G/SPS/GEN/1540  
 
10 March  2017 
(17-1414) 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 9 March 2017 , is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex  secretariat.  
 
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1  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE  THE LAST MEET ING OF THE COMMITTEE  (OCTOBER  2016 ) 
 48th Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Los Angel es, United States of America, 
7-11 November 2016)  
 20th FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (Viña del Mar, 
Chile, 21–25 November 2016)  
 38th Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Diet ary Uses (Hamburg, Germany, 
5–9 December 2016)  
 22nd FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Africa (Nairobi, Kenya, 16 –20 January 2017)  
 3rd Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (Chennai, India, 6 –10 Fe bruary 2017)  
 25th Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 27 February – 3 March 
2017)  
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following:  
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  concluded work on revision of the Code of 
Hygienic P ractice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables  (CAC/RCP 53 -2003). The Committee agreed to 
continue its work on revision of the General Principles of Food Hygiene  and its HACCP Annex 
(CAC/RCP 1 -1969) and development of guidance on histamine control.  
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 -712-48%252FReport%252FFinal%252FREP17_FHe.pdf  
2  FORTHCOMING CODEX ME ETINGS  
 49th Codex Committee on Food Additives (Macao SAR, 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)  
 23rd Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems 
(TBA, 1–5 May 201 7) 
 38th Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and S ampling (Budapest, Hungary, 8 –12 May 
2017)  
 9th FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee F or Near East (Rome, Italy, 15 –19 May 2017)  
 73rd Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commis sion (Geneva, Switzerland , 
10-13 July 2017)  
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 o ther 
issues related to the GSFA including: the results of the 82nd meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert G/SPS/GEN/1540  
 
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  Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) as well as the specifications for the identity and purity of 
food additives with a view to their ad option as Codex sp ecifications;  the use levels for adipic acid 
(INS 355) in various food categories; the use of food additives in the production of wine; and the 
use of nitrates (INS 251, 252) and nitrites (INS 249, 250). The Committee will also consider the 
priority list o f food additives proposed for evaluation by JECFA; and the endorsement of the 
proposals for food additive provisions in Codex standards.  
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 -711-49%252Ffa49_01e.pdf  
2.2.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods  will proceed its work on the 
establishment of maximum levels for lead in selected fruits and vegetables (fresh and processed) 
and other selected food categories in the General  Standard for Contaminants and Tox ins in Food 
and Feed  (CODEX STAN 193 -1995); maximum levels for cadmium in chocolate and cocoa -derived 
products; and maximum level for total aflatoxins in ready -to-eat peanuts; and the development of 
the code of practice for the prevention and reduction of arsenic contamination  in rice; an annex for 
ergot /ergot alkaloids to 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 conta mination in spices. The next session of the Committee will also 
consider discussion papers on; maximum levels for mycotoxins in spices; maximum levels for 
methylmercury in fish; and non -dioxin like PCBs in the Code of Practice for the Prevention and 
Reduct ion of Dioxins and Dioxin -like PCB . 
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 -735-11%252FINV -PA%252Fcf11_01e.pdf  
2.3.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  will discuss new and revised maximum  
residue limits for pe sticides 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 comm odity groups) (for inclusion in 
the Principles and guidance for the selection of representative commodities for the extrapolation of 
maximum residue limits for pesticides to commodity groups ); guidelines on performance criteria 
for methods of analysis for the determination of pesticide residues; priority lis ts of pesticides for 
evaluation /re-evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). The next 
session of the Committee will also consider discussion papers on: the possible revision of the IESTI 
equations; information on national registrations of pesticides; and the establishment of a Codex 
database of national registrations of pesticides.  
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
Meetin gs%252FCX -718-49%252FINV -PA%252Fpr49_01e.pdf  
 
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