ties/commodity groups; will continue with the 
revision of the Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds ; will continue work on minor 
crops/specialty crops to facilitate the establishment of MRLs for pesticides these commodities; will 
consider guidance on performance criteria specific for methods of analysis for determination of pesticide residues and will continue to considering priority lists of pesticides for evaluation/re-evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). 
For the agenda see http://www.codexalimentarius.org/ download/report/926/pr47_01e.pdf  
2.3.  The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods will discuss maximum 
residue limits and risk management recommendations for veterinary drugs in foods amendments 
and/or addition to the priority list of veterinary  drugs requiring JECFA evaluation or re-evaluation; 
and a database on the need of developing countries for MRLs for veterinary drugs. The Committee will continue its discussion on the development of provisions for the establishment of MRLs for 
honey (for inclusion on the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the CCRVDF). 
For the agenda see http://www.codexalimentarius.or g/download/report/925/rv22_01e.pdf  G/SPS/GEN/1403 
 
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  2.4.  The 70th Session of the Executive Committee  and 38th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission  will be held in Geneva (Switzerland) on 30 June - 3 July 2015 and 
6-11 July 2015, respectively. For the agenda see http://www.codexalimentarius.org/ download/report/925/exec70_01e.pdf ; and 
http://www.codexalimentarius.org/download/report/925/cac38_01e.pdf . 
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