FSIS Announces Codex Electronic Working Group on Animal Feed
The Food Safety and Inspection Service reports that a Codex electronic working group (eWG) will meet to discuss animal feed.
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The details of this eWG are as follows:
Task Force on Animal Feeding (TFAF): Switzerland will lead a new eWG, working only in English, to redraft the Guidance for Use by Governments in Prioritizing their National Feed Hazards. The TFAF agreed at its session in February to return the renamed proposed draft Guidance to Step 2 for redrafting on the basis of the discussion and decisions taken at the session. The TFAF noted that work needed to be undertaken in the eWG on:
- the description of the three criteria for identifying relevant hazards in feed;
- more detailed guidance on the application of the criteria by governments;
- preparing a list of "potential feed hazards" relevant for food safety in a separate annex; and
- a second Annex with examples for illustrative purposes on the application of the criteria for the prioritization of hazards in feed.
The goal is to submit the redrafted guidance, after two rounds of comments, to the Codex Secretariat by September 1, 2012. Individuals in the United States interested in contributing to the eWG should send their name, official title, and email address to the U.S. Codex Office (USCodex@fsis.usda.gov). Other Codex Members and Observers interested in participating in this eWG to provide the name(s), official title and e-mail address of their representatives to the Switzerland TFAF Secretariat (secretariatTFAF@blw.admin.ch) by March 31, 2012.