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Annamaria Bruno, Senior Food Standards Officer Secretariat, Codex Alimentarius Commission Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme

Codex and international cooperation with the OIE

Regional Seminar for OIE Focal Points on Animal Production Food Safety, Tokyo, 31 October - 2 November 2012

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Content

General introduction to Codex

Objective

Structure

Role of Science

Codex work relevant to the OIE:

Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF)

Committe on Food Hygiene (CCFH)

Task Force on Animal Feeding (TFAF)

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Codex Alimentarius Commission

Intergovernmental food standards-setting body, established by

FAO and WHO in 1961/63

184 Member Countries + 1 Member Organization (European

Union)

216 International Observer Organizations (e.g. OIE)

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99% of the worlds’ population

33

2

49+1

48

23

17

12

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• To protect the health of consumers

• To ensure fair practices in the food trade

• To promote coordination of all food standards work and to develop the Codex Alimentarius

C O D E X A L I M E N T A R I U S

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Codex structure

Codex Alimentarius Commission

Vertical committee / commodity (17)

e.g.: milk and milk products

FAO/WHO

Coordinating

Committee (6) ex:

Asia

Horizontal Committee / General Subject (10):

e.g. food hygiene

Ad hoc Task Forces, e.g. Animal Feeding

Executive

Committee

Secretariat

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Codex Alimentarius Commission

Meets annually (alternating between Rome and Geneva)

Adopts/revokes/approves new work

Decisions are taken by consensus

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Executive Committee

Comprising:

– chair and vice-chairs of CAC

– regional coordinators (6)

– 7 members elected on a geographic basis

Function as executive organ of the CAC

– prepares programme of work

– conducts critical review

– reviews the status of development of standards

– reports to the Commission

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Codex Secretariat

Provides administrative and technical support to the work of the Commission

Keeps the link with the Codex Contact Points in countries

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General Principles

(France)

Food Additives (China)

Contaminants in Foods (Netherlands)

Food Hygiene

(USA)

Codex organizational chart

Food Labelling

(Canada)

Methods of Analysis and

Sampling

(Hungary)

Pesticide Residues

(China)

Residues of Veterinary

Drugs in Foods

(USA)

General Subject Committees Commodity Committees

Milk and Milk

Products (New Zealand)

Processed Fruits

and Vegetables (USA)

Meat Hygiene

(New Zealand)

Fish and Fishery

Products (Norway)

Fresh Fruit and

Vegetables (Mexico)

Fats and Oils

(Malaysia)

Nutrition and Foods for

Special Dietary Uses

(Germany) Cereals, Pulses and

Legumes (USA)

Vegetable Proteins

(Canada)

Natural Mineral Waters

(Switzerland)

Cocoa Products and

Chocolate (Switzerland)

ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces

Animal Feeding (Switzerland)

Regional Coordinating Committees

Africa

(Cameroon)

Asia

(Japan)

Europe

(Poland)

Latin America

and the Caribbean

(Costa Rica)

Near East

(Lebanon)

North America and

the Southwest Pacific

(Papua New Guinea)

Executive Committee Secretariat (Rome)

CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION

Food Import and

Export Inspection and

Certification Systems

(Australia)

Sugars

(United Kingdom)

active

adjourned

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Codex Alimentarius

A collection of international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice with:

– Dual objective

to protect of consumer health

to ensure fair trade practices in food trade

It serves as basis for many national food standards and regulations

– Non-mandatory

– but benchmarks for harmonization under WTO Agreements: SPS and TBT)

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C O D E X A L I M E N T A R I U S

-; achievedbe should what, prescriptive: StandardsLimit; MRLs etc.

-do to how guidanceand principles: Guidelinessomething (e.g. Risk Analysis)

- todo to what procedures or advice: practiceof Codesavoid an issue or minimise the risk

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How are standards established?

through a uniform process (8 steps)

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How are standards established?

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Basis for the establishment of Codex

standards

Sound scientific analysis and evidence based on risk analysis

Other legitimate factors

The food standards, guidelines and other recommendations of “Codex Alimentarius shall be based on the principle of sound scientific analysis and evidence, involving a thorough review of all relevant information, in order that

the standards assure the quality and safety of the food supply.

When elaborating and deciding upon food standards Codex Alimentarius will have regard, where appropriate to other legitimate factors relevant for the health protection of consumers and for the promotion of fair practices in food trade”

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Other legitimate factors

Other legitimate factors may be identified in the risk management process but:

– should not affect scientific basis of risk analysis

– should not create unjustified barriers to trade (particular attention should be given to the impact on developing countries)

– only those factors which can be accepted on a worldwide basis should be taken into account

– some legitimate concerns of governments are not generally applicable or relevant worldwide

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Scientific input to Codex

Independent FAO/WHO Expert committees:

– JECFA (Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives)

• provides advice to CCFA, CCCF, CCRVDF

– JMPR (Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues)

• provides advice to CCPR

– JEMRA (Joint Expert Committee on Microbiological Risk Assessment)

• provides advice to CCFH

ad hoc consultations

– e.g. FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on foodborne parasitosis

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Roles in risk analysis

Risk Assessment

(FAO/WHO - Permanent bodies,

Ad-Hoc Expert Consultations)

Risk Management

(Governments, CAC)

Risk Communication: Governments, FAO/WHO – Infosan, IGos

Functional separation + liaison

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Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods

CCRVDF – hosted by USA Work of the Committee includes:

– Determine priorities for Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for veterinary drugs

– Recommend MRLs for veterinary drugs

– Develop Codes of Practice

– Consider methods of analysis and sampling for the determination of veterinary drug residues in food

Works recently finalized: – MRLs for narasin, monensin, amoxicillin – Revision of the Risk Analysis Principles Applied by the CCRVDF and of the Risk

Assessment Policy for Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods

Work in progress: – Maximum Residue Limits: monepantel, apramycin and derquantel – Guidelines on Performance Characteristics for Multi-residues Methods

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Development of MRLs for veterinary drugs

CCRVDF

JECFA

ADI MRL

7

&

Residue data from the application of GVP

Toxicological data from animal and other relevant studies

Application by governments

Codex Alimentarius Commission

9

Priority List

1

CCRVDF

Call for Data

3

4

5

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CCRVDF

Work in progress (cont)

– Risk Management Recommendations for Residues of Veterinary Drugs for which no ADI and/or MRLs has been recommended by JECFA due to Specific Human Health Concerns

Ongoing works

– Priority List of Veterinary Drugs Requiring Evaluation or Re-evaluation by JECFA

Next meeting:

– 19th CCRVDF, TBA (United States of America), 26-30 August 2013

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Food Hygiene

CCFH – hosted by USA

Work of the Committee includes:

– Elaborate Guidelines or Codes of Hygienic Practices (preferred)

– Establish microbiological criteria for food commodity/pathogen combination; and/or

– Tools/procedures for countries to apply other microbiological risk management metrics (e.g. FSO, PO, PC)

– Determine priorities for its work on the basis of risk profile

– Identify areas on which inputs from JEMRA are needed

– Develop risk management questions to JEMRA

– Consider methods of analysis and sampling where MCs are established

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JEMRA

FAO/WHO

Expert Cons.

on MRA

2002 1999 2003

Codex activities

Adoption of Codex

Principles and Guidelines

for MRA

2000

FAO/WHO

Expert Cons.

on MRA and

RM

1997

Codex request FAO/WHO to establish an

advisory body on microbial hazards in foods

CCFH request advice

on

specific

pathogen-commodity

combination

CCFH and Risk Analysis

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CCFH

Works recently finalized

– Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Viruses in Food (2012)

Works in Progress

– Revision of Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods

– Guidelines for Control of Specific Zoonotic Parasites in Meat: Trichinella spiralis and Cysticercus bovis

Next meeting

– 44th CCFH, New Orleans (USA), 12-16 November 2012

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Animal Feeding

TFAF – hosted by Switzerland

Works in progress

– Guidelines on Application of Risk Assessment for Feed

– Guidance for Use by Governments in Prioritizing the National Feed Hazards

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C O D E X A L I M E N T A R I U S

100% Member driven

Science based

Consensus decisions

Transparent

Flexible

STRENGTHS

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C O D E X A L I M E N T A R I U S

Speed of standard development

Remaining inclusive and transparent

Finding consensus in a heterogeneous membership

Participation of developing countries

Private standards

ISSUES

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Further information can be found on website – List of standards, COP, guidelines, etc

– All reports, agendas, working documents

– Programme of meetings and venues

– www.codexalimentarius.org