WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/1022 
22 June 2010 
 (10-3395) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES 
 
Submission by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)
 
  
 The following communication, received on 16 June 2010, is being circulated at the request of 
the Codex
 secretariat. 
 
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I. CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE  
 
• The 31
st Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, 
Hungary, 8-12 March 2010)  
• The 42nd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (Beijing, China,  
15-19 March 2010)  
• The 26th Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (Paris, France,  
12-16 April 2010)  
• The 42nd Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Xian, China,  
19-24 April 2010)  
• The 4th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in  Foods (Izmir, Turkey,  
26-30 April 2010)  
• The 38th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Q uebeck City, Canada,  
3-7 May 2009)  
 In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to  draw its attention to the following: 
 
1. The 31
st session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling agreed to 
forward to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption the Proposed Draft Guidelines on 
Performance Criteria and Validation of Methods fo r Detection, Identification and Quantification of 
Specific DNA Sequences and Specific Proteins in Foods , which is applicable, among other uses, to 
foods derived from biotechnology.  The Committee also  proceeded with its work on the revision of 
the Guidelines on Measurement Uncertainty  and proposed methods of analysis for certain health 
related substances in natural mineral waters.  
2. The 42nd session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives agreed to forward to the 
Commission for adoption:  the proposed draft food additive provisions of the General Standard for 
Food Additives (GSFA);  the proposed draft Gu idelines on substances used as processing aids, 
proposed draft amendments to the International numbering system for food additives  and the proposed 
draft Specifications for the identity and purity of food additives  arising from the 71st Meeting of 
JECFA.  The Committee endorsed the provisions for food additives and processing aids forwarded by G/SPS/GEN/1022 
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  the Committees on Fish and Fishery Products and the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products 
and made amendments to names and descriptors in  a number of food categories and footnotes of the 
GSFA.  The Committee also agreed  to initiate new work on the revision of the Standard for Food 
Grade Salt and on the revision of the food category of the GSFA related to confectionary products. 
3. The 26
th Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles agreed to forward to the 
Commission for final adoption the Draft Revised Code of ethics for international trade in food 
including concessional and food aid transactions.  The Committee completed its review of the risk 
principles developed by Codex committ ees regarding consistency with the Working Principles for 
Risk Analysis , which will be followed by a review by each committee of their risk analysis principles 
and policies.  It also endorsed the Proposed Draft Risk Analysis Principles and Procedures Applied by 
the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene  provided by the CCFH and the proposal for the amendment of 
the section on food additives in the Format for Codex Commodity Standards . 
4. The 42nd session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues agreed to forward to the 33rd 
Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission fo r final adoption 217 new and revised MRLs in 
specific commodities and 52 MRLs for adoption as draft MRLs;  it identified 95 existing Codex 
MRLs for revocation and decided to discontinue work on 33 MRLs.  The Committee continues work 
on the revision of the Codex Classification of Fo ods and Animal Feeds.  Once completed, the 
Classification will assist in the Extrapolation of  Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticide for 
Commodity Groups particularly in relation to the establishment of MRLs for minor use and specialty 
crops for MRL setting.  The Committee also forwar ded to the Commission the amended priority lists 
of chemicals scheduled for evaluation and re -evaluation by the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on 
Pesticides Residues from 2011 to 2017 for approv al as new work.  Th e Committee has also 
considered the need for the revision or setting of  new extraneous maximum residue limits (EMRLs) 
for certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs), falling within the Stockholm Convention and within 
its mandate, particularly in view of the phase-out of some of these compounds by the Convention as 
significant residues are present in some commodities due  to their historical use.  Therefore, the 
Committee agreed to keep the existing EMRLs and to also set new EMRLs for certain other 
commodities in order to aid trade.  The Committee agreed to ask the Commission to allow initiating 
the pilot project in which JMPR would conduct an  independent, parallel re view along with a global 
joint review team on sulfoxaflor and recommende d MRLs before national governments establish 
MRLs in 2011. 
5. The Fourth Session of the Codex Committee on Cont aminants in Foods agreed to advance to 
the Commission for adoption:  Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for Melamine in Food ( powdered 
infant formula and foods other than infant formula ) and Feed;  Proposed Draft Maximum Levels for 
Total Aflatoxins in Shelled, Ready-to-Eat Brazil Nuts and Shelled, Destined for Further Processing 
Brazil Nuts (including sampling plans);  Proposed Draft Revision of the Code of Practice for the 
Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxin in Tree Nuts  (additional measures for Brazil nuts);  Proposed 
Maximum Level for Tin in Canned Food (excluding beverages) to various general standards for 
canned fruits and vegetables in the Codex Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed.  
The Committee endorsed the sections on contaminants  in standards for milk and milk products as 
proposed by the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk  Products and decided to initiate new work on 
Maximum Levels for Deoxynivalenol  (DON) and its Acetylated Derivatives in Cereals and Cereal-
based Products and on Maximum Levels fo r Total Aflatoxins in Dried Figs. 
II. FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS 
• The 64th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(Geneva, Switzerland, 29 June – 2 July 2010)   G/SPS/GEN/1022 
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  • The 33rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland,  
5-9 July 2010)  
• The 19th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods 
(Burlington (Vermont), United States of America, 30 August - 3 September 2010)  
• The FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and South West Pacific 
(Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 28- Se ptember – 1 October 2010)  
• The FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Europe (Warsaw, Poland, 5 – 8 October 2010)  
• The 4th Session of the Ad hoc  Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance (Muju), Republic of Korea, 18-22 October 2010)  
• Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vege tables (Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 October 2010).  
 6. The Thirty-third Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission will conduct its 
deliberations on the basis of the report of the 64
th Session of the Executive Committee and other 
subsidiary bodies which have met since the 32nd Session of the Commission (Rome, July 2009).  It 
will consider a number of draft and proposed draft standards and related texts for adoption at Steps 5 
or 8.  The Commission is expected to adopt several  Codex standards and related text, including the 
Draft Standard for Apples, Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Pathogenic Vibrio  spp. in 
Seafood, Proposed Draft Guidelines on perform ance Criteria and Validation of Methods for 
Detection, Identification and Quantification of Specific DNA Sequences and Specific Proteins in 
Foods, Proposed Draft Guidelines on substances us ed as processing aids, Proposed Draft Maximum 
Levels for total aflatoxins in shelled, ready-to-eat  Brazil nuts and shell, destined for further processing 
Brazil nuts and a number of other texts.  The Commission will also discuss financial and budgetary 
matters;  strategic planning;  relations between C odex and other international organizations such as 
OIE and ISO;  private standards;  the developing co untry participation in the Codex process, including 
the operation of the FAO/WHO Project and trust Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex.  
7. The 19th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods will 
proceed with its work on Maximum Residues Limits (MRLs) for Veterinary Drugs, i.e. narasin (in cattle and sheep tissues) and tilmicosin (in chicke n and turkey tissues), based on the recommendations 
of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Food Additives (JECFA).  The Committee will 
consider:  amendments and/or addition to the pr iority list of veterinary drugs requiring JECFA 
evaluation or re-evaluation;  the report of the el ectronic working group on risk management topics and 
options for the CCRVDF on factors related to the establishment of ADI and process of recommending MRLs;  and new work and procedures for the deve lopment of risk management recommendation for 
veterinary drugs for which no ADI and MRLs have been recommended by JECFA.  The Committee 
will also consider methods of analysis and samplin g, and discussion papers on veterinary drugs in 
honey production and on sampling plan for resi due control for aquatic animal products. 
8. The 11
th Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committees for North America and South 
West Pacific  will consider matters arising from FAO, WHO, the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
and other Codex Committees, including the outcomes of the Codex Trust Fund mid-term review and 
activities of other international and regional or ganizations.  The Committee will be discussing the 
implementation of the Strategic Plan for the Coordination Committee North America South West 
Pacific  (CCNASWP) 2008-2013, the information submitte d by counties of the region on consumer 
participation in food standard setting activities and on  the use of Codex standards and related texts at 
the national and regional levels.  The Committee w ill also be considering a discussion paper on kava.  G/SPS/GEN/1022 
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  9. FAO /WHO Coordinating Committee for Europe will consider Implementation of the Codex 
Strategic Plan 2008 – 2013;  problems with the implementation of Codex standards and other texts at 
national and regional level;  food control situatio n and participation of consumers in the Codex 
standards setting;  Nutritional Issues within the Region  and also other issues that are important to the 
Regions.  
10. The 4
th Session of the Ad hoc  Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance will continue the elaboration of the proposed draft Guidelines for the Risk Analysis of 
Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance.  According to  the mandate received by the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission, the Task Force should co mplete its work by this session. 
III. CODEX MEMBERSHIP 
11. Codex membership stands at 182 member c ountries and one member organization (the 
European Union). 
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