Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)
ICGMA Staff Report
The 33rd Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary
Uses (CCNFSDU) met in Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany, November 14 – 18, 2011.
ICGMA was present at the plenary discussions, and at one Physical Working Group
(PWG) the met prior to the plenary session. The ICGMA delegation was: Regina
Hildwine, Senior Director, Science Policy, Labeling and Standards, Grocery
Manufacturers Association; and Phyllis Tanaka, Vice-President, Scientific & Regulatory
Affairs, Food and Consumer Products of Canada
The full meeting report, prepared by Codex secretariat (Secretariat’s Report), is appended
to this staff report.
Priority Issues:
ICGMA focused on two issues deemed of priority to ICGMA and its member
organizations:

Nutrient Reference Values, especially
o General Principles for Establishing Nutrient Reference Values for
Nutrients Associated with Risk of Diet-Related Non-communicable
Diseases for General Population (NRVs-NCD) and
o Proposed Draft Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) and

Revision of the Codex General Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients
to Foods
1. Nutrient Reference Values
General Principles on Nutrient Reference Values for Nutrients Associated with Risk of
Diet-Related Non-communicable Diseases for General Population (NRVs-NCD)
A matter of ongoing work, principles governing NRVs-NCD were under discussion in an
Electronic Working Group (eWG). chaired by the USA and co-chaired by Chile and
Thailand. Key items in the CCNFSDU debate were principles on the scientific basis to
support NRVs-NCD, the data sources used to establish NRVs-NCD, the basis for
expressing NRVs-NCD in labeling, and consideration of upper intake levels for
establishing daily intake recommendations.
As sodium was one nutrient around which upper intake levels were discussed for the
establishment of NRVs-NCD, during this discussion, ICGMA presented an intervention:
“ICGMA supports this principle and encourages CCNFSDU to consider the
Upper Level of Intake (UL) in setting NRVs for nutrients to be limited in the diet,
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most notably for sodium. As a rationale, some practical considerations: While
NRVs are useful in guiding consumers on nutrient intakes, and in helping
consumers understand their eating patterns, NRVs also strongly influence food
formulations. In the case of sodium, considering the UL to help shape the NRV
would set an aggressive yet realistic target for both consumers' intake and for food
formulation, and would help food products continue to move toward the target in
a gradual, step-wise progression over several years. As 20 years of food
formulation experience have shown, in North America, also regarding sodium, the
gradual, step-wise reduction is needed for consumer acceptance. Food industry
experience tells us that finding alternatives to sodium compounds, along with
addressing consumer expectations, through changes in food formulation, takes
considerable time. Food products that are not accepted by consumers fail in the
market, disappear from the market, and thus cannot influence changes in
consumer eating patterns. ICGMA encourages the Committee also to consider
these practical perspectives in developing the NRVs-NCD.
Two nutrients were focal for establishing NRVs-NCD:
 Saturated fat, NRV-NCD of 20 grams/day proposed
 Sodium, NRV-NCD of 2,000 mg/day proposed
Regarding the principles for establishing NRVs-NCD, CCNFSDU agreed to re-establish
the eWG chaired by the USA and co-chaired by Thailand and Chile. See Secretariat
Report paragraph 65 for the Terms of Reference.
Regarding the two proposed draft Nutrient Reference Values, CCNFSDU advanced the
proposed values – 20 g for saturated fatty acids and 2,000 mg for sodium – to Step 5/8 for
adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and inform the values to CCFL.
Proposed Draft Nutrient Reference Values
CCNFSDU reviewed FAO and WHO work focused on the existing vitamin and mineral
intake reference values for 28 vitamins and minerals, as well as information describing
the scientific basis for those reference values. FAO and WHO had evaluated data
submitted by 55 countries, including recent scientific publications around vitamins and
minerals. In addition to existing data, WHO advised that it will issue a new
recommendation on potassium in 2012.
Australia offered to work through issues associated with the proposed NRVs for the
general population older than 36 months, in an eWG. This was acceptable to CCNFSDU.
See paragraph 36 of the Secretariat’s Report for the Terms of Reference of the eWG.
The debate around NRVs for vitamins and minerals remains at Step 3 of the Codex
Procedure.
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2) Revision of the Codex General Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients
to Foods
Ongoing work in CCNFSDU, this issue was the subject of electronic and physical
working groups chaired by Canada and co-chaired by Mexico and New Zealand. The
PWG held a half-day session on Saturday, November 12, prior to the start of plenary
discussions. The complex debate in the working group focused essentially on principles
for the rational fortification of foods, but did not progress beyond discussions of the
structure and purpose of principles and sub-sections. Plenary debate was limited by
available time. Consequently, CCNFSDU agreed to re-establish an eWG, chaired by
Canada and co-chaired by New Zealand, to continue to elaborate the text, which remains
at Step 3 of the Codex Procedure. See paragraph 79 of the Secretariat’s Report for the
Terms of Reference.
3) Other Issues
Trans Fat. Australia urged a review of the definition of trans fatty acids (for nutrition
labeling purposes), in order to reconsider the exemption of conjugated fatty acids,
because of recent studies on the health effects of conjugated fatty acids. Australia was
invited to prepare a proposal for new work for consideration at CCNFSDU in 2012. See
Secretariat’s Report paragraph 14.
Proposed Draft Revision Of The Guidelines On Formulated Supplementary Foods For
Older Infants And Young Children. CCNFSDU made progress in advancing draft texts
considered in 2010. Between sessions, an eWG chaired by Ghana had edited the text,
which was the focus of a half-day PWG, chaired by Ghana and co-chaired by the USA,
which met immediately prior to the plenary session. The PWG completed a full text of
the proposed draft guidelines, which was the subject of a careful section by-section
discussion in plenary. CCNFSDU advanced the proposed draft guidelines to Step 5 for
adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
CCNFSDU did not have sufficient time for discussion of two agenda items:
Proposed Draft Amendment Of The Standard For Processed Cereal-Based Foods For Infants And
Young Children (Codex Stan 74-1981) To Include A New Part B For Underweight Children
Proposal To Review The Codex Standard For Follow-Up Formula (Codex Stan 156-1987)
Further discussion of these items is deferred to the 2012 CCNFSDU meeting.
CCNFSDU will next meet in Germany, December 3- 7, 2012.
Regina Hildwine
December 20, 2011
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