WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/927 
9 June 2009 
 (09-2746) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
INFORMATION ON CODEX EXISTING AND ONGOING WORK ON 
FOOD CONTROL, INSPECTION AND SAMPLING 
 
Communication by the Codex Alimentarius Commission
 
 
 
 The following communication, received on 5 June 2009, is being circulated at the request of 
the Codex . 
_______________ 
  
I. CODEX EXISTING AND ONGOING WORK ON FOOD CONTROL AND 
INSPECTION 
1. The Codex Committee on Food Import and Expo rt Inspection and Certification Systems 
(CCFICS) develops:  (i) principles and guide lines for food import and export inspection and 
certification systems with a view to harmonizing met hods and procedures, which protect the health of 
consumers, ensure fair trading practices and facilitate international trade in foodstuffs;  (ii) principles 
and guidelines for the application of measures by the competent authorities of exporting and importing countries to provide assurance where necessary that foodstuffs comply with requirements, especially statutory health requirements;  (iii) gui delines for the utilization, as and when appropriate, 
of quality assurance systems to ensure that foodstu ffs conform with requirements and to promote the 
recognition of these systems in facilitating trade in food products unde r bilateral/multilateral 
arrangements by countries;  and (iv) guidelines and criteria with respect to format, declarations and 
language of such official certificates as countries may require with a view towards international 
harmonization. 
2. Main texts developed by the CCFICS pertai ning to control, inspection and approval 
procedures include: 
(a) Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification  (CAC/GL 20-1995) 
3. The Principles governing food import and export inspection and certification systems should 
ensure an optimal outcome consistent with cons umer protection and facilitation of trade.  The 
Principles provide for inspection and certification sy stems that should: be fully effective in achieving 
their objectives; be designed and operated on the b asis of risk assessment; avoid discrimination or 
disguised restriction to trade; have adequate means to perform their task; be based on Codex 
standards, guidelines and other recommendations; rec ognise that different systems may be capable of 
meeting the same objectives; transparent; and take  account of the capabilities of developing countries 
to provide the necessary safeguards. G/SPS/GEN/927 
Page 2  
 
  (b) Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Asses sment and Accreditation of Food Import and 
Export Inspection and Certification Systems  (CAC/GL 26-1997) 
4. The Guidelines provide a framework for the development of import and export inspection and 
certification systems consistent with the Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and 
Certification  (CAC/GL 20-1995).  The Guidelines are intended to assist countries in the application of 
requirements and the determinati on of equivalency, thereby prot ecting consumers and facilitating 
trade in foodstuffs.  The application by government s of the Guidelines should help build and maintain 
the necessary confidence in the in spection and certification system of an exporting country and 
facilitate fair trade, taking account of the expect ations of consumers for an appropriate level of 
protection. 
(c) Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems  (CAC/GL 47-2003) 
5. The Guidelines provide a framework for the de velopment and operation of an import control 
system to protect consumers and facilitate fair pr actices in food trade while ensuring that unjustified 
technical barriers to trade are not introduced.  The Guidelines are consistent with the Codex 
Principles for Food Import and Expor t Inspection and Certification (CAC/GL 20-1995)  and provide 
specific information about imported food control that is an adjunct to the Guidelines for the Design, 
Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification 
Systems (CAC/GL 26-1997) .  
(d) Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of  Information in Food Safety Emergency 
Situations (CAC/GL 19-1995) 
6. The Principles and Guidelines apply to situations  where the competent authorities in either the 
importing and/or exporting countries become awar e of a food safety emergency situation, and 
communication of the information and risks surrounding the emergency situation must be undertaken.  
7. The document include principles and guidance for th e exchange of information in the event of 
a food safety emergency, including the nature of the food safety emergency, the designated official 
contact point for information exchange, the informat ion to all known affected and potentially affected 
countries, the type of information to be exchanged, the role of competent authority, and the 
information flow. 
(e) Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between Countries on Rejections of Imported 
Foods   (CAC/GL 25-1997) 
8. The Guidelines provide the basis for structured  information exchange  on import rejections, 
caused by failure to comply with importing country  requirements.  The document includes an annex 
on the information that should be provided by coun tries in relation to rejections of imported food. 
9. Currently the CCFICS is working on the devel opment of the following documents, both at an 
early phase of development: 
(i) Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Foreign On-site Audits and Inspections.  
This work aims at providing guidance for use by national governments to ensure a 
standardized and consistent approach to  the conduct of audits of an exporting 
country’s official food inspection and certification system(s), or component parts thereof.  G/SPS/GEN/927 
 Page 3 
 
 
  (ii) Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control Systems.  This work aims at 
assisting governments in the development and operation of a national food control 
system to ensure that foods, and their production systems, meet requirements for 
achieving the appropriate level of protecti on in order to protect the health of 
consumers and ensuring fair practices in th e food trade, consistent with existing 
Codex documents. 
10. Others texts developed by the CCFICS include: 
(a) Guidelines for the Development of Equi valence Agreements Regarding Food Import 
and Export Inspection and Certification Systems  (CAC/GL 34-1999); 
(b) Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalen ce of Sanitary Measures Associated with 
Food Inspection and Certification Systems  (CAC/GL 53-2003); 
(c) Guidelines for Design, Production, Issuance and Use of Generic Official Certificates 
(CAC/GL 38-2001);  and  
(d) Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing as a Tool within a Food Inspection and 
Certification System  (CAC/GL 60-2006). 
II. CODEX EXISTING AND ONGOING WORK ON FOOD SAMPLING 
11. The responsibilities of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling include: 
to define the criteria appropriate to Codex me thods of analysis and sampling; to serve as a 
coordinating body for Codex with other internatio nal groups working on methods of analysis and 
sampling and quality assurance systems for laboratories; to specify, on the basis of final recommendations submitted to it by the other bodies re ferred to above, reference methods of analysis 
and sampling appropriate to Codex standards which ar e generally applicable to a number of foods; to 
elaborate sampling plans and procedures, as may be required; and to consider specific sampling and 
analysis problems submitted to it by the Commission or any of its committees. 
12. As regards sampling, the Committee on Methods  of Analysis and Sampling developed the 
General Guidelines on Sampling (CAC/GL 50-2004) which is the reference text for sampling 
purposes and was adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2004.  Codex methods of 
sampling are designed to ensure that fair and valid  sampling procedures are used when food is being 
tested for compliance with a particular Codex commodity standard.  The sampling methods are 
intended for use as international methods designe d to avoid or remove difficulties which may be 
created by diverging legal, administrative and technical approaches to sampling and by diverging 
interpretation of results of analysis in relation to lots or consignments of foods, in the light of the 
relevant provision(s) of the applicable Codex standa rd.  The General Guidelines have been elaborated 
to facilitate the implementation of these goals by Codex commodity committees, governments and other users. G/SPS/GEN/927 
Page 4  
 
  13. Specific sampling plans have been developed fo r the purposes of pesticide residue control and 
in conjunction with the establishment of certain lim its for contaminants, and especially the following:  
(a) Recommended Methods of Sampling for the Determination of Pesticide Residues for 
Compliance with MRLs  (CAC/GL 33-1999);  and 
(b) Sampling Plans for Aflatoxin Contamination in Ready-To-Eat Treenuts and Treenuts 
Destined for Further Processing: Almonds, Hazelnuts and Pistachios , included as 
Annex 1 to the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food  (CODEX 
STAN 193-1995). 
14. Specific sampling plans for the purposes of veterina ry drug residue control are included in the 
Codex  Guidelines for the Establishment of a Regulat ory Programme for Control of Veterinary Drug 
Residues in Foods  (CAC/GL 16-1993).  A revision of this doc ument will be considered for adoption 
by the 32
nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July 2009.  Work is ongoing in the 
Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in  Foods to develop specific sampling plans for 
aquatic animal products and derived edible produc ts of aquatic origin. 
15. Specific sampling plans, established for some specific commodities, such as milk products, 
cereals, or processed fruit and vegetables, are compiled in the Recommended Methods of Analysis and 
Sampling  (CODEX STAN 234-1999). 
__________