FSIS Annual List of Codex Intl Standard-Setting Activities, Changes to be Considered at Next Session
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued its annual list of the sanitary and phytosanitary standard (SPS)-setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)1 as well as other standard-setting activities of Codex, including commodity standards, guidelines, codes of practice and revised texts.
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The notice also seeks comments on the standards and recommendations for new standards that will be considered at the 33rd session of Codex in July 2010. (Note that no specific comment due date was given.)
(The notice covers the time periods from June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2010 and June 1, 2010 to May 31, 2011.)
Notice Organized by Codex Committee, Each With Own Agenda and Proposals
Each Codex Committee has a different agenda and makes its own proposals. Attachment 1, which represents most of the notice, is organized by committee and includes: (1) the SPS standards under consideration or planned for consideration; and (2) for each SPS standard specified (i) a description of the consideration or planned consideration of the standard; (ii) whether the U.S. is participating or plans to participate in the consideration of the standard; (iii) the agenda for U.S. participation, if any; and (iv) the agency responsible for representing the U.S. with respect to the standard. Attachment 1 includes a description of the above items for the following committees:
- Codex Committee on Food Labeling
- Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food
- Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses
- Codex Committee on Food Additives
- Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling
- Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
- Codex Committee on General Principles
- Codex Committee on Food Hygiene
- Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
- Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products
- Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products
- Codex Committee on Fats and Oils
- Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables
- Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues
- Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods
- Certain Codex Commodity Committees
- Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance
- FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committees
- Codex Coordinating Committees by Region (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East, and North America and South Pacific)
33rd Codex Session to Consider Inspection/Certification, Labeling, Etc.
Highlights of the items to be considered at the 33rd Session in July include:
Codex’s Food Import/Export Inspection and Certification Systems Committee will be considering a proposed draft “Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Foreign On-Site Audits and Inspections.” In addition, the committee is continuing work on: proposed draft “Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Assessments of Foreign Official Inspection and Certification Systems.”
Codex’s Food Labeling Committee willbe considering a proposed draft “Criteria and Principles for Legibility of Nutrition Labels,” as well as editorial amendments to various standards, including “General Standard for the Labeling of and Claims for Prepackaged Foods” and guidelines for the production, processing, labeling and marketing of organically produced foods.
Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses Committee will be considering a document entitled “The General Principles for Establishing Nutrient Reference Values of Vitamins and Minerals for the General Population.”
FSIS to Meet June 8 on Upcoming Codex Session
FSIS has announced a public meeting on June 8, 2010 in Washington, DC to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions that will be discussed at the upcoming Codex session. According to FSIS, interested persons will also be able to listen to the meeting through a conference call.
1Codex, which was created in 1962 by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), is the principal international organization for encouraging fair international trade in food and protecting the health and economic interests of consumers. Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by its committees and by promoting their adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trade practices in the food trade, and promote coordination of food standards work undertaken by international governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
(See ITT’s 05/19/10 news, 10051926, for BP summary of FSIS notice announcing meeting.
See ITT's Online Archives or 06/01/09 news, 09060130, for BP summary of the previous year’s annual listing.)
FSIS Contact - Karen Stuck (202) 205-7760
(D/N FSIS-2009-0033)