WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/701 
15 June 2006 
 (06-2897) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English 
  
 
SUBMISSION TO THE 36
TH MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE 
(GENEVA, 27-28 JUNE 2006) 
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE  
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
 
Submission by the Codex Alimentarius Commission  
   The following communication, dated 13 June 2006,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
 
_______________ 
 
 
I. CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE THIRTY -FIFTH MEETING OF THE SPS 
COMMITTEE (MARCH 2006)  
- The 7
th Session of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (Queenstown, 
New Zealand, 27 March – 1 April 2006) 
- The 38th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Fortaleza, Brazil, 
3–8 April 2006) 
- The 23rd Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (Paris, France, 
10–14 April 2006) 
- The 38th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (The Hague, 
Netherlands, 24–28 April 2006) 
- The 34th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (Ottawa, Canada, 
1–5 May 2006) 
- The 16th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of  Veterinary Drugs in Foods (Cancun, 
Mexico, 8–12 May 2006) 
- 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods  of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, 
Hungary, 15–19 May 2006) 
In particular, the Codex Alimentarius Commission  wishes to draw attention of the SPS Committee 
to the following.  1. The 7
th Session of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products  finalized several texts, 
including the amendment to the Codex General Standa rd for Cheese, the three standards for blends of 
milk products and vegetable fat, the revised sta ndards for 16 individual cheeses, the revision of the 
Codex Standard for Whey Cheeses and the standard  for Dairy Fat Spreads.  These texts will be 
considered by the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption, pending the 
endorsement of the food additive and labeling provisi ons and the methods of analysis by the relevant G/SPS/GEN/701 
Page 2  
 
  Codex Committees.  The Committee also forwarded the proposed draft Model Export Certificate for 
Milk and Milk Products to the 29
th Session of the Codex Alimentarius commission for preliminary 
adoption, agreed to discontinue consideration of the issue of naming non-stan dardized dairy products 
and to forward to the 29th Session of the Commission a proposal for new work on the amendment to 
the list of additives of the Code Standa rd for Creams and Prepared Creams. 
2. The 38th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues  had considered and 
proposed for adoption by the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, 
3-7 July 2006) the Maximum Residue Limits(MRLs)  for Pesticides in Foods and Feeds, including 
dried Chili peppers for a number of pesticides.  It  also established MRLs for five new pesticides 
(dimethenamid-P, fenhexamin, indoxacarb, novalu ron and sulfuryl fluoride).  The Committee 
finalized the Risk Analysis Principles Applied by the Committee on Pesticide Residues and the 
Guidelines on the Estimation of Uncertainty of Re sults.  The Committee agreed to discontinue the 
Pilot Project for Estimation of National MRLs as Interim Codex MRLs for Safer Replacement 
Pesticides with the understanding that for new MRLs  proposed by JMPR, for which there would be no 
intake concerns identified by JMPR and on conditio n that relevant JMPR reports were available by 
early February, the Steps 5/8 Procedure would be used.  The Committee will continue work on the 
following issues:  on the extended revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds;  the List of Methods for Pesticide Residue Analys is;  and the Establishment of MRLs for Processed 
and Ready-to-Eat Foods.  The Co mmittee also agreed to  consider a paper on how Codex MRLs are 
used at national level. 
3. The 23
rd Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles  agreed on several 
proposed amendments to the Procedural Manual, esp ecially the Procedures for the Elaboration of 
Codex Standards and Related Texts and the review of the General Principles of the Codex Alimentarius. 
4. The 38
th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants  continued 
work on the General Standard for Food Additives  (GSFA).  The Committee forwarded to the 
29th Session of the Commission for final adoption:  the revised Preamble of the GSFA;  the Codex 
General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins and Foods, including Schedule I;  maximum levels for 
totals aflatoxins in almonds, hazelnuts and pistac hios “ready-to-eat” for pr eliminary adoption;  the 
Appendix to the Codex Code of Practice for the Prev ention and Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in 
Tree Nuts (CAC/RCP 55-2004) to address addition al measures for the prevention and reduction of 
aflatoxin contamination in Brazil nuts for adoption;  the maximum levels for lead in fish and for cadmium 
in polished rice and marine molluscs;  the Code of Practice for the prevention and reduction of dioxin and 
dioxin-like PCB contamination in food and feeds;  and the revised guide line levels for radionuclides in 
foods contaminated following a nucl ear or radiological emergency fo r use in international trade.  
Proposals for new work being submitted to the Commission for approval include:  Guidelines for the Use of Flavourings;  Codes of Practice for the prev ention and control of ochrat oxin A contamination in 
wine;  for the reduction of acrylami de in food;  and for the reduction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons 
(PAH) contamination in food.  The Comm ittee agreed to request FAO/WHO to convene an expert 
consultation on the health risks associated with me thylmercury and dioxin and di oxin-like PCBs in fish 
and the health benefits of fish consumption and to postpone consideration on the need to revise the guideline levels for methylmercury in fish pending the outcome of the consultation and to retain the 
current Codex guideline levels for the time being. 
5. Following the request of the chairman of the SPS Committee  regarding the establishment of 
maximum levels (ML) for sulphur  dioxide in Food Category 12.2.1 (Herbs and Spices), the Comm ittee 
forwarded a ML for the use of sulphites (inclu ding sulphur dioxide) of (150mg/kg) for Food 
Category 12.2.1 "Herbs and Spices" for adoption by the 29
th Session of the Commission.  G/SPS/GEN/701 
 Page 3 
 
 
  6. The 34th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling  finalized the Draft Revised 
List of Permitted Substances in the Guidelin es for the Production, Processing, Labelling and 
Marketing of Organically Produced Foods, and the Proposed Draft Definition of Trans-Fatty Acids, for inclusion in the Guidelines on Nutriti on Labelling, both for adoption by the 29
th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.  It considered the Labelling of Foods and Food Ingredients Obtained 
through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modifi cation/Genetic Engineering and the Quantitative 
Declaration of Ingredients, and provided its view s on the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy 
on Diet, Physical Activity and Health in the framework of Codex.  
7. The 16th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods  
continued its work on the elaboration of maximu m residue limits (MRLs), sending MRLs for five 
substances to the 29th Session of the Commission for adoption and finalised the Risk Analysis 
Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Residu es of Veterinary Drugs in Foods and the Risk 
Assessment Policy for the Setting of the Maximum R esidue Limits (MRLs) in Foods for inclusion in 
the Codex Procedural Manual.  It further sent the renamed Codex Guidelines for the Design and 
Implementation of National Regulat ory Food Safety Assurance Programme Associated with the Use 
of Veterinary Drugs in Food Producing Animals to the Commission for preliminary adoption. 
8. The 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling  
forwarded the Proposed Draft Guidelines for Se ttling Disputes on Analytical (Test) Results and 
Analytical Terminology for Codex Use to the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for 
adoption as Draft Guidelines;  agreed to ask fo r further comments on th e Draft Guidelines for 
Evaluating Acceptable Methods of Analysis;  and en dorsed the methods of analysis and sampling in 
several Draft Codex standards.  It agreed to cont inue its work on recommendations and criteria for 
methods of analysis for the detection and identi fication of foods derive d from biotechnology;  the 
revision and harmonisation of analytical term inology;  and uncertainty in sampling. 
II. FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
- The 58th Session Executive Committee of the Co dex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, 
Switzerland, 29 June – 1 July 2006); 
- The 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland, 
3–7 July 2006);   
- The 28th Session of the Codex Committee on Fish a nd Fishery Products (Beijing, China, 
18–22 September 2006). 
III. ABOLITION OF ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURES OF CODEX STANDARDS  
9. The 33rd Session of the FAO Conferen ce (November 2005) and the 59th World Health 
Assembly (May 2006) approved the amendments to the Statutes of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission, thereby completing the aboliti on process of the acceptance procedures. 
IV. MEMBERSHIP OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION  
10. The membership currently comprises 173 c ountries and the European Community.   
__________