CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
UPDATE
ICBA Council
September 14-16, 2009
Päivi Julkunen
The Coca-Cola Company
pjulkunen@na.ko.com
Current activities
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Labeling –Codex Committee for Food Labeling (CCFL) (hosted
by Canada)
Nutrition – Codex Committee for Nutrition and Foods for
Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) (hosted by Germany)
Natural Mineral Waters – Codex Committee on Food Hygiene
(hosted by the US) (also CCMAS & CCPR)
Import/Export – Codex Committee on Food Import and Export
Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) (hosted by
Australia)
Additives – Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA)
(hosted by China)
Contaminants – Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods
(CCCF) (hosted by the Netherlands)
Labeling
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(CCFL May 2009)
Implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet,
Physical Activity and Health:
 A draft list of nutrients that should always be declared was developed,
with some nutrients left square brackets for further discussion: energy, protein,
available carbohydrate, fat, saturated fat, [trans fatty acids], [sodium/salt], total
sugars [added sugars], [dietary fiber].
 Mandatory nutrition labeling: There was no agreement to recommend
mandatory nutrition labeling at the Codex level.
 Legibility and readability of nutrition labeling information: Work
continued on principles to achieve increased legibility of nutrition information,
with emphasis placed on the need for flexibility at the national level.
 Labeling of food ingredients identified in the WHO Global Strategy on
Diet, Physical Activity and Health: Work will continue, with focus limited to
the ingredients identified by the WHO: fruits, vegetable and legumes, whole
grains, nuts, free sugars and salt (sodium).
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Misleading naming of energy drinks:
The Delegation of Nigeria
requested new work to better describe and name some energy drinks, stating use
of term “energy drinks” is misleading where there is a low level of carbohydrates
and the presence of stimulants (caffeine, guarana, etc.). A Discussion Paper will
be prepared by Nigeria and IACFO for consideration at the next Session.
Nutrition
(CCNFSDU Nov 2009)
Next session: ICBA positions being drafted and will be
available by October
 Dietary fiber: definition and conditions for making nutrient
content claims adopted in July – methods of analysis for
dietary fibers now under discussion
 Additional or revised Nutrient Reference Values
(NRVs) for labeling purposes: e-WG led by Korea
 General principles for the addition of essential
nutrients to foods: e-working group led by Canada, no
proposal yet received – ICBA is participating
 NRVs for nutrients associated with risk of
noncommunicable diseases: US and Thailand have
provided a background paper proposing new work to
establish principles and criteria for establishing NRVs and to
establish NRVs for select nutrients
Natural Mineral Waters
(CCFH Nov 2009, CCMAS March 2010 & CCPR April 2010)
Revision of the Code of Hygienic Practice for
Collecting, Processing and Marketing of Natural
Mineral Waters: Switzerland leading an e-working
group – ICBA participating
 The Codex standard limits the presence of pesticide
residues, PCBs, surface active agents, mineral oil
and PAHs below the limit of quantification as stated in
the relevant ISO methods (not available for all)
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 CCMAS “agreed that the Secretariat would prepare a Circular Letter
to ask members to provide information on methods and sampling
currently used by members and views on the need for development of
appropriate methods, for discussion at its next session” (March 2010)
 CCPR will discuss pesticide residues at its next session (April
2010)
Import and Export Control
(CCFICS March 2010)
 Principles
and guidelines for
conducting foreign on-site audits
and inspections: a draft available for
comments – important to respect
confidential information
 Principles and guidelines for national
food control systems: a draft available
for comments
Food Additives (CCFA March 2010)
Maximum levels of steviol glycosides: ICBA proposed
maximum levels in beverage categories
 Specification of steviol glycosides: JECFA to consider
revising the Codex specification to include rebaudioside D
and rebaudioside F – manufacturers will need to provide
analytical data for the June 2010 JECFA
 Progress of work on the GSFA: 5000 draft provisions
remaining - ICBA provided proposals for ways to accelerate
the process and will provide comments on the draft
provisions for the 2010 meeting (colors, phosphates,
sorbates, cyclamate)
 Guidelines for use of processing aids: Indonesia is
leading the e-working group to redraft the text – important
to keep the provisions flexible and use according to GMP
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Contaminants (CCCF March 2010)
Maximum
levels for melamine in
food and feed:
Commission adopted new work in July
Scope limited to “melamine resulting
from non-intentional and unavoidable
presence from different sources”
Canada leading an e-working group
(ICBA not participating - monitoring
through food industry NGOs)
Other issues
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The Code of Ethics for International Trade in Food:
 Controversial for many years and has been seen as a vehicle to advance
many special interest issues in Codex
 In April 2009, the CCGP agreed to a simple version that codified the obligation
to ensure that safe food entered international trade but the Commission sent it
back to the Codex Committee on General Principles
 The less developed nations, lacking a robust import infrastructure, believe it can
be used as a “compliance” tool
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Private standards:
 Debate ongoing both at WTO and Codex
 Specific concerns expressed have related to the multiplicity of standards, the
lack of transparency, that they are more restrictive than international
standards and that they have a disproportionate effect on developing
countries and small businesses
 The Commission agreed that private standards should use Codex as
benchmarks, that the WTO was a more appropriate forum for discussion of the
legal basis, and that the slow Codex process could be contributing to the
proliferation of private standards
In summary
We need to watch out any negative labeling provisions
at CCFL (added sugars) and establishment of qualifying
conditions for nutrient addition at CCNFSDU while
speeding up the work on new NRVs
 Discussion on energy drinks at CCFL could bring up
issues with caffeine and other ingredients that have not
been evaluated for safety by FAO/WHO JECFA
 Work on additives is continuing while contaminant
issues are reducing
 The slow Codex process seen as a contributing factor
to the proliferation of private standards
 ICBA members are welcome to participate in drafting
of positions for Codex meetings
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