G/SPS/GEN/1322  
 
25 March 2014  
(14-1852)  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 24 March 2014, 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 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Bad Soden, Germany, 
4-8 November 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Hanoi, Viet Nam, 11-15 November 2013) 
 Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (Kochi, India, 11-14 February 2014) 
 Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (Bergen, Norway, 17-21 February 2014) 
 Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Phuket, Thailand, 24-28 February 2014) 
 Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, Hungary, 3-7 March 
2014) 
 Codex Committee on Food Additives (Hong Kong, China, 17-21 March 2014) 
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following: 
1.1.  The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene finalised Guidelines for the Control of Trichinella  spp. 
in meat of Suidae and Taenia saginata  in meat of domestic cattle; revision of the Code of Hygienic 
Practice for Spices and Dried Aromatic Herbs; and amendments to the definitions of the Principles 
and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiologica l Risk Assessment for adoption by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission. The Committee will continue to work on an annex on statistical and 
mathematical considerations to the Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods; and a Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture 
Foods. The Committee also agreed to start new work on Guidelines for the control of nontyphoidal 
Salmonella  spp. in beef and pork meat and Guidelines on the application of general principles of 
food hygiene to the control of foodborne parasites. Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2014/REP14_FHe.pdf  
1.2.  The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs was established by the 36th Session of 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission (July 2013) and held its first session in Kochi, India on 11-14 February 2014. The Committee is hosted by India and will meet every 18 months. The 
Committee is tasked with the elaboration of worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs in 
their dried and dehydrated state in whole, ground, and cracked or crushed form; and consults, as necessary, with other international organizations in the standards development process to avoid 
duplication. The Committee agreed to propose new work on standards for black, white and green 
pepper; cumin; oregano; and thyme, respectively. Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2014/REP14_SCHe.pdf  
1.3.  The Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products concluded work on the Standard for 
Fresh and Quick Frozen Raw Scallop Products and performance criteria for methods for the 
determination of marine biotoxins in bivalve molluscs. The Committee progressed work on the 
code of practice for processing of fish sauce; and will continue work on the codes of practice for G/SPS/GEN/1322 
 
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  processing of fresh and quick frozen raw scallop products and sturgeon caviar; histamine and food 
additives in standards for fish and fishery products. Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2014/REP14_FFPe.pdf  
1.4.  The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling endorsed the performance 
criteria for determination of marine biotoxins in bivalve molluscs and other methods for 
determination of marine biotoxins. The Committee will continue work on explanatory notes and practical examples for sampling for inclusion in the Principles for Use of Sampling and Testing 
International Trade (CAC/GL 83-2013); development of procedures or guidelines for determining 
of Type I methods and development of a criteria approach for methods which use a "sum of components"; and will undertake a systematic review of all methods of analysis in Codex. Full report: ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPOR TS/Reports_2014/REP14_MASe.pdf  
1.5.  The Codex Committee on Food Additives continued its work on the General Standard for Food 
Additives (GSFA) and moved for adoption more than 550 food additive provisions. The Committee 
finalized work on the revision of the Guidelines for the Simple Evaluation of Food additive Intake 
(CAC/GL 3-1989), amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives , and 
Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives . The Committee updated the priority list 
of compounds to be evaluated by JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) 
and also made substantial progress in its approach to alignment of food additive provisions of 
commodities with those in the GSFA and process of re-evaluation of compounds by JECFA. The 
Committee agreed to consider at its next session discussion papers on secondary additives and inconsistent terminology used for flavourings. 
The full report (REP14_FAe.pdf) will be uploaded on 
ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/REPORTS/Reports_2014/ by end of March 2014. 
2  FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
 Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (The Hague, the Netherlands, 31 March – 
4 April) 
 Codex Committee on General Principles (Paris, France, 7-11 April 2014) 
 Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Nanjing, China, 5-10 May 2014) 
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to note the following: 
2.1.  The Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods will continue the revision of maximum levels 
for lead in various commodities in the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and 
Feed; the elaboration of maximum levels for arsenic in rice (raw and polished); the elaboration of 
maximum levels and associated sampling plans for deoxynivalenol (DON) and its acetylated derivatives in cereals and cereals-based products; the elaboration of maximum levels and 
associated sampling plans for fumonisins in maize and maize-based products; the finalization of an 
Annex on the prevention and reduction of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A contamination in sorghum for inclusion in the Code of Practice for Prevention and Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in 
Cereals and the finalization of a Code of practice  for weed control to prevent and reduce 
pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination in food and feed. The Committee will continue the consideration of editorial amendments to the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in 
Food and Feed and of the priority lists of contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants for 
evaluation by the JECFA. 
2.2.  The Committee will also consider a number of discussion papers on various issues related to 
industrial and environmental contaminants (e.g., methylmercury in fish) and mycotoxins in foods 
(mycotoxins in spices and ready to eat peanuts). 
2.3.  The Codex Committee on General Principles will, among other items, review the Risk Analysis 
Principles Applied by the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods  and the Risk 
Assessment Policy in the setting of Maximum Limits for Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food , as 
revised by Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods at its 20
th and 21st sessions. The 
Committee will also discuss Codex/OIE cooperation. 
2.4.  The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residu es will discuss new and revised maximum residue 
limits for pesticides in various commodities/commodi ty groups; will continue with the revision of G/SPS/GEN/1322 
 
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  the Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds ; will finalize the revision of the Risk Analysis 
Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues ; will continue work on minor 
crops/specialty crops to facilitate the establishment of MRLs for pesticides on these commodities; will consider guidance on performance criteria specific for methods of analysis for determination of 
pesticide residues, and will continue to consider priority lists of pesticides for evaluation/re-
evaluation by the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). 
2.5.  The 69
th Session of the Executive Committee and 37th Session of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission will be held in Geneva (Switzerland) on 8-11 July 2014 and 14-18 July 2014, 
respectively. The Provisional agenda are available on Codex website as follows: 
 69th CCEXEC: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/download/report/916/ex69_01e.pdf ; 
 37th CAC: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/do wnload/report/8 07/cac37_01e.pdf . 
 
 
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