Food Law News - FAO/WHO/WTO/Codex - 1999

29 November-4 December 1999: COMMITTEE - Food Hygiene (32nd Session)

Codex Committee on Food Hygiene
32nd Session, Washington D.C.,29 November - 4 December 1999

The Committee:

• agreed to advance to Step 8:
  • Draft Standard for Bottled /Packaged Drinking Waters (Other Than Natural Mineral Waters).
  • Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for the Transport of Food in Bulk and Semi-Packed Food.
• The Executive Committee advice is sought for:
  • Recognizing the importance of the issue of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in food the Committee agreed to ask advice of the Executive Committee and the Commission on how to proceed with this issue in order to ensure coordination of work between concerned Committees.
• Identified and agreed on the pathogen-commodity combinations to be considered by an ad hoc Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Microbiological Risk Assessment in Foods and suggested that the Consultation review and summarize national and regional risk assessment and other relevant data;
• Provided advice with respect to referral to the Codex Alimentarius Commission from the WTO SPS Committee on 1) Bacillus cereus as a potential pathogen in canned/bottled products, including jams, and 2) the necessity of certification regarding the absence of pathogens in raw meat products;
• Agreed to return to Step 3 and redraft the Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products on the basis of comments received and discussions held during the session and circulate it for further comments and consideration;
• Agreed to return to Step 3 and redraft the Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Primary Production, Harvesting and Packaging of Fresh Produce and the Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Pre-Cut Fruits and Vegetables;
• Agreed to circulate the Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Management at Step 3 for comments with the understanding that comments would be forwarded to the Delegation of France for redrafting, circulation and further consideration by the Committee;
• Agreed to identify the issues involved in elaborating appropriate guidance on the application of HACCP principles in redrafting the Discussion Paper on the Application of HACCP in Small and/or Less Developed Businesses;
• Agreed to proceed with the issue on Listeria in two ways: refer it to the Expert Consultation on Microbiological Risk Assessment in Food and develop the Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods at Step 3 for consideration at the next session;
• Agreed to discontinue work on viruses with the understanding that this issue would be revisited after 2-3 years, taking into account the progress in WHO and other international fora;
• Agreed to proceed with the elaboration and further consideration of the Proposed Draft Guidelines for Hygienic Recycling of Processing Water in Food Plants;
• Agreed to prepare a document on priorities that would identify which codes are superseded by the Code on General Principles of Food Hygiene and which codes can be combined for consideration by the next session of the Committee; and
• Agreed to prepare Discussion papers for consideration by the next session of the Committee on : Guidelines for the Validation of Food Hygienic Control Measures and on Guidelines for Evaluating the Presence of Objectionable Matter in Food
• Agreed to discontinue the work on Proposed Draft Annex on Cleaning and Disinfection to the Recommended International Code of Practice-General Principles of Food Hygiene.