WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/599 
17 October 2005 
 (05-4737) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
 
Submission by the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
 
 
 
 The following communication, dated 10 October 2005, is being circulated at the request of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. 
_______________ 
 
 
I. CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE SPS COMMITTEE 
(JUNE 2005) 
• The 56
th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(Rome, Italy, 30 June - 2 July 2005). 
• The 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, Italy, 4 - 9 July 2005). 
• The 5th Session  of the Codex Ad Hoc  Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived 
from Biotechnology (Chiba, Japan, 19 – 23 September 2005).  
 
1. In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to dr aw its attention to the following meetings. 
2. The 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission , among others: 
(a) Adopted amendments to several sections  of the Procedural Manual, including 
amendments to Procedures for the Elaboration of Codex Standards and Related Texts 
and took a decision to abolish the “Acceptance Procedure” ; 
(b) Adopted over 20 revised Codex standard s or related texts (see Appendix I ); 
(c) Approved 14 new work proposals (see Appendix II); 
(d) Endorsed the proposed structure of and th e timeline for the preparation of the 
Strategic Plan for the period 2008-2013; 
(e) Considered the consultants’ report on the Review of the Codex Committee Structure 
and Mandates of Codex Committees and Task Forces and decided to split the Codex 
Committee on Food Additives and Contamin ants into two Committees (one on 
Additives and one on Contaminants); 
(f) Agreed to strengthen cooperation with th e World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE); G/SPS/GEN/599 
Page 2  
 (g) Encourged current donors to continue to provide funds to the FAO/WHO Trust Fund 
for Enhanced Participation in Codex a nd invited other countries to consider 
contributing to the Fund; 
3. The full report of the meeting is available at: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/
 
4. The 5th Session of the Codex Ad Hoc  Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods derived from 
Biotechnology was held from 19 to 23 September 2005 in Japan. It agreed to initiate new work on a 
Guideline for the Conduct of Safety Assessment  of Foods derived from Recombinant-DNA Animals 
and an Annex on Recombinant-DNA Plants Modified  for Nutritional or Health Benefits (to be 
appended to the Guideline for the Conduct of  Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from 
Recombinant-DNA Plants (CAC/GL 45-2003). These propo sals for new work are subject to official 
approval by the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (July 2006).  
II. FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
• The 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary 
Uses (Bonn, Germany, 21-25 November 2005).  
• The 14th Session  of the Codex Committee on Food Im port and Export Inspection and 
Certification Systems (Melbourne, Au stralia 28 November-2 December 2005). 
• The 57th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(Geneva, Switzerland, 6-9 December 2005)  
• The 7th 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 (TBA, Brazil, 3-
8 April 2006)  
• The 23rd Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (Paris, France, 10-
14 April 2006)  
5. In particular, the SPS Committee may wish to dr aw its attention to the following meetings. 
6. The 14th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and 
Certification Systems will consider Principles for the Application of Traceability/Product Tracing in 
the context of Food Import and Export Inspection a nd Certification Systems. A first draft of the 
Principles is being elaborated by a Working Group, led by Australia and co-chaired by Argentina and 
Norway, which met in Brussels on 12-14 September 2005. The Committee, among others, started working on the elaboration of Appendices to the Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of 
Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification Systems and on the revision of 
the Guidelines for Generic Official Certifi cate Formats and the Production and Issuance of 
Certificates. The Committee will also consider draft Principles and Guidelines for Risk-based 
Inspection of Imported Foods and a discussion paper on the revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countri es on Rejections of Imported Foods. 
7. The 27
th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses  
will consider the definition and claims of “dietary fibre” of the Draft Guidelines for use in Nutrient 
Claims (part B) in order to provide information to  consumers, especially when nutrition claims are 
made in relation to this food component. The Commi ttee will continue to consider the revision of the 
Advisory list(s) of Mineral Salts and Vitamin Compounds for use in foods for infants and children in 
order to increase the range of nutrients and incl ude nutrients other than vitamin compounds and 
mineral salts. The Committee will also consider the work on proposed draft Recommendations on the 
Scientific Basis for Health Claims which are inte nded to specify the requirements for the scientific  G/SPS/GEN/599 
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 justification of health claims; the discussion paper on  the Application of Risk Analysis in order to 
develop guidance to the decision making, based on the Working Principles for Risk Analysis adopted 
by the Commission; as well as the paper prepared  by the WHO in cooperation with FAO on how 
Codex could assist in the implementation of the W HO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and 
Health. 
III. MEMBERSHIP OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
8. The membership currently comprises 172 countries and the European Community. 
9. Afghanistan has become a Member since September 2005.  
 G/SPS/GEN/599 
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 APPENDIX I 
LIST OF STANDARDS AND RELATED TEXTS ADOPTED BY THE TWENTY-
EIGHTH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
 
Part 1. Standards and Related Texts Adopted at Step 8 as Final Texts 
 
Standards and Related Texts Reference 
Food additive provisions of the General Sta ndard for Food Additives ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 83 and Appendix X 
Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in Tree Nuts ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 132 and Appendix 
XXI 
Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Tin Contamination 
in Canned Foods ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 166 and Appendix 
XXV 
Maximum Levels for cadmium in wheat grain; potato; stem and root 
vegetables; leafy vegetabl es; and, other vegetables ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 175 and Appendix XXVI 
Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Produc ts (section on Aquaculture) ALINORM 05/28/18; 
para. 59 and Appendix II  
Amendment to the Standard for Salted Fish and Dried Salted Fish of the 
Gadidae  Family ALINORM 05/28/18; 
para. 34 and Appendix IV 
Code of Hygienic Practice for Meat ALINORM 05/28/16; 
para. 67 and Appendix II  
Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements ALINORM 05/28/26; 
para. 35 and Appendix II 
Maximum Residue Levels for Pesticides  ALINORM 05/28/24; 
Paras 77- 213 and 
Appendix II  
Interim  Maximum Residue Levels for Pesticides  ALINORM 05/28/24; 
Paras 189 – 203 and 
Appendix V 
Maximum Residue Limits for Veteri nary Drugs  ALINORM 05/28/31; 
para. 92 and Appendix II 
Codex General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars ALINORM 05/28/39; 
para.103 and Appendix II 
Minimum Brix Level for Reconstitu ted Juice and Reconstituted Purée 
and Minimum Juice and/or Purée Content for Fruit Nectars (% v/v) 
grape, guava, mandarine/tangerine, mango, passion fruit and tamarind 
(Indian date)  juices/nectars   ALINORM 05/28/39; 
para. 104 and Appendix III  
Methods of Analysis endorsed for inclusion in commodity standards and/or in Codex STAN 234-1999:  Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils; general methods for pr ocessed fruits and vegetables; and 
specific standards for Processed Fruits and Vegetables ALINORM 05/28/23; 
paras. 53-83 and 88 and Appendix III
 
  G/SPS/GEN/599 
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Part 2. Standards and Related Texts Adopted at  Step 5 and Step 8 as Final Texts with 
endation to Omission of Steps 6 and 7 
 
Standards and Related Texts Reference 
Food additive provisions of the General Sta ndard for Food Additives ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 83 and Appendix X 
Amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 88 and Appendix XIII 
Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives arising from 
the 63rd JECFA meeting ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 114 and Appendix 
XVI 
Revision of the Preamble of the Gene ral Standard for Contaminants and 
Toxins in Foods (GSCTF) (N09-2004) ALINORM 05/28/12; 
para. 128 and Appendix 
XIX 
Code of Practice for Fish and Fish ery Products (Shrimps and Prawns; 
Cephalopods; Transport; Retail;  and relevant Definitions) ALINORM 05/28/18; 
para. 91 and Appendix III  
Standard for Rambutan ALINORM 05/28/35; 
para. 89 and Appendix VI 
Principles for Electronic Certification ALINORM 05/28/30; 
para. 37 and Appendix II 
Amendment to the Standard for Na med Vegetable Oil; Amendment of 
Sesame seed Oil ALINORM 05/28/17; 
para. 45 and Appendix III 
Regional Guidelines for Codex Cont act Points and National Codex 
Committees ALINORM 05/28/40; 
para. 66 and Appendix V 
Maximum Residue Levels for Pesticides  ALINORM 05/28/24; 
Paras 77- 213 and 
Appendix III 
Maximum Residue Levels for Pesticides – Spices  ALINORM 05/28/24; 
Paras 177 – 182 and Appendix IV 
Guidelines on the Use of Mass Spec trometry (MS) for Identification, 
Confirmation and Quantitative Determination of Residues ALINORM 05/28/24; 
para. 228 and Appendix X 
 
New Codes and Numbers for Commodities with Adopted MRLs ALINORM 05/28/24; p
ara. 268 and Appendix XI 
Maximum Residue Limits for Vete rinary Drugs ALINORM 05/28/31; 
para. 92 and Appendix III 
Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial Resistance ALINORM 05/28/31; 
para. 117 and Appendix 
VIII 
Minimum Brix Level for Reconstitu ted Juice and Reconstituted Purée 
and Minimum Juice and/or Purée Content for Fruit Nectars (% v/v) 
lemon, lime, orange and pineapple juices/nectars   ALINORM 05/28/39; 
para. 105 and Appendix 
IV  
 G/SPS/GEN/599 
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Part 3. Standards and Related Texts Adopted at Step 5 of the Accelerated Procedure 
 
Standards and Related Texts Reference 
Revised Table 1 of the Recommended In ternational Code of Practice for 
the Storage and Transport of the Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk ALINORM 05/28/17; 
para. 52 and Appendix II 
  G/SPS/GEN/599 
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 APPENDIX II 
LIST OF NEW WORK APPROVED BY THE TWENTY-EIGHTH SESSION OF THE 
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
 
Responsible 
Committee Standards and Related Texts Job Code 
CCFO Proposed Draft Amendment to the Codex Standard for Named 
Vegetable  Oil; Amendment to Total Carotenoids in Unbleached 
Palm Oil - Accelerated Procedure  
N01-2005 
CCFFP Proposed Draft Code of Practice on the Processing of Scallop 
Meat N02-2005 
CCFFV Proposed Draft Standard for “Bitter” Cassava N03-2005 
CCFICS Proposed Draft Principles for the Application of 
Traceability/Product Tracing in the Context of Food Import and 
Export Inspection and Certification Systems N04-2005 
CCFICS Proposed Draft Revision of the Codex Guidelines for Generic 
Official Certificate Formats and the Production and Issuance of 
Certificates N05-2005 
CCASIA Proposed Draft Regional Standard for Non-Fermented Soybean 
Products N06-2005 
CCFAC Proposed Draft Revision of the “Class Names and International 
Numbering System for Food Additives - CAC/GL 36-2003” N07-2005 
CCFAC Proposed Draft Appendix to the Code of Practice for the 
Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in Tree Nuts to address additional measures for the prevention and 
reduction of Aflatoxins in Brazil Nuts  
N08-2005 
CCFAC Proposed Draft Code of Practice for the Reduction of 
Chloropropanols during the Production of acid-Hydrolyzed 
Vegetable Proteins (HVPs) and Products that Contain acid-
HVPs N09-2005 
CCFL Proposed Draft Definition of Trans-Fatty Acids (Amendment to 
the General Standard for the La belling of Prepackaged Foods  
and the the Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling ) - Accelerated 
Procedure  N10-2005 
CCPR Proposed Draft Revision of the MRL Elaboration Procedure  N11-2005 
CCPR Priority List of Chemicals for Evaluation and Re-evaluation by 
JMPR ongoing 
CCRVDF Priority List of Veterinary Drugs requiring Evaluation or Re-
evaluation ongoing 
CCGP Proposed Draft Amendments to the Rules of Procedure: duration 
of the term of office of the Members of the Executive 
Committee Procedure 
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