Update on date marking, upgrade on more than 26 pesticides, revision of additives list, and clarity on cadmium in chocolate, marked the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s 41st Session, a joint FAO and WHO food standards programme, that concluded its annual outing at FAO Headquarters, Rome, recently.

The five-day meet was attended by over 650 delegates from 121 member countries and 84 observer organisations, more than 30 standards were adopted and will now be published in the Codex Alimentarius or “food code.” The meets are aimed at adoption of standards, guidelines and codes of practice that are contained in the Codex Alimentarius or food code.

Speaking at the session, Guilherme da Costa from Brazil, the chairperson of the commission, thanked delegates for the flexible and constructive approach to what is often “a delicate negotiation process but one that has global effects on food safety and fair practices in trade.”

Science and consensus
In discussions surrounding the conclusion of the  not to advance the proposed draft maximum residue limits for zilpaterol hydrochloride (a bovine growth promotant) in the  despite consensus in that committee on the validity of the scientific assessment, the commission supported the Executive Committee’s decision to review the procedural provisions available in Codex on matters concerning science and consensus.

Methods for standard development
Some Codex committees are currently working by correspondence on particular issues including quinoa, processed fruits and vegetables and sugar cane juice. As work in Codex evolves there may also be occasions when there is a need to expedite other work for which the relevant committee is not currently holding physical meetings. The commission wishes to explore consensus building and the standard development process in such circumstances and has requested the  to look at this from a procedural viewpoint.

FAO and WHO science is golden
The commission recognised FAO and WHO efforts to accelerate delivery and ensure continuous improvement of scientific advice to committees and the views of both parent organisations that stable, multi-year, extra-budgetary contributions are needed to support an enhanced FAO/WHO scientific advice programme. By working closely with their representatives in the FAO and WHO governing bodies Codex members are well placed to advocate for all matters pertaining to food safety including sustainable funding for scientific advice and support for the establishment of a World Food Safety Day by the United Nations General Assembly later this year.

Key Decisions Taken This Year

Front of pack labelling & date marking
Agreed – July 3, 2018
The commission agreed to undertake new work to develop a guidance on providing simplified nutrition information to consumers to enable them to identify healthier food choices, while avoiding creating unnecessary obstacles to the food trade. Food labelling bearing this information is an important tool to help stop the increased incidence of obesity and some chronic non-communicable diseases.

The commission also revised the General Standard for the labelling of prepackaged foods, improving the date marking and storage instructions. Date marking, whether indicating the date of manufacture, packaging, best before, use-by or expiration, should provide reliable information to consumers and ensure food safety, but also serves to prevent food waste. The revision brings an update on date marking and better clarity to the terminology.

Residue limits for veterinary drugs
Agreed – July 3, 2018
The Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted maximum residue limits for a range of drugs sometimes used in food-producing animals. The decision was based on an evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

For the drug gentian violet, used as an antifungal veterinary drug, JECFA raised a health concern and could not define a safe exposure level.

In view of this conclusion, Codex found that there is no safe and acceptable level of residues of gentian violet or its metabolites in food to avoid risk to consumers. For this reason, competent authorities should prevent residues of gentian violet in food.

Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) were set for the following veterinary drugs amoxicillin (an antibiotic used for finfish, MRL no more than 50 µg/kg), ampicillin (an antibiotic used for finfish, MRL no more than 50 µg/kg), lufenuron (an anti-ektoparasitic used for salmon and trout, MRL no more than 1,350 µg/kg) and monepantel (used for treating worms in cattle, MRL no more than 7,000 µg/kg for fat, 1,000 µg/kg for kidney, 2,000 µg/kg for liver, 300 µg/kg for muscle).

Limits for pesticide residues in food
Agreed – July 3, 2018
The commission has adopted maximum residue limits for more than 26 pesticides in various foods and feeds.

Pesticides are chemicals used to kill insects, weeds and other pests to prevent them from damaging crops. Even when used in accordance with best practices, low levels of residues of pesticides can end up in food. The maximum limits aim to ensure pesticide residues do not harm people’s health, and are based on risk assessments from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR).

General Standard for Food Additives
Agreed – July 3, 2018
The commission approved the revised food additive sections of 15 commodity standards, aligning them to the General Standard for Food Additives including on maximum use levels. The alignment entailed inserting references to the GSFA, as called for by the  These fall under the 27 functional classes for food additives including preservatives, which prolong the shelf-life of a food by protecting against deterioration caused by microorganisms, antioxidants, which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting against deterioration caused by oxidation, stabilisers, which make it possible to maintain a uniform dispersion of two or more components, and colours, which add or restore colour in a food among others. The safety of food additives are evaluated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

Code of Practice to reduce dioxins
Agreed – July 3, 2018
These chemicals are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment that can enter the food chain and have negative effects on human health. These contaminants can accumulate in tissues of food-producing animals, including fish, and be found in products, such as milk and eggs. In fact, people are exposed to dioxins and related compounds mainly through consuming food of animal origin, with approximately 90 per cent of the total exposure via fats in fish, meat and dairy products. The code of practice has been updated to include provisions for the management of non-dioxin like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), following a detailed risk assessment of JECFA (Joint FAO-WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants). The revision covers the entire food-chain including good feeding practices. The Codex code is for use by national authorities, by farmers, feed and food manufacturers to prevent or reduce dioxin and PCB contamination in food and feed.

Level for methylmercury in fish
Agreed – July 3, 2018
To protect against high exposures of mercury, the commission has set new limits for methylmercury found in fish.

Fish that live for a long time, and are higher in the food chain, have raised levels of methylmercury in their bodies. Mercury can have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems of humans, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.

To reduce exposure to methylmercury, the commission set limits for several fish species, ranging from 1.2 to 1.7 mg per kg of fish.

This includes no more than 1.2 mg of methylmercury per kg of tuna, 1.5 mg per kg of alfonsino, 1.7 mg per kg of marlin and 1.6 mg per kg of shark.

Level of cadmium in chocolate
Agreed – July 2, 2018
To protect against high exposure to cadmium, the commission has set new limits for contamination of the naturally occurring contaminant found in chocolate.

Cocoa beans, which are used in the production of chocolate, can take up cadmium from the soil and water. In some instances, cocoa beans may have raised levels of cadmium, which can be stored in the human body for a long time. Higher intake of cadmium is linked to kidney damage.

Limiting cadmium levels in chocolate can ensure exposure to the contaminant is not too high.

In 2010, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established a provisional safe monthly intake of cadmium for humans of 25 µg (microgram) per kilogram of body weight.

Based on this assessment, in an effort to reduce exposure, the commission set limits for cadmium in different types of chocolate of 0.8 or 0.9 mg/kg of chocolate, depending on the cocoa content.

Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products
Agreed – July 2, 2018
The Codex Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products provides best practice guidance at growing, harvesting, handling, production, processing, storage, transportation and retail to ensure product safety and quality.

The commission has adopted revisions to the code’s guidance for the control of histamine, which is a toxin that forms in some species of fish when they are not stored under appropriate time / temperature conditions. Histamine may trigger allergy-like symptoms in humans.

The update provides detailed guidance on the control of histamine formation from harvesting of fish through to final consumption. There is a particular focus on temperature control, record keeping and documentation.

The code emphasises that implementing measures to prevent histamine formation is more important for ensuring safety of the product than histamine testing, which could be resource-intensive.