. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/845 
16 June 2008 
 (08-2778) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
SUBMISSION TO THE 42ND MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE  
(GENEVA, 24-25 JUNE 2008) 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE  
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
 
Submission by the Codex Alimentarius Commission
 
   The following communication, dated 12 June 2008,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission
. 
 
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  CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST  MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE 
(2-3 APRIL 2008) 
 - The 2
nd Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (The Hague, The 
Netherlands, 31 March-4 April 2008)  
- The 40th Session of the Codex Committee on Pes ticide Residues (Hangzhou, China, 14-
19 April 2008)  
- The 40th Session of the Codex Committee on F ood Additives (Beijing, China, 21-
25 April 2008)  
- The 36th Session of the Codex Committee on F ood Labelling (Ottawa, Canada, 28 April-
2 May 2008)  
- The 14th Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Mexico City, 
Mexico, 12-17 May 2008) 
In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to  draw its attention to the following: 
1. The Second Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods agreed to send to 
the 31st  Session of the Commission for final adoption three draft maximum levels for (i) 3-MCPD in 
Liquid Condiments Containing Acid –Hydrolyze d Vegetable Proteins (Excluding Naturally 
Fermented Soy Sauce);  (ii) Ochratoxin A in Raw Wh eat, Barley and Rye;  and (iii) Total Aflatoxins 
in Almonds, Hazelnuts and Pistachios "For further processing" and "Ready-to-eat".  The Committee 
also agreed to forward to the Commission for final adoption the proposed drafts on:  (i) Provisions 
Applied to Contaminants in the "Relati ons between Commodity committees and General 
Committees" in the Procedural Manual;  (ii) Aflatoxin Sampling Plans for Aflatoxin Contamination in Ready-to-eat Treenuts and Treenuts Destined for Further Processing: Almonds, Hazelnuts and 
Pistachios;  and (iii) Code of Practice for the Pr evention and Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in 
Dried Figs. G/SPS/GEN/845 
Page 2  
 
  2. The Fortieth Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  elaborated and 
advanced to the Commission for final adoption 299 Proposed, Draft and Revised Maximum Residue 
Limits for 22 Pesticides.  The Committee decided to request the Commission to approve new work 
on:  (i) the Priority List of Pesticides (New Pes ticides and Pesticides under Periodic Review);  (ii) the 
Estimation of Measurement Uncertainty in Pesticide Residue Analysis;  and (iii) the Revision of the 
CCRP Risk Analysis Principles.  The Committee also agreed to revoke a number of obsolete 
Maximum Residue Limits for 13 pesticides. 
3. The Fortieth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives  finalized and forwarded to 
the 31
st Commission for final adoption:  (i) Draft and proposed draft food additive provisions of the 
General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA);  ( ii) Proposed Draft Revision of the Food Category 
System of the GSFA;  (iii) Draft and Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Use of Flavourings;  (iv) Draft 
Revision of the Codex Class Names and Interna tional Numbering System (CAC/GL 36-1989);  (v) 
Proposed Draft Amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives;  and (vi) 
Proposed Draft Specifications for the Identity and Pu rity of Food Additives.  The Committee agreed 
to request the Commission to revoke:  (i) Food Additive Provisions of the GSFA (21 food 
additives/commodity combinations);  (ii) Code x General Requirements for Natural Flavourings 
(CAC/GL 29-1985);  and (iii) Codex Specifications for Identity and Purity of Food Additives (for 
revocation of Furfural).  The Committee also d ecided to submit to the Commission for approval: 
Proposal for new work on the Elaboration of Guid elines and Principles for Substances used as 
Processing Aids and Priority List of Food Additives, proposed for Evaluation by JECFA. 
FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS 
 - The 61
st Session Executive Committee of the Code x Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, 
Switzerland, 25-28 June 2008)  
- The 31st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Co mmission (Geneva, Switzerland, 30 June – 
4 July 2008)  
- The 24th Session of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (Washington 
D.C, United States of America, 15-19 September 2008)  
- The 26th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Co mmittee for Europe (Warsaw, Poland, 7-
10 October 2008)  
4. The Codex Alimentarius Commission will hold its Thirty-first Session at the International 
Conference Centre, Geneva, Switzerland , 30 June – 4 July 2008,  preceded by the Sixty-first Session 
of the Executive Committee.  The Commission will consider, among others, a number of draft Codex 
standards and related texts for final adoption at St ep 8 or at Step 5/8 as well as proposals to amend 
certain texts in the Procedural Manual.  The Commi ssion will also consider the implementation of the 
Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimen tarius and other FAO and WHO Work on Food 
Standards, the implementation of the Codex Stra tegic Plan 2008-2013 and the relations between the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission and ot her International Organizations. 
5. Between October 2008 and March 2009, the FAO/WHO (Codex) Coordinating 
Committees will hold sessions in six regions (Africa,  Asia, Europe, Latin America and the 
Caribbean, North America and South West Pacific, and Near East).  These meetings will discuss 
needs and problems of the regions concerning food standards and food control, consumer 
participation in food standards setting, as well as the use of Codex standards at the national and 
regional levels, among others. 
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