WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/GEN/71 
28 July 2008 
 (08-3614) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION  
 
 
 The following information was provided by the Codex Alimentarius Commission
 at the TBT 
Committee meeting of 1 – 2 July 2008.  
_______________ 
  
I. CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE TBT COMMITTEE (20 
MARCH 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 Pesticide Residues (Hangzhou, China, 14-19 
April 2008)  
• The 40th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (Beijing, China, 21-25 April 
2008)  
• The 36th Session of the Codex Committee on Food 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)  
1. The Fortieth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives  finalized and forwarded to 
the 31st 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 (N11-2007); iii) Draft and Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Use of Flavourings 
(N03-2006); iv) Draft Revision of the Codex Clas s Names and International Numbering System 
(CAC/GL 36-1989) (N07-2005); v) Proposed Draft Am endments to the International Numbering 
System for Food Additives; and vi) Proposed Draft Sp ecifications for the Identity and Purity of Food 
Additives. The Committee agreed to  request the Commission to revoke : i) Food Additive Provisions 
of the GSFA (21 food additives/commodity combin ations); ii) Codex Ge neral Requirements for 
Natural Flavourings (CAC/GL 29-1985) ; and iii) Codex Specifications fo r Identity and Purity of Food 
Additives (for revocation of Furfural).  The Committ ee also decided to submit to the Commission for 
approval: Proposal for new work on the Elaboration of Guidelines and Principles for Substances used 
as Processing Aids and Priority List of Food Additives, proposed for Evaluation by JECFA. 
2. The Thirty-sixth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling  agreed to advance to the 
Commission for final adoption the drafts on: i) th e Amendment to the Guidelines for the Production, 
Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods: Annex 1 (i nclusion of ethylene 
for kiwifruits and bananas); ii) the Amendment to the General Standard for the Labelling of 
Prepackaged Foods: Quantitative Declaration of Ingred ients; and iii) the Definition of Advertising in 
Relation to Nutrition and Health Claims (Draft Am endment to the Guidelines for Use of Nutrition and G/TBT/GEN/71 
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  Health Claims). The Committee also agreed to undertake new work on an Amendment to the 
Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced Foods 
(rotenone) and on the revision of the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling (implementation of the Global 
Strategy for Diet, Physical Activity and Health).  
3. The Fourteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables  decided to 
forward the draft Codex Standards for Tomatoes a nd Bitter Cassava. The Committee also agreed to 
request the approval of the Commission for new work on the Codex Standards for Durian, Chilli 
Peppers, and Tree Tomatoes and the revision of the Codex Standards for Avocado. 
 
II. FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
• The 61st  Session Executive Committee of the Codex 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 Committee for Europe (Warsaw, Poland, 
07-10 October 2008) 
• The 2ndSession of the Ad hoc Codex Intergover nmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance (Seoul. Republic of Korea, 20-24 October 2008) 
• The 10th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and South 
West Pacific (Nuku´ Alonfa, Tonga, 27-30 October 2008)  
• The 30th  Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses 
(Cape Town, South Aftrica, 3-7 November 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 Step  8 or at Step 5/8 as well as proposals to amend the 
Rules of Procedure and other texts in the Procedur al Manual. The Commission will also consider the 
implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and other FAO and 
WHO Work on Food Standards and relations betwee n the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other 
International Organizations. 
5. The Twenty-fourth Session of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables  
will primarily be involved in the continued ela boration of the Codex General Standards for Jams, 
Marmalades and Certain Canned Vegetables. The comm ittee will consider the proposed draft on: i) 
the Annexed specific to Certain Canned Vegetables;  ii) the Guidelines for Packing Media for Canned 
Vegetables; and iii) the Sampling Plans including Metrological Provisions for Controlling Minimum 
Drained Weight of Canned Fruits and Vegetables in  Packing Media. The Committee will continue to 
consider provisions for additives in various standards for processed fruits and vegetables.  
6. The Thirtieth Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary 
Uses will continue to consider the work on: i) the Guidelines for the Use of Nutrition Claims: Draft 
Table of Conditions for Nutrient Contents (Part B Containing Provisions on Dietary Fibre); ii) the 
Draft Advisory List of Nutrient Compounds for Use in Foods for Special Dietary Uses Intended for  G/TBT/GEN/71 
 Page 3 
 
 
  Infants and Young Children: Part D Advisory List of Food Additives for Special Nutrient Forms: 
Provisions on Gum Arabic (gum acacia); iii) the Draft Nutritional Risk Analysis Principles and Guidelines for Application to the Work of the Committee; iv) the Proposed Draft Recommendations 
on the Scientific Basis of Health Claims; and v) the Proposed Draft Additional or Revised Nutrient 
Reference Values for Labelling Purposes in th e Codex Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling. The 
Committee will also consider the discussion papers  on the Proposal for New Work to Amend the 
Codex General Principles for the Addition of Essenti al Nutrients to Foods (CAC/GL 09-1987) and on 
the Proposal for New Work to Establish a St andard for Processed Cereal-Based Foods for 
Underweight Infant and Young Children. 
7. 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 fo od standards and food control, participation 
consumers in the food standards setting as well as the use of Codex standards at national and regional 
levels. In addition, some of these meetings will con tinue to develop regional standards for products of 
interest to their regions. 
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