Food Law News - FAO/WHO/WTO/Codex - 2000

20 March - 24 March 2000: COMMITTEE - Food Additives and Contaminants (32nd Session)

Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants
32nd Session, Beijing, 20 March - 24 March 2000

The Committee:

• Forwarded 14 food additives in Table 1 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) to the Commission for final adoption;
• Forwarded all remaining food additive provisions in Table 1 of the GSFA to the Executive Committee for preliminary adoption;
• Forwarded the proposed draft Guidelines for the Development of Maximum Levels for the Use of Food Additives with Numerical Acceptable Daily Intakes (Annex A to the GSFA) to the Commission for final adoption;
• Agreed to circulate proposed draft amendments to Table 3 (additives with an acceptable daily intake of "not specified") of the GSFA for comments and further consideration at its next meeting;
• Agreed to consider a discussion paper on the relationship between Codex commodity standards and the Codex General Standard for Food Additives at its next Session;
• Invited additional comments on the GSFA Food Category System for further consideration at its next Session;
• Agreed to revise the discussion paper on the application of risk analysis principles for food additives and contaminants for circulation, comment and further consideration at its next meeting;
• Decided to discontinue the consideration of specific discussions concerning the use of colours in foods, with the understanding the appropriate discussions should be undertaken in the context of the GSFA;
• Agreed to consider a discussion paper on processing aids at its next meeting;
• Decided to revise the Codex General Standard for Irradiated Foods, as well as the Recommended International Code of Practice for the Operation of Irradiation Facilities Used for the Treatment of Foods, for consideration at its next Session;
• Agreed to further consider at its next session methodology and principles for exposure assessment in the context of the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods;
• Recommended Commission adoption of 36 specifications for food additives and 55 specifications for flavouring agents as Codex Advisory Specifications;
• Forwarded amendments to the International Numbering System to the Commission for adoption, and agreed to request specific comments on technological functions and functional classes/sub-classes for consideration at its next meeting;
• Returned the draft maximum level for aflatoxin M1 in milk for additional comment and consideration at its next Session;
• Decided to create a single general Code of Practice for the Prevention of Mycotoxin in Cereals, including specific Annexes related to the prevention of Ochratoxin A, Fumonisins and Zearalenone contamination in cereals, for consideration at its next meeting;
• Returned the proposed draft level for ochratoxin A in cereals and cereal products for additional comment;
• Agreed to forward the draft maximum level for patulin in apple juice and apple juice ingredients in other beverages to the Commission for final adoption and to continue the elaboration of a code of practice for the prevention of patulin contamination in these foodstuffs for further consideration at its next meeting;
• Forwarded draft maximum levels for lead in foods to the Commission for final adoption;
• Returned the draft guideline levels for cadmium in foods for additional comment and further consideration at its next Session;
• Agreed to consider a position paper on dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs as well as a code of practice for source directed measures to reduce dioxin contamination of foods at its next meeting;
• Forwarded the proposed draft Code of Practice for Source Directed Measures to Reduce the Contamination of Food with Chemicals to the Executive Committee for preliminary adoption;
• Forwarded the proposed draft revision to the Codex Standard for Food Grade Salt (Packaging, Transportation and Storage) to the Executive Committee for preliminary adoption;
• Decided to request further comments and amendments to Methods of Analysis for Food Additives and Contaminants, the International Numbering System, the Inventory of Processing Aids and the Priority List;
• Identified "other legitimate factors" in the context of its work for further consideration by the Codex Committee on General Principles;
• Agreed to circulate the document concerning "Agreed CCPR Positions on Setting EMRLs" for comment and consideration at its next meeting; and,
• Decided that a drafting group would prepare a revised version of the sampling plan for peanuts for consideration at its next meeting.