ALINORM 04/27/30 ![]() |
JOINT FAO/WHO FOOD STANDARDS PROGRAMME
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Twenty-seventh Session
Geneva, Switzerland, 28 June – 2 July 2004
REPORT OF THE TWELTH SESSION OF THE CODEX COMMITTEE ON
FOOD IMPORT AND EXPORT INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS
Brisbane, Australia, 1 – 5 December 2003
CL 2003/44-FICS
December 2003
To: Codex Contact Points
Interested International Organizations
From: Secretary,
Codex Alimentarius Commission, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Subject: Distribution of the Report of the Twelfth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (ALINORM 04/27/30)
The report of the Twelfth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems will be considered by the 27th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland, 28 June – 2 July 2004).
Proposed Draft Revised Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Control Emergency Situations, advanced to Steps 5/8 of the Codex Procedure, with the omission of Step 6 and 7 (ALINORM 04/27/30, Appendix II). See also para. 61 and Appendix II of this report
Governments and interested international organizations are invited to comment on the above document and should do so in conformity with the Uniform Procedure for the Elaboration of Codex Standards and Related Texts and the Guide to the Consideration of Standards at Step 8 of the Procedure for the Elaboration of Codex Standards including Consideration of any Statements relating to Economic Impact (see Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual). Comments should be forwarded to the Secretary, Codex Alimentarius Commission, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy (fax +39 06 57054593; e-mail [email protected]), not later than 30 April 2004.
Contents
Summary and Conclusions ........................................................................................... page v
List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................... page vii
Report of the 12th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import
and Export Inspection and Certification Systems ................................................. page 1
Summary status of work .............................................................................................. page 14
Paragraph
Opening of the Session ................................................................................................ 1
Adoption of the Agenda (Agenda Item 1) ................................................................. 2 - 4
Matters Referred from the Codex Alimentarius Commission
and Other Codex Committees (Agenda Item 2) ....................................................... 5 - 16
Risk Analysis ........................................................................................................ 7
Decision of the Commission concerning the work of the Committee ................. 8 - 9
Use of Analytical Results .................................................................................... 10 - 12
Elaboration of Model Export Certificate by Commodity Committees ................ 13
ISO Standard 22000 – Food Safety Management System (Requirements) ........... 14 - 16
Proposed Draft Revision of the Codex Guidelines for the Exchange
of Information in Food Control Emergency Situations (Agenda Item 3) ......... 17 - 61
General Comments ………................................................................................... 18 - 19
Specific Comments ............................................................................................ 20 - 60
Discussion Paper on Traceability/Product Tracing in the Context of Food
Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (Agenda Item 4) …. 62 - 74
Discussion Paper on the Judgement of the Equivalence of Technical
Measures Associated with Food Inspection and
Certification Systems (Agenda Item 5) …………………………………………….. 75 - 80
Other Business and Future Work (Agenda Item 6).................................................. 81 – 93
Other Business ……………………………………………………….................. 81
Future Work ……………….................................................................................. 82 - 93
Date and Place of Next Session (Agenda Item 7) ................................................... 94
Appendix I : List of Participants ................................................................................ page 15
Appendix II : Proposed Draft Revised Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange
of Information in Food Control Emergency Situations
(Advanced to Steps 5/8 of the Codex Procedure) ………...................... page 33
Summary and Conclusions
The Twelfth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems reached the following conclusions:
Matters for Adoption of the 27th Session of the Commission
The Committee:
• agreed to advance the proposed draft revised Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Control Emergency Situations to Steps 5/8 (with the omission of Steps 6 and 7) for final adoption by the 27th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (para. 61, Appendix II);
• decided not to pursue work on the judgement of equivalence of technical regulations associated with food inspections and certification systems and to inform the Codex Alimentarius Commission accordingly (para. 80);
• agreed to request the Commission to initiate work on: Proposed draft Appendices to the Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification Systems; Proposed draft Principles for Electronic Certification; and, Proposed draft Guidelines for Risk-based Inspection of Imported Foods (para. 88).
Matters of Interest to the 27th Session of the Commission
The Committee:
• noted the requests arising from the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission that “relevant Codex committees develop or complete specific guidelines on risk analysis in their respective areas” (ALINORM 03/41, para. 147) and decided that it did not need to prepare specific guidelines for risk analysis to carry out its work (para. 7);
• agreed to continue its discussion on traceability/product tracing in the context of food inspection and certification systems at its next meeting (paras. 72-74);
• recommended to leave the reference to the “development of guidelines on the judgement of equivalence for specific purposes such as equivalence of measures to ensure food hygiene or measures to ensure conformity with essential quality requirements” in the draft Medium-Term Plan 2003-2007 (para. 88);
• agreed to prepare discussion papers for its 13th Session of the Committee on: Revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Foods; Revision of the Guidelines for Generic Official Certificate Formats and the Production and Issuance of Certificates ; Clarification of the Reference “a reasonable interval” in the Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems (para. 88);
• noted the requests arising from the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (ALINORM 03/41, paras. 61 and 65) and agreed that at its next meeting will consider a Discussion Paper on Clarification of the Reference “a reasonable interval” in the Guidelines for Food Import Control System; and that the proposed draft Appendices to the Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection would also address the further elaboration of guidelines to facilitate their implementation to the control of food trade (paras. 90 and 92).
Matters of Interest to Other Committees
Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling
• Following the request of the CCMAS, the Committee encouraged the CCMAS to continue to work on the use of analytical results in a more general way with a view to advising Codex commodity committees and governments about matters related to methods of analysis and sampling and the development and enforcement of Codex commodity standards (para. 12).
Codex Committees on Milk and Milk Products and on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
• The Committee noted the ongoing work on model export certificate in other Codex Committees and encouraged delegates attending the meeting to liaise with their colleagues working in these Committees in order to ensure consistency with the general texts elaborated by CCFICS (para. 13).
Codex Committees on General Principles
• The Committee agreed to continue its discussion on traceability/product tracing in the context of food inspection and certification systems at its next meeting. It was agreed that the Australian Secretariat would prepare a document containing a preliminary set of “principles on traceability/product tracing”, based on the discussion that has occurred over the past two years in the Regional Coordinating Committees, and this document will be circulated for comment through a Circular Letter to all Member countries and international organizations with observer status in Codex. Furthermore, the Committee agreed that the Australian Secretariat would prepare a discussion paper, based on the above document, together with the comments received, the outputs and recommendations from seminars and workshops (as appropriate), discussions in the Codex Committee on General Principles and other relevant Codex Committees and Regional Coordinating Committees, and other relevant documents, for circulation and discussion at its next meeting (paras. 72-74).
List of Abbreviations Used in this Report
CAC/GL Codex Alimentarius Commission / Guidelines
CCFICS Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
CCFFP Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products
CCFFV Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
CCMAS Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling
CCMMP Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products
CL Circular Letter
CRD Conference Room Document
EC European Community
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
HACCP Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
ISO International Organization for Standardization
OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (WTO Committee)
TBT Technical Barrier to Trade (WTO Committee)
WHO World Health Organization
WTO World Trade Organization
1. The Twelfth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems was held in Brisbane, Australia from 1-5 December 2003 at the kind invitation of the Government of Australia. The Session was chaired by Mr. Gregory Read, Executive Manager, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, Australian Government, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Session was attended by 149 participants from 38 Member countries, 1 regional economic integration organization1 and 12 international organizations. A complete List of Participants is attached as Appendix I.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA (Agenda Item 1)2
2. The Committee noted that no written proposals had been received for amendments or revision to the Provisional Agenda and therefore, it adopted the Provisional Agenda as its Agenda for the Session.
3. However, the Committee agreed to discuss proposals for new work submitted by Members and Observers as well as those arising from the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission under Agenda Item 6 “Other Business and Future Work”.
4. The Committee also agreed that an information paper prepared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Agricultural Codes and Schemes for International Trade would be presented under Agenda Item 6.
MATTERS REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION AND OTHER CODEX COMMITTEES (Agenda Item 2)3
5. The Committee noted matters arising from the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Rome, 30 June – 7 July 2003) regarding the Amendments to the Procedural Manual, the Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and Other FAO and WHO Work on Food Standards, the FAO/WHO Trust Fund for Participation of Developing Countries in Codex Standards Setting Procedure and the work on traceability/product tracing in other Codex committees.
6. In particular, the Committee commented and/or made decisions on the following matters:
7. The Committee took note of the request of the Codex Alimentarius Commission that “relevant Codex committees develop or complete specific guidelines on risk analysis in their respective areas, for inclusion in the Procedural Manual, as recommended in the Action Plan adopted by the 22nd Session of the Commission (Geneva, June 1997)”4. In this regard, the Committee noted that the work of CCFICS did not relate to the development of specific measures within food control system but to the elaboration of general texts about food inspection and certification systems which might incorporate the notion of risk analysis therefore it did not need to prepare specific guidelines for risk analysis to carry out its work. It was also noted that matters related to risk analysis were adequately covered by other Codex fora.
8. The Committee was informed that the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted the draft Guidelines for Food Import Control System and the draft Guidelines for the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification Systems at Step 8. The Commission also approved the recommendation of the Committee to discontinue work on the elaboration of Guidelines for the Utilization and Promotion of Quality Assurance Systems to meet Requirements in relation to Food.
9. The Committee agreed that the request of the Commission to consider the development of an interpretation of the meaning of “a reasonable interval” in the Guidelines for Food Import Control System, and the further elaboration of the Guidelines for the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification Systems to facilitate their implementation to the control of food trade would be considered under Agenda Item 6 “Other Business and Future Work” (see also para.88).
10. The Committee acknowledged the request of the 24th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, November 2002) to provide advice insofar as inspection issues were involved in the use of analytical results. The Committee noted that the paper recommended that when a Codex commodity committee agreed to a commodity specification, it should state information on sampling, measurement of uncertainty and recovery factors.
11. A number of delegations were of the view that these recommendations should be clearly expressed to be of use to commodity committees and should be clearly related to conformity assessment of product (e.g. sampling plans used for the determination of lot acceptance). In addition, measurement of uncertainty should be allowed in sampling under certain circumstances. Many delegations, however, questioned the practicability of developing such advice on a commodity by commodity basis and noted that it might be useful for CCMAS to provide clear guidance to Codex committees and governments in a more general way. These delegations felt that it would be useful for CCMAS to develop an overarching document to clearly explain the relationship between measurement of uncertainty and other issues that affected the use of analytical results, such as bias, in conformity assessment. Other delegations highlighted the importance of the relationship between sampling methods, analytical results, measurement of uncertainty and recovery factors in accepting/rejecting lots of foods with the subsequent problems in the food trade.
12. The Committee agreed on the importance of the document in the development of Codex specifications and its relationship with the sampling procedures, interpretation of analytical results, and compliance/rejection of lots of products. It encouraged the CCMAS to continue to work on this issue in a more general way with a view to advising Codex commodity committees and governments about matters related to methods of analysis and sampling and the development and enforcement of Codex commodity standards.
13. The Committee noted the ongoing work in this regard in the Codex Committees on Milk and Milk Products, on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, and on Fish and Fishery Products. The Committee encouraged delegates attending the meeting to liaise with their colleagues working in these Committees in order to ensure consistency with the general texts elaborated by CCFICS.
14. The Committee noted that this matter was presented for information only and therefore, it did not need to take any action in this regard.
15. Some delegations questioned the inclusion of this document on the Agenda as they were of the view that it might create confusion between the ISO and Codex activities in the field of quality assurance/conformity assessment procedures and food inspection and certification systems. These delegations indicated that ISO standards were more oriented to the private sector (e.g. industry and other commercial entities) while Codex texts were directed to government agencies (e.g. national food control authorities). It was noted that the Committee had discontinued work on specific Guidelines relating to the assessment and recognition of quality assurance systems as the food hygiene texts, including HACCP, available in Codex, provided adequate guidance to ensure the safety of food products while relevant Codex texts developed by CCFICS provided adequate guidance on quality assurance and thus, there was not such a gap in international trade to deliver a food safety management system standard as indicated in the document. It was also noted that the Codex Alimentarius Commission was the food safety international setting standard organization referenced in the WTO/SPS Agreement.
16. Other delegations favoured the presentation of this document as it aligned with the objectives of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to promote coordination of all food standards work undertaken by other international governmental and non-governmental organizations.5 These delegations noted that this would avoid duplication of work between Codex and other international standardization organizations such as ISO. In this regard, it was also noted that the ISO food safety management system standard would incorporate the Codex HACCP system and therefore there was a need to ensure consistency between Codex and the ISO approach in this respect. It was further noted that the development of such a standard was to provide a certifiable food safety standard that incorporated the implementation of HACCP for commercial purposes in international trade.
PROPOSED DRAFT REVISION TO THE CODEX GUIDELINES FOR THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION IN FOOD CONTROL EMERGENCY SITUATIONS (Agenda Item 3)6
17. The 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems agreed to return the proposed draft revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Control Emergency Situations to Step 2 for revision by a drafting group led by Australia. The Committee agreed that the text would be revised on the basis of its discussion, definition and principles; the initial mandate given at the 9th CCFICS; the current Guidelines (CAC/GL 19-1995) and other Codex guidelines and texts as appropriate. It was agreed that the revised document would be circulated for comment at Step 3 and further consideration at its next meeting.
18. The Committee thanked the drafting group for its valuable work, which provided a good basis for discussion and generally agreed to consider its advancement in the Codex Step Procedure. It was suggested, however, that the document as currently drafted still needed some improvements such as: to make the text clearer and more concise in order to facilitate its use and understanding and to assist countries with controversial issues in food safety emergency situations; to better clarify the identity of a food emergency situation in the Preamble and Scope; to differentiate food emergency situations from routine food rejection due to compliance failure; to clarify the responsibility and distinctive role of importing and exporting countries in informing the affected partners and dealing with available information; to improve the clarity of the principles by adding examples; to highlight that decisions in food emergencies should be based on scientific justification; and, to make the text more consistent with Codex wording.
19. The Committee was informed of the WHO Food Safety Emergency Contacts project, which had established and was maintaining a list of Food Safety Emergency Contacts, identified through the WHO Regional Offices and country representations. In its next phase, the WHO project would develop procedures for the management of the information shared in the network and evaluate the system.
20. The Committee discussed the document section by section and agreed to the following changes:
21. The Committee agreed that the first objective for the exchange of information in food safety emergency situations was to minimize potential adverse public health effects. In noting that the proposal to revise the Guidelines arose from the disastrous economic repercussions of the dioxin crisis in European countries, the Committee agreed to add a second sentence to reflect that the secondary objectives of the Guidelines was to avoid unwarranted action against other food from the same or other countries, which were not involved in the food safety emergency situation.
22. The second sentence was amended to clarify that communication should be at the appropriate government level.
23. The Committee agreed that specific aspects of communication exchange, such as the nature and the extent of the hazard detected and the causal effect between the consumption of a food and the appearance of the serious effects, should be addressed in other sections of the document.
24. In recognition of the decision of the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission concerning the membership of Regional Economic Integration Organizations, the Committee removed the square brackets, while retaining the text, from the first sentence. It deleted the second sentence as inappropriate.
25. The Committee amended the beginning of the paragraph to read “Principles and Guidelines” for consistency with the name and the content of the document and agreed to amend the remaining text accordingly. It added “in either the importing and/or exporting countries” to better reflect their role in food safety emergency situations.
26. The Committee added “radiological” to the examples of food safety hazards listed in parentheses to promote consistency with the examples in the Annex. It replaced “association has been established” with “relevant scientific information suggests a link” to clarify the text. The Committee agreed that the amended sentence allowed enough scope for taking adequate action in situations where the food safety hazards had not yet been identified.
27. The Committee added a footnote at the end of the paragraph to refer to Section 4.3.1 “Special conditions applicable to emergency situations” of the draft Codex Code on Good Animal Feeding.
28. In recognizing that the Codex definition of risk7 already included the concept of threat, the Committee deleted the term throughout the text.
29. The Committee agreed that the three main elements of a food safety emergency were: the seriousness of the risk; the possibility that the situation could deteriorate; and, the need to take urgent action. It therefore concurred to capture these concepts in one single sentence.
30. The Committee noted that the purpose of the principles was to give a clear and concise message and that narrative for each principle was included in the subsequent sections of the document.
31. The Committee amended:
• principle (a), to acknowledge that some countries had more than one competent authority dealing with different aspects of a food safety emergency;
• principle (b), to clarify that the exchange of information should be between official contact points, which should be designated by the competent authorities;
• principle (c), to reflect that there should be a simultaneous set of actions taken in both importing and exporting countries to inform “all known affected and potentially affected countries”. The term “trading partners” was deleted as it could also include commercial entities.
• principle (d), to include a reference to risk communication at the end of the principle as it is a process that follows a risk management decision. It further specified that competent authorities detecting a food safety emergency should share relevant information.
• principle (e), to allow for more flexibility as developing countries might face difficulties in providing information to other countries (e.g. mounting a media campaign). Therefore, the Committee agreed that information should be communicated to relevant stakeholders to the extent possible.
• principle (f), to make it more concise, as the objective of enabling countries to reassess their risk was already included in the corresponding section (paragraph 20 of the document).
32. The Committee clarified the paragraph to better reflect that the exchange of information between countries be ensured from the early stages of a food safety emergency, and that in circumstances where the specific food hazard has not been precisely identified, information be provided on causative links between the consumption of a food and the appearance of serious adverse public health effects.
33. The second sentence was deleted on the understanding that the concept of “source of contamination causing the food safety hazards” was retained in the first sentence by the terms “including its scientific basis” and as examples of food safety hazards were already included in the “Scope”.
34. The Committee amended the heading of the section to include “designated” in accordance with principle (b). It improved the logical flow of the section by changing the order of the two paragraphs.
35. The Committee made several editorial changes to improve the readability of the paragraph.
36. The Committee recognised that although it would be ideal to have a single contact point per country, this requirement was too restrictive and unrealistic. In the interest of ensuring quick and effective information flow, the Committee agreed that a country should identify a Primary Official Contact Point, which could act as a national focal point for information exchange with other countries, without precluding countries to designate other official contact points according to their need to exchange information within the country. To reflect the above, the Committee inserted paragraph 5 of the “Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Emergency Situations” at the beginning of this paragraph.
37. The Committee accepted the offer of the World Health Organization (WHO) to keep an up-to-date list of primary official contact points and inserted its name, while deleting the text in square brackets, the square brackets and the footnote. The Committee noted that the revision of the International Health Regulations (IHR) was not yet concluded and that some aspects of food safety emergency might be included in the IHR notification system.
38. The Committee amended the heading of the section to align it with principle (c).
39. The Committee modified the paragraph to highlight the need for the country, where the food safety emergency occurred, to cooperate with other competent authorities to inform all potentially affected countries.
40. The delegation of the European Community suggested that the paragraph should contain a reference to a system of identification of the origin and destination of foods. Such a traceability/product tracing system would enable countries in which an emergency situation arose to provide all the information necessary to allow countries of origin and destination to be informed as rapidly and precisely as possible. The delegation of the European Community proposed to insert the following sentence in square brackets: “A traceability/product tracing system should help the competent authority to trace back the origin and trace forward the destination of the contaminated food or ingredients” pending the agreement on the concept of traceability/product tracing.
41. While some delegations supported this proposal, others were of the opinion that the reference to such a system would not contribute to the clarity of the paragraph that covered the elements of information to be exchanged, and that the reference to a traceability/product tracing system could change the objectives of the text.
42. To allow the final adoption of the text and in a spirit of consensus, the delegation of the European Community agreed to withdraw the text in brackets. (see para. 61)
43. The Committee amended the paragraph to reflect that regular mail should only be used if necessary in a food safety emergency; however, it recognized that in certain countries regular mail was the only official way of communication.
44. The Committee added a paragraph to acknowledge the legal constraints that might apply to competent authorities with regard to the confidentiality of information.
45. The Committee amended the first sentence for consistency with its previous decision. It added point (f) relating to the contact details of the designated official contact point and relevant competent authority (see para. 36), as pertinent information to be exchanged. It was noted that the Annex contained more specific details of the information to be exchanged.
46. The Committee clarified the paragraph to highlight that risk assessment, risk management and risk communication decisions should be based on precise and verified information. It recognized that paragraph 21 related to this section and therefore agreed to insert this paragraph following paragraph 19.
47. The Committee agreed to delete this Section, as it did not correspond to any principle.
48. A reference to transhipping was added in the third sentence to encompass this situation.
49. The paragraph was amended to add the complete reference of the Code of Ethics for International Trade in Foods and to indicate in a footnote that a revision of the Code was under development in the Codex Committee on General Principles.
50. The entire section was deleted, as the concept of a rapid alert system was not well understood by all countries.
51. The heading of the section and the corresponding text were amended to “Food Safety Emergency Plan”. The Committee agreed to indicate in a footnote examples of texts that might assist countries to develop a food safety emergency plan.
52. The Committee amended the paragraph to indicate that competent authorities should provide copies or a summary of relevant information, on request from the FAO, WHO and other international organizations.
53. The Committee amended the first sentence and substituted the second sentence with the definition of “Food Safety Emergency” to align the Annex with the Principles and Guidelines. The footnote was replaced with the same footnote as that contained in the Scope.
54. The Committee considered that it was useful to maintain the list of examples in this section as it could assist countries in providing information on the nature of the food safety hazards. The Committee amended the first sentence to improve its clarity. It agreed to the following changes in the list of food safety hazards:
• to delete “toxic level of residues of” in the bullet point on chemical contamination for clarity.
• to add a new bullet point on physical contamination; accordingly, the example “foreign bodies” (under “other identified hazards”) was moved to the new bullet point.
55. The observer from Greenpeace asked that the list included examples of risks, which in his view could arise from genetically modified foods or ingredients, however, no amendment was made to the paragraph to this effect.
56. The Committee amended the sentence to indicate that the food should be completely described. The Committee added “shelf life” in the first bullet point as it recognized that it could be useful information to describe certain types of food (e.g. donated food); it clarified that “chilled and frozen” were examples of conservation methods; and, it added “official name and mark” in the last bullet point due to the growing concern for false export certificates.
57. The Committee recognised the importance of providing some information on adverse health effects and added a new paragraph to the section: The nature and extent of any adverse health affects associated with a food safety emergency should be described, e.g. incubation period, severity, other epidemiological data.
58. Port of origin and destination was added as useful information.
59. The Committee added two other examples under this section: measures to reduce the risk by appropriate physical treatment; and methods of diagnosis and treatment of affected persons.
60. The Committee modified the paragraph to strengthen the concept of two-way information and to encourage the use of electronic communication where available.
Status of the proposed draft revision to the Codex Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Control Emergency Situation
61. The Committee noted that significant progress had been made in the consideration of the issues contained in the text. It therefore agreed to advance the proposed draft revised Guidelines and Principles for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations to Step 5 of the Codex Procedure and recommended that the 27th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission omit Steps 6 and 7 and proceed to the final adoption of the Guidelines and Principles at Step 8 (see Appendix II).
DISCUSSION PAPER ON TRACEABILITY/PRODUCT TRACING IN THE CONTEXT OF FOOD INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS (Agenda Item 4)8
62. The 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems decided to reconvene the Working Group on Traceability/Product tracing, under the chairmanship of Switzerland, in order to examine the adequacy and applicability of CCFICS texts with regard to traceability/product tracing and the need for further work in this area, to complete the mandate assigned by the 10th CCFICS.
63. The Committee requested the Working Group to prepare a discussion paper with a complete analysis of the issues involved for circulation, additional comments and further consideration at its next Session. It was reiterated that this review should analyze the appropriateness and need for CCFICS to develop specific guidance on the practical implementation of traceability/product tracing and on how the issue was to be progressed. It was also agreed that the Committee’s discussions on this issue would be forwarded to the Executive Committee and other Codex Committees for information and potential action.9
64. In introducing the discussion paper, the delegation of Switzerland informed the Committee that the discussion paper had been prepared at the 2nd meeting of the Working Group (Fribourg, Switzerland, 3-5 September 2003). At its meeting the Working Group took note of the discussion held within other Codex Committees and in particular Regional Coordinating Committees. It also noted that the 18th Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) had decided to develop a definition for traceability/product tracing to be considered at its next meeting in May 2004.
65. The Working Group:
• recognized that traceability/product tracing was not an objective in itself but rather a tool, which may assist countries to demonstrate that imported and/or exported foods meet safety and/or quality requirements and that CCFICS could consider how to use the traceability/product tracing tool within food import and export inspection and certification systems;
• undertook a thorough analysis of 8 CCFICS texts based on the framework and on the elements of traceability/product tracing that had been approved by CCFICS at its 11th session;
• reached the conclusion that CCFICS texts do not provide a consistent set of principles on traceability/product tracing, although they sometimes reference individual elements of traceability/product tracing. It was concluded that the objectives of most of the examined texts would not be met more adequately if traceability/product tracing elements were included or strengthened;
• recognised that it would be helpful that workshops or seminars be organized to address the application, scope and coverage of traceability/product tracing among member countries;
• examined the appropriateness and needs for CCFICS to develop specific guidance on traceability/product tracing and decided to develop a broad set of options, which could be considered by the CCFICS as a possible way forward in the examination of traceability/product tracing within CCFICS.
66. The Committee expressed its appreciation to the Working Group for the comprehensive work, which provided a good basis for the discussion on this important subject. It recognized that CCFICS was an appropriate forum to continue discussion and develop guidance on traceability/product tracing within its mandate and that there was a clear need to exchange views as to the meaning of traceability/product tracing systems and their practical application.
67. The Committee emphasised the need to organise seminars and workshops to provide the opportunity for those countries with practical experience to exchange information with other countries on the types of systems in place, on their scope, application and coverage, to promote a better understanding of this subject. It considered that it was important that these meetings be organised on a regional and global basis with expertise from different regions, before the next CCFICS. The Committee agreed that these seminars were to be conducted in a cost effective manner and facilitate the participation of all Members. In this regard, it was noted that they could be organised in conjunction with the Second Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators (Bangkok, Thailand 10-12 November 2004) and/or with the next meetings of the Codex Regional Coordinating Committees, thus allowing wider participation, especially from developing countries.
68. The Committee noted that, subject to availability of funds, FAO and WHO would be ready to assist with these seminars, but indicated that assistance from Members would be required in terms of financial resources and expertise. In this regard, it was noted that countries expertise would be particularly important in the conduct of these seminars. It also observed that the Joint FAO/WHO Secretariat of the Second Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators was seeking papers to be submitted on the following themes: “Strengthening Official Food Control Services”, and “Epidemiological Surveillance of Foodborne Diseases and Food Safety Rapid Alert Systems” and both could be related to traceability/product tracing systems.
69. The Committee acknowledged that, although there was a broad understanding of the concept of traceability/product tracing, it was still confronted by the lack of a definition and clarity with regard to the scope and coverage of traceability/product tracing within the context of Codex. Some delegations expressed concerns as to the cost of implementing such systems especially for developing countries, while others emphasized the cost that might arise from not having a traceability/product tracing system in place.
70. The Committee agreed that existing CCFICS texts did not need to be re-opened with regard to traceability/product tracing.
71. Different opinions were expressed on the development of principles and/or guidelines and whether the principles should be a stand-alone document or serve for the further development of guidelines. Most delegations were in favour of CCFICS moving towards the development of principles for the application of traceability/product tracing systems, however they recognized the need for a clear understanding of the implications including costs. Other delegations were of the opinion that further work should be deferred pending the conclusion of the work on the definition in the Codex Committee on General Principles. It was noted that an initial discussion on principles had already taken place in the Regional Coordinating Committees that could be used as a starting point to progress work on this matter.
72. Therefore, the Committee agreed to continue its discussion on traceability/product tracing in the context of food inspection and certification systems at its next meeting. It was agreed that the Australian Secretariat would prepare a document containing a preliminary set of “principles on traceability/product tracing”, based on the discussion that has occurred over the past two years in the Regional Coordinating Committees, and this document would be circulated for comment through a Circular Letter to all Member countries and international organizations with observer status in Codex.
73. It was proposed that the above document could be used as a tool for information exchange and discussion at the proposed seminars as appropriate.
74. Furthermore, the Committee agreed that the Australian Secretariat would prepare a discussion paper, based on the above document, together with the comments received, the outputs and recommendations from seminars and workshops (as appropriate), discussions in the Codex Committee on General Principles and other relevant Codex Committees and Regional Coordinating Committees, and other relevant documents, for circulation and discussion at its next meeting.
DISCUSSION PAPER ON THE JUDGEMENT OF EQUIVALENCE OF TECHNICAL REGULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEMS (Agenda Item 5)10
75. The 10th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems decided to defer the consideration of the proposed draft Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Technical Regulations Associated with Food Inspection and Certification Systems and to prepare a discussion paper to assist the Committee in assessing the need to continue to develop guidance in this area. The Committee decided that a drafting group led by Australia would prepare a discussion paper on the basis of the current text, the written comments submitted, and potential examples of problems in trade that were or could be solved through the application of equivalence and mutual recognition agreements. The Committee also decided to seek clarification from the WTO/TBT Committee, through the Codex Secretariat, on the operation of the TBT Agreement in relation to equivalence and mutual recognition agreements.11
76. The Delegation of Australia introduced the discussion paper highlighting that the document dealt separately with technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures and mutual recognition. It was noted that trade problems due to the application of technical regulations had been identified in Annexes 3 and 4 of the discussion paper. The Committee noted that the discussion paper might not attempt to analyse whether equivalence was or could have been applied as a mechanism to solve the trade problems identified. The paper also contained a summary of issues for discussion by the Committee in order to determine how to proceed further with this matter.
77. The Observer from the WTO/TBT Committee informed the Committee on the latest developments in relation to equivalence and mutual recognition agreements for the acceptance of conformity assessment results that had taken place at regular meetings of the WTO/TBT Committee and at the 2nd and 3rd Triennial Review on the Operation and Implementation of the TBT Agreement. The Observer noted that WTO Members hold different views on these issues, which led to the conclusion that further discussion was needed with regard to the implementation of Articles 2.7, 6.1 and 6.3 of the TBT Agreement. To this aim, the WTO/TBT Committee agreed to initiate a process of exchanging information and experiences on matters surrounding equivalence, conformity assessment procedures and mutual recognition agreements, with particular regard to the practical aspects of their implementation. The Observer also noted that the full text of the discussion on these matters was contained in the report of the 3rd Triennial Review on the Operation and Implementation of the TBT Agreement12.
78. The Committee had an exchange of views on the need to develop guidance in this area. The Delegation of Norway stressed the need for further clarification of the links between technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures associated with food import and export certification systems. The Delegation also stressed the need for CCFICS to develop guidance on equivalence of conformity assessment procedures relevant to technical regulations, taking into account the work of other international standardization organizations like ISO. It proposed that the Committee could continue to investigate this issue in parallel with the ongoing discussion in the WTO/TBT Committee.
79. Other delegations felt that the mandate of CCFICS dealt with the inspection and certification systems including the equivalence aspects of these systems, but not with the equivalence of technical regulations. Moreover, the need for CCFICS to engage in work on judgement of equivalence of technical regulations and conformity assessment systems was questioned as problems related to the implementation of equivalence in this area had not yet been identified. In addition, trade disputes or concerns invoking or relating to the TBT Agreement suggested that challenges resided more with the legitimacy of a TBT measure rather than with the determination of its equivalence with another country’s measure, therefore further guidance by CCFICS on judgement of equivalence of technical regulations would not seem to alleviate such disputes or concerns.
80. The Committee decided not to pursue work on the judgement of equivalence of technical regulations associated with food inspections and certification systems at the current time with the understanding that the Codex Alimentarius Commission or its Executive Committee would be informed accordingly. It also decided that it might come back on this issue at a future meeting in view of further developments on these matters. As a result of this decision, the Committee recommended to leave the reference to the “development of guidelines on the judgement of equivalence for specific purposes such as equivalence of measures to ensure food hygiene or measures to ensure conformity with essential quality requirements” in the draft Medium-Term Plan 2003-200713.
OTHER BUSINESS AND FUTURE WORK (Agenda Item 6)14
81. The Observer of the OECD informed the Committee of the activities on inspection and certification within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Future Work
82. The 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems agreed that comments on suggested subjects for future work and the prioritization of such work would be requested by means of Circular Letter15.
83. The Committee agreed to reformat the proposals submitted along with the requests arising from the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (see para. 3 and 9) in a template that took account of the Criteria for the Establishment of Work Priorities16 and the relevant discussion at the 19th Extraordinary Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (Paris, November 2003). The Committee agreed that these proposals, as contained in CRD 13, would serve as a basis for the discussion under this Agenda Item.
84. The Committee noted a proposal to elaborate a prioritization framework, which would include the development of specific criteria for the assessment of proposals for new work by CCFICS. The prioritization framework would therefore take account of the anticipated work on the revision of the Criteria for the Establishment of Work Priorities in the Codex Committee on General Principles.
85. The Codex Secretariat noted that prioritization of work in Codex Committees should be made in accordance with the Criteria for the Establishment of Work Priorities as laid down in the Procedural Manual which were currently under revision in the Codex Committee on General Principles. In this regard, the Codex Secretariat drew the attention of the Committee to the decision of the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission regarding “Improved Process for Standards Management” and “Review of the Rules and Procedures and Other Procedural Matters” by which the Commission decided to request the Codex Committee on General Principles to redraft the Criteria for the Establishment of Work Priorities to reflect the current priorities of the Commission in a manner that would provide explicit judgement tools for assessing work proposals against priorities17.
86. The Committee decided that, in view of the ongoing work on the revision of the Criteria for the Establishment of Work Priorities in the Codex Committee on General Principles, it would not be advisable at this time to develop work planning criteria specific to the activities of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems.
87. In response to a proposal by Thailand to carry out a survey on the implementation of CCFICS texts to ensure that the texts were implemented in accordance with CCFICS purposes, the Committee noted the voluntary nature of Codex standards and related texts, and that it was not within its mandate nor that of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to monitor their implementation by Member countries. The Committee also noted the concern of Thailand in the increased need of CCFICS guidelines to protect consumers’ health and ensure fair international trade practice.
88. Following a general discussion on the opportunity to initiate work on the remaining proposals included in CRD 1318, the Committee agreed:
a) To forward to the Codex Alimentarius Commission three new work items for approval as new work:
• Proposed draft Appendices to the Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification (Drafting group led by United States with the assistance of Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Romania and South Africa);
• Proposed draft Principles for Electronic Certification (Drafting group led by Australia with the assistance of Canada, France, Republic of Korea, India, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand and United States);
• Proposed draft Guidelines for Risk-based Inspection of Imported Foods (Drafting group led by United States with the assistance of Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, South Africa and Switzerland).
b) To prepare three discussion papers for the 13th Session of the Committee, as follows:
• Discussion Paper on the Revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Foods (Drafting group led by India with the assistance of Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the European Community and the Philippines);
• Discussion Paper on the Revision of the Guidelines for Generic Official Certificate Formats and the Production and Issuance of Certificates (Drafting group led by United States with the assistance of India, Iran, the European Community and the Philippines);
• Discussion Paper on Clarification of the Reference “a reasonable interval” in the Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems (Drafting group led by Australia in consultation with Paraguay - subject to confirmation by Paraguay to the Australian Secretariat).
c) To place the agenda item for the next CCFICS on the following order of priority:
i. Proposed draft Appendices to the Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification;
ii. Proposed draft Principles for Electronic Certification;
iii. Proposed draft Guidelines for Risk-based Inspection of Imported Foods.
iv. Discussion paper on Traceability/product tracing in the Context of Food Inspection and Certification Systems (see para 74);
v. Discussion Paper on the Revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Foods;
vi. Discussion Paper on the Revision of the Guidelines for Generic Official Certificate Formats and the Production and Issuance of Certificates;
vii. Discussion Paper on Clarification of the Reference “a reasonable interval” in the Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems.
89. The Committee noted that work on electronic certification, risk-based inspection of imported foods and appendices to the Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification would be subject to approval as new work by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or its Executive Committee.
90. The Committee also noted that the appendices would take account of the request of the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in relation to the need for more information to enable the implementation of the Guidelines (see paras. 3 and 9).
91. It further noted that the Discussion Paper on the revision of the Guidelines for Generic Official Certificate Formats would specifically involve revision of Section 5, para. 6 regarding the appropriate use of export certificate and would also envisage the preparation of a standard format for the presentation of the import requirements.
92. With regard to the Discussion Paper on Clarification of the Reference “a reasonable interval” in the Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems, the Observer of the WTO/SPS Committee indicated the relevant decision of the Doha WTO Ministerial 2001 “Implementation-Related Issues and Concerns”19 as regards the reference in the SPS Agreement to “a reasonable interval”20 which could assist the drafting group in its work.
93. The Committee agreed that all the documents for the Committee’s next session should be finalized by the end of July 2004 in order to allow for their translation and timely distribution for consideration at its 13th Session.
DATE AND PLACE OF NEXT SESSION (Agenda Item 7)
94. The Committee noted that its 13th Session was tentatively scheduled to be held from 6 – 10 December 2004 in Australia, subject to further discussions between the Codex and Australian Secretariats.
Subject Matter |
Step |
Action by: |
Document Reference (ALINORM 03/16) |
Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations |
5/8 |
Governments |
para. 61 |
Proposed draft Appendices to the Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification |
1/2/3 |
27th CAC |
paras. 88-90 |
Proposed draft Principles for Electronic Certification |
1/2/3 |
27th CAC |
paras. 88-89 |
Proposed draft Guidelines for Risk-based Inspection of Imported Foods |
1/2/3 |
27th CAC |
paras. 88-89 |
Discussion paper on Traceability/Product Tracing in the Context of Food Inspection and Certification Systems |
- |
Australian Secretariat |
paras. 72-74 |
Discussion Paper on the Revision of the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Foods |
- |
Drafting Group led by India |
para. 88 |
Discussion Paper on the Revision of the Guidelines for Generic Official Certificate Formats and the Production and Issuance of Certificates |
- |
Drafting Group led by United States |
paras. 88 and 91 |
Discussion Paper on Clarification of the Reference “a reasonable interval” in the Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems |
- |
Drafting Group led by Australia |
paras. 88 and 92 |
Proposed draft Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of Technical Regulations Associated with Food Inspection and Certification Systems |
discontinued |
27th CAC |
para. 80 |
LISTE DES PARTICIPANTS
LISTA DE PARTIPANTES
Mr Gregory Read
Executive Manager
Exports and Corporate Division
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 3594
Fax: +61 2 6272 4112
Email: [email protected]
Mr Fernando Lavaggi
Director de Fiscalizacion Vegetal
Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y
Calidad Agroalimentaria – SENASA
Avda Paseo Colon 367 7° Piso
Ciudad De BUENOS AIRES 1063
ARGENTINA
Phone: +54 11 4345 4225
Fax: +54 11 4345 4225 imt 1530
Email: [email protected]
Dr Ann McDonald
General Manager
Market Maintenance Group
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 5254
Fax: +61 2 6272 4112
Email: [email protected]
Mr Trent Brady
Policy Officer
Food and Agriculture Group
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry
GPO Box 858
BARTON ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 4085
Fax: +61 2 6272 4367
Email: [email protected]
Dr Scott Crerar
Team Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6271 2235
Fax: +61 2 6271 2278
Email: [email protected]
Mr Steve Crossley
Section Manager
Modelling, Evaluation and Surveys
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6271 2624
Fax: +61 2 6271 2278
Email: [email protected]
Ms Peggy Douglass
Senior Advisor
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 5786
Fax: +61 2 6271 6522
Email: [email protected]
Ms Kirsten Hambly
Executive Officer
Agriculture and Food Branch
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
RG Casey Building
John McEwen Crescent
BARTON ACT 0221
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6261 1865
Fax: +61 2 6112 1865
Email: [email protected]
Dr Hikmat Hayder
Senior Scientist
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6271 2645
Fax: +61 2 6271 2278
Email: [email protected]
Ms Brenda Kilgore
Senior Food Scientist
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
BARTON ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6271 2692
Fax: +61 2 6271 2278
Email: [email protected]
Mr Kieth Murray
Operations Co-ordinator
Australian Quarantine Inspection Service
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
PO Box 222
HAMILTON QLD 4007
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 3246 8685
Fax: +61 2 7 3246 8657
Email: [email protected]
Ms Usha Sriram-Prasad
Senior Policy Officer
Food and Agriculture Group
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 3547
Fax: +61 2 6272 4367
Email: [email protected]
Mr Nektarios Tsirbas
Manager
Trading Environment and Programs
Market Access and Biosecurity
Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
BARTON ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 4811
Fax: +61 2 6272 4600
Email: [email protected]
Ms Jenny Williams
Assistant Program Manager
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
PO Box 7186
BARTON ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 2625
Fax: +61 2 6271 2278
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Robyn Banks
Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition Manager
Nestlé Australia Ltd.
Locked Bag 5
SILVERWATER NSW 2138
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 8756 2305
Fax: +61 2 9736 0426
Email: [email protected]
Mr Tony Downer
Assistant Director
Scientific and Technical
Australian Food and Grocery Council
Locked Bag 1
KINGSTON ACT 2604
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6273 1466
Fax: +61 2 6273 1477
Email: [email protected]
Mr Digby Gascoine
Consultant
PO Box 4012
MANUKA ACT 2603
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6231 7746
Fax: +61 2 6231 7863
Email: [email protected]
Mr Robert Statham
CPSU (FIS)
Queensland FIS State Secretary
4 Lumbye Place North Tivoli
IPSWICH QLD 4305
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 3281 8210
Email: [email protected]
Mr Dieter Jenewein
Ministerialrat
Federal Ministry for Health and Women
C/o Technikerstrasse 70, A-6020
INNSBRUCK
AUSTRIA
Phone: +43 512 224 400
Fax: +43 224 4015
Email: [email protected]
Dr Sofie Huyberechts
Veterinary Officer
Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC)
DG Control Policy
International Affairs
WTC III
Boulevard Simon Bolivaz 30
1000 BRUSSELS
BELGIUM
Phone: +32 2 208 3868
Fax: +32 2 208 3823Email: [email protected]
Ms Ana Virginia de Almeida Figueiredo
Manager of Food Inspection
Brazilian National Surveillance Agency
SEPN Q 515 Bloco B
Ed. Omega 3 Andar
BRASILIA DF
BRAZIL
Mr Pedro Cunha E Menezes
Consul
Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry
17/31 Market Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
AUSTRALIA
Phone +61 2 9267 6503
Fax: +61 2 9267 4419
Email: [email protected]
Dr Marcelo Mazzini
Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e do Abastecimento
Esplanada Dos Ministerios
Edif Anexo – ALA “A”
Sala 406
ASA SUL
BRASILIA DF
BRAZIL
Phone: +55 612 182 339
Fax: +55 612 182 672
Email: [email protected]
Dr Mervyn Baker
Director
Food of Animal Origin Division
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
59 Camelot Drive
OTTAWA ONTARIO K1A 0Y9
CANADA
Phone: +1 613 221 7027
Fax: +1 613 228 6636Email: [email protected]
Mr Ron Burke
Director
Bureau of Food Regulatory
International & Interagency Affairs
Food Directorate
Health Products and Food Branch
Health Canada
Building #7, Room 2395 (0702C1)
Tunney’s Pasture
OTTAWA ONTARIO K1A 0L2
CANADA
Phone: +1 613 957 1748
Fax: +1 613 941 3537
Email: [email protected]
Mr Pierre Desmarais
Second Secretary
Canadian High Commission
Commonwealth Avenue
CANBERRA ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6270 4029
Fax: +61 2 6270 4069
Email: [email protected]
Dr Thomas Feltmate
Manager
Food Safety Risk Analysis Unit
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
3851 Fallowfield Road
PO 11300
NEPEAN ONTARIO K2H 8P9
CANADA
Phone: +1 613 228 6698 ext. 5982
Fax: +1 613 228 6675
Email: [email protected]
Ms Kathy Hermosilla
Honorory Consul of Chile (Qld)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
87 Lyndale Street
DAISY HILL QLD 4127
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 3208 8444
Fax: +61 7 3208 8999
Email: [email protected]
Ms Li Yubing
Deputy Director
Certification and Accreditation Administration of China
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OFCHINA
Phone: +86 10 8226 2760
Fax: +86 10 8226 0753
Email: [email protected]
Mr Tang Deliang
Bureau of Import and Export Food Safety
General Administration of Quality Supervision
Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of China
No 9 Madiandonglu Chaoyang District
BEIJING 100088
CHINA
Phone: +86 10 8226 2018
Fax: +86 10 82260175
Email: [email protected]
Mr Sun Guosheng
Deputy Director
Tianijin Entry-Exit
Inspection and Quarantine Bureau of China
No 33 Youyi poad
Hexi District
TIANJIN 300201
CHINA
Phone: +86 22 2813 4961
Fax: +86 22 2813 4061
Email: [email protected]
Mr Wang Hongwei
Deputy Director
National Veterinary Diagnostic Centre
Ministry of Agriculture
CHINA 100094
Phone: +86 10 6289 1257
Fax: +86 10 6289 1258
Email: [email protected]
Mr Liu Yong
Official
Shandong Entry-Exit
Inspection and Quarantine Bureau
Qu Tangxia Road 70
QINGDAO 266002
CHINA
Phone: +86 532 267 1549
Fax: +86 532 265 3971
Email: [email protected]
Mr Wang Huafei
Departmental Director
Development Center for Green Food of China
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Phone: +86 10 6219 1409
Fax: +86 10 6213 3552
Email: [email protected]
Mr Liu Junhua
China National Institute of Standardization
No 3 Southroad
Yuhui, Chaoyang District
BEIJING 100029
CHINA
Phone: +86 10 8461 1177 2655
Email: [email protected]
Mr Chungpui Lee
Senior Superintendent
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
43/F Queensway Government Offices
66 Queensway
HONG KONG – Special Administrative Region
CHINA
Phone: +852 2867 5566
Fax: +852 2521 4784
Email: [email protected]
Mr Gabriel Lahens Espinosa
Director
Department of technical Regulations and Quality
Ministry of Foreign Trade
Infanta Street No. 16 Esquina 23
VEDADO LA HABANA
CUBA
Phone: +53 7 542 139
Fax: +53 7 550 461
Email: [email protected]
Mr Erik Engelst Petersen
Veterinary Officer
Danish Veterinary and Food Administration
Mørkhøj Bygade 19, DK 2860
SOBORG
DENMARK
Phone: +45 3 395 6000
Fax: +45 3 395 6001
Email: [email protected]
Mr Sayied Hassan
Manager of the Cereals Department
General Organization for Export and Import Control
10 Sohaag Street
OMRANIA EGYPT
Phone: +202 5741 654
Fax: +202 577 8376
Email: [email protected]
Dr Henri Belveze
European Commission
Rue Froissart 101
Bureau 4/76
BRUSSELS
BELGIUM
Phone: +32 2296 2812
Fax: +32 2 2998566
Email: [email protected]
Mr Andrew Wilson
Counsellor
EC Delegation
140 Wireless Road
BANGKOK 10330
THAILAND
Phone: +66 2 255 9100
Fax: + 66 2 255 9114
Email: [email protected]
Miss Leena Eerola
Veterinary Officer
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Food and Health Department, Border Inspection Unit
Mariankatu 23
PO Box 30
HELSINKI 00023
FINLAND
Phone: +358 9 1605 2375
Fax: +358 9 1605 2779
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Roseline Lecourt
Chargee de Mission
Ministere de l’Economie, des Finances et de l’Industrie
DGCCRF
Teledoc 051
59 Boulevard Vincent Auriol
75703 PARIS CEDEX 13
France
Phone: +33 1 4497 3470
Fax: +33 1 4497 3037
Email: [email protected]
Dr Ilia Bibileishvili
Head of Division
Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Georgia
Marketing and External Trade Division
41, Kostava Street
TBILISI
GEORGIA
Phone: + 995 32 986653
Fax: +995 32 333 698
Professor Avtandil Korakhashvili
Chairman of Agro-biodiversity Scientific Council
Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Georgia
41, Kostava Street
TBILISI
GEORGIA
Phone: +995 32 3326 71
Fax: +995 3233 3698
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Ms Marie-Luise Trebes
Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Nutrition & Agriculture
Rochusstrasse 1
53123 BONN
GERMANY
Phone: +49 (0) 228 5293 394
Fax: +49 (0) 228 5294 943
Email: [email protected]
Dr Hartmut Waldner
Federal Office of Consumer Protection & Food Safety (BVL)
Crisis Management and Rapid Alert Systems
Unit 104
Rochusstrasse 65
BONN D-53123
GERMANY
Phone: +49 (0) 228 6198 261
Fax: +49 (0) 228 6198 120
Email: [email protected]
Dr Endre Rácz
Head of Unit
Department for Food Production
Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development
Kossuth L. ter 11
BUDAPEST H-1055
HUNGARY
Phone: +36 1 301 4383
Fax: +36 1 301 4808
Email: [email protected]
Ms Shashi Sareen
Director
Export Inspection Council of India
Ministry of Commerce
3rd Floor NDYMCA Cultural Centre Building
1 Jai Singh Road
NEW DELHI 11001I
INDIA
Phone: +91 11 2374 8025
Fax: +91 11 2374 8186
Email: [email protected]
Mr K. S. Money
Chairman
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Government of India
3rd Floor NCUI Building
3 Siri Institutional Area
August Kranti Marg
NEW DELHI 110016
INDIA
Phone: +91 11 26526187
Fax: +91 11 26526187
Email: [email protected]
Mr Shri Tapesh Pawar
Joint Secretary (A & IC)
Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying
Ministry of Agriculture
Krishi Bhavan
NEW DELHI 11001I
INDIA
Phone: +91 11 2338 7804
Fax: +91 11 23386115
Email: [email protected]
Mr Anup K. Thakur
Joint Secretary
Department of Commerce
Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Udyog Bhavan
NEW DELHI 11001I
INDIA
Phone: +91 11 2301 5215
Fax: +91 11 2301 4418
Email: [email protected]
Dr Soempeno Putro
Director-General
Capacity Building and Marketing
Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries
JL Medan Merdeka Timur 16
JAKARTA
INDONESIA
Phone: +62 2135 00063
Fax: +62 2135 20844
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Ketut Oka Harmini
Senior Officer
Directorate for Inspection of Distributed Goods and Services
Ministry of Industry and Trade
JL MI Ridwan Rais No.5
Gedung Blok II Lt 3
JAKARTA 10110
INDONESIA
Phone: +62 21 3858 171 75 ext.1110
Fax: +62 21 3858 189
Email: [email protected]
Dr Karim Husein
Head
Centre for Standardisation and Accreditation
Ministry of Industry and Trade
INDONESIA
Phone: +21 5252 690
Fax: +21 5252 690
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Dharmawati Masfar
Deputy Director for Import
Ministry of Industry and Trade
J1 Ridwan Rais No 5
JAKARTA 10110
INDONESIA
Phone: +62 021 3858 194
Fax: +62 021 385 8194
Ms RN Nurnadiah
Deputy Director for Processed Product
Quality for Horticulture
Ministry of Agriculture
Gd D Lt III
JL Harsono RM#3 Ragunan
JAKARTA 12550
INDONESIA
Phone: +62 21 7818 202
Fax: +62 21 7884 2007
Email: [email protected]
Mr Febrian A Ruddyard
First Secretary/Economic
Indonesian Embassy
8 Darwin Avenue
YARRALUMLA
CANBERRA ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6250 8600
Fax: +61 2 6273 6017
Email: [email protected]
Mr Ignatius Warsito
Senior Officer
Directorate for Inspection of Distributed Goods and Services
Ministry of Industry and Trade
JAKARTA
INDONESIA
Phone: 62 21 385 8189
Fax: 62 21 35 8189
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Mr Mohammad Hosein Kalantar Motamedi
Isiri President Adviser
Institute of Standard & Industrial Research of Iran
PO Box 14155-6139
TEHRAN
IRAN
Phone: +98 21888 9664
Fax: +98 2188 79475
Email: [email protected]
Dr Ali Safar-Maken
Deputy of Quarantine and International Affairs
Iranian Veterinary Organization
PO Box 14155/6349
IRAN
Phone: +98 261 650 7452/+98 21 895 7193
Fax: +98 28 895 7252
Email: [email protected]
Mr Anoushiravan Parsa Nejad
Overseas Inspection Manager
International Goods Inspection Co
PO Box 15875-3619
TEHRAN
IRAN
Phone: +98 218833 1756
Fax: +98 2188 40750
Email: [email protected]
Mr Edwin Teehan
Superintending Veterinary Inspector
Department of Agriculture and Food
Kildare Street
DUBLIN 2
IRELAND
Phone: +353 1607 2985
Fax: +3531 678 9733
Email: [email protected]
Mr Jeffrey Moon
Chief Specialist Environmental Health
Food Safety Authority of Ireland
Abbey Court
Lower Abbey Street
DUBLIN 1
IRELAND
Phone: +353 1 817 1309
Fax: +353 1 817 1301
Email: [email protected]
Professor Piergiuseppe Facelli
Dirigente Veterinario
Ministero della Salute
Piazza Marconi n. 25
ROME I-00144
ITALY
Phone: +39 0659 9466 13
Fax: +39 0659 9465 55
Email: [email protected]
Mr Ciro Impagnatiello
Ministero Delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali
Via XX Settembre 20
ROME 00187
ITALY
Phone: +39 06 46656511
Fax: +39 06 4880 273
Email: [email protected]
Dr Koji Miura
Director
International Food Safety Planning
Department of Food Safety, Pharmaceutical & Food Safety Bureau
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
TOKYO 100-8916
JAPAN
Phone: +81 3 3595 2326
Fax: +81 3 3503 7965
Email: [email protected]
Dr Masayuki Tasai
Assistant Director
Office of Quarantine Stations Administration
Policy Planning and Communication Division
Department of Food Safety, Pharmaceutical & Food Safety Bureau
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
1-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
TOKYO 100-8916
JAPAN
Phone: +81 3 3595 2333
Fax: +81 3 3591 8029
Email: [email protected]
Mr Masanori Imagawa
Chief
Inspection and Safety Division
Department of Food safety, Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
1-2-2 Kasumigaseki Chiyoda-ku
TOKYO 100-8916
JAPAN
Phone: +81 3 3595 2337
Fax: +81 3 3503 7964
Email: [email protected]
Mr Seiichiro Oyama
Director for International Affairs Office
Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
1-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku
TOKYO 100-8950
JAPAN
Phone: +81 3 5512 2291
Fax: +81 3 3597 0329
Email: [email protected]
Ms Yukie Honda
Planning and Coordinating Department
Quality Assurance Division
Section Staff of Internal Laboratory Control
IAA Center for Food Quality, Labelling & Consumer Services Headquarters
Saitama Shintoshin Godo Chosha Kensato Bld 2-1
Shintoshin, Cyuo-ku Saitama-shi
SAITAMA 330-9731
JAPAN
Phone: +81 48 600 2359
Fax: +81 48 600 2377
Email: [email protected]
Dr James Karitu
Senior Veterinary Officer (Hygiene)
Department of Veterinary Services
Veterinary Research Laboratory
PO Box 00625
KANGEMI NAIROBI
KENYA
Phone: +254 20 631 289
Fax: +254 20 631 273
Email: [email protected]
Mr Song Boo Koh
Deputy Director
Korea Food and Drug Administration
#5 Nokbun-Dong
EunPyung-Ku
SEOUL
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Phone: +82 2 380 1733
Fax: +82 2 388 6392
Email: [email protected]
Dr Soo Hyun Kim
Assistant Director
Bilateral Cooperation Division
Ministry of Agriculture of Forestry
Government Complex 2
KWACHEON-CITY KYUNGGI-DO 427-719
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Phone: +82 2 500 1727
Fax: +82 2 504 6659
Email: [email protected]
Mr Nam-Gyeong Koo
Administrative Officer
Ministry of Health and Welfare
#1 Joongang-dong, Gwacheon-si
GYEONGGI-DO
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Phone: +82 2 503 7558
Fax: +82 2 504 1456
Email: [email protected]
Miss Yun-kyoung Lee
Senior Researcher
Ministry of Health and Welfare
# 1 Joongang-dong, Gwacheon-si
GYEONGGI-DO
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Phone: +82 2 503 7558
Fax: +82 2 504 1456
Email: [email protected]
Mr Cheon Il Park
Assistant Director
Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Phone: +82 2 3148 6922
Fax: +82 2 3148 6924
Email: [email protected]
Mr Young-sig Park
Head Researcher
KHIDI
57-1 Naryangin-Dong
SEOUL 156-800
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Phone: +82 2 2194 7484
Email: [email protected]
Dr A’aisah Senin
Principal Assistant Director
Food Quality Control Division
Ministry of Health Malaysia
3rd Floor, Block B
Jalan Cenderasari
KUALA LUMPUR 50590
MALAYSIA
Phone: +603 2694 6601
Fax: +603 2694 6517
Email: [email protected]
Dr Zaliha Abdullah
Head, Veterinary Inspection Unit
Veterinary Public health Section
Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia
8th and 9th Floor
Wisma Chase Perdana
Damansara Heights
KUALA LUMPUR 50630
MALAYSIA
Phone: +603 2094 0077
Fax: +603 2093 5804
Email: [email protected]
Mr Raj R. D’Nathan
Deputy Under Secretary
Crops, Livestock and Fisheries Industry Division
Ministry of Agriculture
Level 19, Putra Place
100 Jalan Putra
KUALA LUMPUR 50350
MALAYSIA
Phone: +603 4045 3050
Fax: + 603 4045 8900
Email: [email protected]
Dr Haliza Abdul Manaf
Assistant Director
Food Quality Control Division
Ministry of Health Malaysia
3rd Floor, Block B
Jalan Cenderasari
KUALA LUMPUR 50590
MALAYSIA
Phone: +603 2694 6601
Fax: +603 2694 6517
Email: [email protected]
Mr Guillermo Arroyo Gómez
Executive Manager of Special Programme
Federal Commission Against Safety Hazards (COFEPRIS)
Secretaria de Salud
Monterrey No 33, Col Roma,
CP 06700, MEXICO DF
MEXICO
Phone: +52 (55) 5080 5262
Fax: +55 (55) 5514 1407
Email: [email protected]
Ms Silvia Hernández Rivera
Executive Subdirector for Import and Exports
Comision Federal para la Proteccion Contra
Secretaria de Salud (COFEPRIS)
Monterrey No 33, Col Roma,
CP 06700, MEXICO DF
MEXICO
Phone: +52 55 5080 0915
Fax: +52 55 5080 5200 Ext 1001
Email: [email protected]
Dr Jorge Leyva
Director General of Phytosanitary Inspections
SENASICA-SAGARPA
Municipio Libre 377
Piso 7 ala B
03310 MEXICO DF
MEXICO
Phone: +55 9183 1000 ext. 34063
Fax: +55 9183 1010 ext. 34079
Email: [email protected]
Dr Steve Hathaway
Director
Program Development Group
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
PO Box 646
GISBORNE
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 6 867 1144
Fax: +64 6 868 5207
Email: [email protected]
Mr Phil Fawcet
Programme Manager
Regulatory Standards
Dairy and Plant Products Group
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
PO Box 2835
WELLINGTON
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 463 2656
Fax: +64 4 463 2675
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Cherie Flynn
Senior Policy Analyst
Policy Group
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
PO Box 2835
WELLINGTON
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 463 2572
Fax: +64 4 463 2583
Email: [email protected]
Mr Ashley Mudford
Programme Manager – E Cert
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
PO Box 2835
WELLINGTON
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 4632 605
Email: [email protected]
Mr Basker Nadarajah
National Co-ordinator
Imported Products
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
Private Bag 92605
Symonds Street
AUCKLAND
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 9 262 1885
Fax: +64 9 630 7470
Email: [email protected]
Mr Drasko Pavlovic
E-cert Manager
Animal Products Group
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
Custom House
50 Anzac Avenue
AUCKLAND
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 9 302 1803
Fax: +64 9 309 8302
Email: [email protected]
Mr Jim Wilson
Programme Manager
Imports
New Zealand Food Safety Authority
PO Box 2835
WELLINGTON
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 463 2663
Fax: +64 4 463 2591
Email: [email protected]
Mr James Riley
Compliance Manager
New Zealand Meat Industry Association
Te Kuiti Meat Processors Ltd
PO Box 169
TE KUITI
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 7 878 6045
Fax: +64 7 878 7787
Email: [email protected]
Mr Ian Baldick
PSA Organiser
New Zealand Public Service Association
Private Bag 68906
AUCKLAND
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 9 376 7430
Fax: +64 9 376 7469
Email: [email protected]
Mr Keith Gutsell
National Delegate PSA
Asure New Zealand
c/- Alliance Lorneville
Private Bag 1410
INVERCARGILL
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 3 215 6418
Fax: +64 3 215 7909
Email: [email protected]
Mr Lennart Johanson
Deputy Director General
Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries
PO Box 8118 Dep
NO – 0032
OSLO
NORWAY
Phone: +47 2224 2665
Fax: +47 2224 9585
Email: [email protected]
Ms Lena Brungot
Specialist Executive Officer
Directorate of Fisheries
Department of Seafood
PO Box 185
Sentrum N-5804
BERGEN
NORWAY
Phone: +47 55 23 80 00
Fax: +47 55 23 80 90
Email: [email protected]
Ms Vigdis Møllersen
Advisor
Control Systems
Department for Control and Coordination
Norwegian Food Control Authority
PO Box 8187
Dep N-0034
OSLO
NORWAY
Phone: +47 23 21 66 69
Fax: +47 23 21 70 01
Email: [email protected]
Ms Gisken Thoen
Senior Advisor
Section for Scientific, International and Legal Affairs
Department for Control and Coordination
Norwegian Food Control Authority
PO Box 8187
Dep N-0034
OSLO
NORWAY
Phone: +47 23 21 66 29
Fax: +47 23 21 70 01
Email: [email protected]
Mr Frode Veggeland
Researcher
Norwegian Agricultural Economics Research Institute
Schweigaaradsgt 33B
Postboks 8024 Dep
OSLO NO – 0030
NORWAY
Phone: +47 2236 7239
Fax: +47 2236 7299
Email: [email protected]
Mr Gilberto Layese
Director
Bureau of Agriculture & Fisheries Product Standards
BPI Compound
Visayas Avenue
Diliman
QUEZON CITY
PHILIPPINES
Phone: +632 920 6132/6133
Fax: +632 920 6134
Email: [email protected]
Dr Efren Nuestro
Executive Director
National Meat Inspection Commission
BAI – Compound
Visayas Avenue
Diliman
QUEZON CITY
PHILIPPINES
Phone: +63 2 924 3119
Fax: +63 2 924 7973
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Daniela-Eugenia Cucu
Deputy Director-General
Romanian Accreditation Association
Street General Berthelot nr. 24
Sector 1
BUCHAREST 010168
ROMANIA
Phone: + 40 21 310 2274
Fax: +40 21 310 1390
Email: [email protected]
Dr Sin Bin Chua
Deputy CEO
Director, Food & Veterinary Administration
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore
5 Maxwell Road #04-00
Tower Block, MND Complex
SINGAPORE 069110
Phone: +65 6 325 7622
Fax: +65 6 220 6068
Email: [email protected]
Dr Astrid Yeo
Assistant Director (Import and Export)
Food and Veterinary Administration
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority
5 Maxwell Road #02-00
Tower Block, MND Complex
SINGAPORE 069110
Phone: +65 6 325 7686
Fax: +65 6 220 6068
Email: [email protected]
Mr David E. Malan
Assistant Director
Directorate: Food Safety & Quality Assurance
Department of Agriculture
Private Bag X258
PRETORIA
SOUTH AFRICA
Phone: +27 12 319 6049
Fax: +27 12 319 6055
Email: [email protected]
Mr Deon Jacobs
Food and Associated Industries Department
Regulatory Affairs and Consumer Protection Division
South African Bureau of Standards
PO Box 615
7701 RONDEBOSCH
CAPETOWN
SOUTH AFRICA
Phone: +27 21 689 5511
Email: [email protected]
Mr Gideon Joubert
Technical Advisor
Food & Associated Industries
Policy Development & Implementation Department
Regulatory Affairs & Consumer Protection Division
South African Bureau of Standards
Private Bag X191
0001 PRETORIA
SOUTH AFRICA
Phone: +27 12 428 6086
Fax: +27 12 428 6466
Email: [email protected]
Mr Dries Pretorius
Directorate: Food Control
Department of Health
Private Bag X828
0001 PRETORIA
SOUTH AFRICA
Phone: +27 12 312 0159
Fax: +27 12 312 3162
Email: [email protected]
Miss Almudena Arriba
Técnico Superior Veterinaria
Ministerio De Sanidad y Consumo
Subdirección General De Sanidad Exterior
Dirección General de Salud Publica
Ministerio Sanidad y Consumo
MADRID 28071
SPAIN
Phone: +34 1 596 1347
Fax: +34 1 596 2047
Email: [email protected]
Mr Eduardo Gonzalez
Market Analyst
Commercial Office
Embassy of Spain
Suite 408/203
New South Head Road
EDGECLIFF NSW 2027
Phone: +61 2 9362 4212
Fax: +61 2 9362 4057
Email: [email protected]
Mr Gcina Dlamini
Senior Health Inspector
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
PO Box 5
MBABANE
SWAZILAND
Phone: +268 404 2431
Fax: +268 404 2092
Email: [email protected]
Dr Tor Bergman
Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer – PH
Swedish National Food Administration
Box 622
SE – 75126
UPPSALA
SWEDEN
Phone: +46 1817 5587
Fax: +46 1817 5310
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Anna Brådenmark
Head of International Trade Division
Food Control Department
Swedish National Food Administration
Box 622
SE 751 26
UPPSALA
SWEDEN
Phone: +46 1817 5543
Fax: +46 1812 1949
Email: [email protected]
Dr Tina Lindström
Senior Administrative Officer
Animal Health Division
Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries
S-103, 33 STOCKHOLM
SWEDEN
Phone: +46 8 4053 508
Fax: +46 8 405 4970
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet
Responsible, Codex Alimentarius
Swiss Federal Office of Public Health
Main Unit Food Safety
Schwarzenburgstrasse 165
CH3003 BERNE
SWITZERLAND
Phone: +41 31 322 0041
Fax: +41 31 322 9574
Email: [email protected]
Mr Jürg Rüfenacht
Head Border Veterinary Inspection
Swiss Veterinary Office
Schwarzenburgstrasse 161
CH-3003 BERNE
SWITZERLAND
Phone: + 41 31 323 8510
Fax: +41 31 323 8656
Email: [email protected]
Ms Metanee Sukontarug
Director
Office of Commodity and System Srtandards
National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
Rajdamnern Nok. Avenue
BANGKOK 10200
THAILAND
Phone: 662 280 3900
Fax: 662 280 3899
Email: [email protected]
Ms Usa Bamrungbhuet
Standards Officer
National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards
Ministry of Agricultures and Cooperatives
Rajdamnern Nok. Avenue
BANGKOK 10200
THAILAND
Phone: +662 280 3883
Fax: +662 629 9654
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Mrs Malinee Subvanich
General Secretary
Thai Food Processors’ Association
170/21-22 9th Floor Ocean Tower 1 BLDG
New Ratchadapisek Rd. Klongtoey
BANGKOCK 10110
THAILAND
Phone: +662 261-2684-6; 662 261-2995
Fax: +662 261-2996-7
Email: [email protected]
Mr Boonpeng Santiwattanatam
The Federation of Thai Industries
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
Zone C 4th Floor
60 New Rachadapisek Road, Klongtoey
BANGKOK
THAILAND
Phone: +66 2 229 4255 #153
Fax: +66 2 229 4927
Email: [email protected]
Mr Lers Thisayakorn
Treasurer of Thai Frozen Foods Association
92/6 6th Floor Sathorn Thani II
North Sathorn Road Bangrak
BANGKOK 10500
THAILAND
Phone: +66 2 2355 622 24
Fax: +66 2 2355 625
Email: [email protected]
Ms Waraporn Boonkajornkul
Technician of Thai Food Processors’ Association
170/21-22 9TH Floor Ocean Tower Building
New Ratchadapisek Road Klongtoey
BANGKOK 10110
THAILAND
Phone: +66 2 261 2684-6
Fax: +66 2 261 2996-7
Email: [email protected]
Dr Catherine Carnevale, Delegate
Director, Office of Constituent Operations
Food and Drug Administration
Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
5100 Paint Branch Parkway
Mail Code - HFS-550 College Park
MARYLAND 20740
USA
Phone: +1 301 436 2380
Fax: +1 301436 2618
Email: [email protected]
Dr Kenneth Clayton
Associate Administrator
Agricultural Marketing Service
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue
SW Room 3071 - South Building
WASHINGTON DC 20250, USA
Phone: +1 202 720 4276
Fax: +1 202 720 8477
Email: [email protected]
Mr Donald Hodgen
International Trade Administration
US Department of Commerce
Room 3013
WASHINGTON DC 20230
USA
Phone: +1 202 482 3346
Fax: +1 202 482 3981
Email: [email protected]
Ms Deborah Malac
Biotechnology and Textile Trade Policy Division
Department of State
WASHINGTON DC
USA
Phone: +1 202 647 2062
Fax: +1 202 647 1894
Email: [email protected]
Dr Garry McKee
Administrator
US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service
1400 Independence Avenue
SW Room 331E-JLW Building
WASHINGTON DC
USA
Phone: +1 202 720 7025
Fax: +1 202 205 0158
Email: [email protected]
Ms Mary Stanley
Director
Office of International Affairs
FSIS
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Room 2137 South Building
WASHINGTON DC 20250
USA
Phone: +1 202 720 0287
Fax: +1 202 720 7990
Email: [email protected]
Ms Karen Stuck, Alternate Delegate
Assistant Administrator, Office of International Affairs
Food Safety and Inspection Service
US Department of Agriculture
Office of International Affairs FSISW
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Room 3143 - South Building
WASHINGTON DC 20250-3700
USA
Phone: +1 202 720 3473
Fax: +1 202 720 3856
Email: [email protected]
Ms Audrey Talley, Deputy Director
Foreign Agricultural Service, FSTSO
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Room 5545 - South Building
WASHINGTON DC 20250
USA
Phone: +1 202 720 9408
Fax: +1 202 690 0677
Email: [email protected]
Dr H Michael Wehr
Director
FSIS Codex Program Staff
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Room 3843 South Building
WASHINGTON DC 20250
USA
Phone: +1 202 720 2933
Fax: + 1 202 720 6050
Email: [email protected]
Ms Jane Earley
Consultant
Corn, Soy and Cotton Coalition
Promar International
1101 King Street Suite 444
ALEXANDRIA VIRGINIA 22314
USA
Phone: +1 703 838 0602
Fax: +1 703 739 9098
Email: [email protected]
Mr C W McMillan
C. W. McMillan Company
PO Box 10009
ALEXANDRIA VA 22310
USA
Phone: +1 703 960 1982
Fax: +1 703 960 4976
Email: [email protected]
Mr Johnnie Nichols
Director, Technical Services
National Milk Producers Federation
2101 Wilson Boulevard
ARLINGTON VA 22201
USA
Phone: +1 703 243 6111 ext 344
Fax: +1 703 841 9328
Email: [email protected]
Ms Peggy Rochette
Senior Director of International Policy
National Food Processors Association
1350 I Street NW
WASHINGTON DC 20005
USA
Phone: +1 202 639 5921
Fax: +1 202 639 5991
Email: [email protected]
Mr Richard White
Office of the United States Trade Representative
600 17th Street NW
Winder Building
Room 421
WASHINGTON DC 20250
USA
Phone: +1 202 395 9582
Fax: +1 202 395 4579
Email: [email protected]
Mr Jean-Marie Debois
OECD/OCDE
Agricultural Codes and Schemes
2, Rue Andre-Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex 16
PARIS
France
Phone: +33 145 259 548
Fax: +33 1443 0617
Email: [email protected]
Dr Hajime Toyofuku
Technical Officer
Food Safety Department
World Health Organization
20, Avenue Appia
CH-1211
GENEVA 27
SWITZERLAND
Phone: +41 22 791 3556
Fax: +41 22 791 4807
Email: [email protected]
Dr Patience Mensah
Regional Adviser, Food Hygiene
Division of health Environments and Sustainable Development
WHO Regional Office for Africa
BP 06 Cité du Djoué
Brazzaville
REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Phone: +47 242 39065
Fax: +47 242 39512
Email: [email protected]
Ms Vivien Liu
Counsellor
Trade and Environment Division
World Trade Organization
154 rue de Lausanne
1211 GENEVA 21
SWITZERLAND
Phone: +41 22 739 54 55
Fax: +41 22 739 56 20
Email: [email protected]
Mr Michael Roberts
Counsellor
Trade and Environment Division
World Trade Organization
154 Rue de Lausanne
1211 GENEVA 21
SWITZERLAND
Phone: +41 22 739 5747
Fax: +41 22 739 56 20
Email: [email protected]
Dr Janet Collins
Global Regulatory Leader
Biotechnology Industry Organization
600 13th Street NW
Suite 600
WASHINGTON, DC
USA 20005
Phone: +1 202 383 2861
Fax: +1 202 783 1924
Email: [email protected]
Ms Clare Hughes
Food Policy Officer
Australian Consumers’ Association
Consumers International
57 Carrington Road
MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204
Phone: +61 2 9577 3375
Fax: +61 2 9577 3377
Email: [email protected]
Mr Bruno Heinzer
Greenpeace International
C/o Greenpeace
PO BOX 8031
ZURICH
SWITZERLAND
Phone: +41 1 447 41 41
Fax: +41 1 447 41 99
Email: [email protected]
Mr John Owen
Corporate Secretary
International Accreditation Forum
53 Manuka Circle
CHERRYBROOK NSW 2126
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 9481 7343
Fax: +61 2 9481 7343
Email: [email protected]
Mr Gary Luckman
Manager: New Technologies
International Atomic Energy Agency
Wagramer Strasse 5
PO Box 100
C/- Food and Environmental Protection Section
Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture
A-1400 VIENNA
AUSTRIA
Phone: +61 2 417 496 581
Fax: +61 2 6254 1912
Email: [email protected]
Ms Slava Zeman
Observer
International Dairy Federation
Diamant Building
Bld Auguste Reyers 80
BRUSSELS
BELGIUM 1030
Phone: +61 2 6272 5027
Fax: +61 2 6271 6522
Email: [email protected]
Mr Keith Richardson
Food Technology Liaison Officer
International Institute of Refrigeration
PO Box 52
NORTH RYDE
NSW AUSTRALIA 2113
Phone: +61 2 9490 8361
Fax: +61 2 9490 8466
Email: [email protected]
Dr Sue-Sun Wong
Research Specialist
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
TACTRI
Residue Control Department
11 Kung-Ming Road Wufeng
TAICHUNG HSIEN
TAIWAN
Phone: +886 4 233 006 12
Fax: +886 4 233 247 38
Email: [email protected]
Professor Philip L. Bereano
Co-Director
49th Parallel Biotechnology Consortium
3807 S. McClellan Street
SEATTLE
WASHINGTON, DC
USA 98144
Phone: +1 206 725 4211
Fax: +1 206 543 8858
Email: [email protected]
Ms Annamaria Bruno
Food Standards Officer
Food and Nutrition Division
Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 ROME
ITALY
Phone: +39 06 5705 6254
Fax: +39 06 5705 4593
Email: [email protected]
Ms Gracia Brisco
Food Standards Officer
Food and Nutrition Division
Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
Viale delle Terme de Caracalla
00100 ROME
ITALY
Phone: +39 06 5705 2700
Fax: +39 06 5705 6254
Email: [email protected]
Ms Ann Backhouse
Manager
Codex Australia
Product Safety and Integrity
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 5692
Fax: +61 2 6272 3103
Email: [email protected]
Ms Rose Hockham
Assistant Manager
Codex Australia
Product Safety and Integrity
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 5060
Fax: +61 2 6272 3103
Email: [email protected]
Ms Suzanne Blake
Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 3657
Fax: +61 2 6272 4112
Email: [email protected]
Ms Anetta Menkarska
Executive Officer
Codex Australia
Product Safety and Integrity
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 6272 5112
Fax: +61 2 6272 3103
Email: [email protected]
PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION IN FOOD SAFETY EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
(Proposed draft revision of the Codex Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Control Emergency Situations - CAC/GL 19-1995)
(advanced to Step 5/8)
1. When a food safety emergency arises, in order to minimize potential adverse public health effects, it is essential to communicate the nature and extent of the food safety problem to all relevant parties as expeditiously as possible. This must be done in a manner that avoids unwarranted action against other foods from the same or other countries, which are not involved in the emergency situation. The global nature of food trade requires that this communication occur between nations at the appropriate government level.
2. This document provides guidance for use by national governments and regional economic integration organisations for the exchange of information in food safety emergency situations.
3. These Principles and Guidelines apply to situations where the competent authorities in either the importing and/or exporting countries become aware of a food safety emergency situation, and communication of the information and risks surrounding the emergency situation must be undertaken.
4. The Principles and Guidelines apply to situations where the food safety hazard (e.g., a microbiological, chemical, radiological or physical agent) has been specifically identified. It may also apply to situations where the food safety hazard has not been identified, but relevant scientific information suggests a link between consumption of a food and the appearance of serious health effects.
5. The Principles and Guidelines apply to food safety emergencies associated with imported or exported food or food that may potentially be imported or exported. The Principles and Guidelines may also apply to such emergencies where feeding stuffs for food producing animals are implicated.21
6. The Principles and Guidelines do not apply to routine food rejections where importing country standards have not been met. These situations are covered in the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food (CAC/GL 25-1997).
7. Food Safety Emergency: A situation whether accidental or intentional, that is identified, by a competent authority as constituting a serious and as yet uncontrolled foodborne risk to public health that requires urgent action.
8. In the event that a food safety emergency is identified, the following principles apply to the exchange of information:
a) Its nature and extent should, where possible, be clearly and completely described by the relevant competent authorities.
b) The exchange of information on food safety emergencies should be between official contact points designated by the competent authorities.
c) A country detecting a food safety emergency situation, whether it is an importing or an exporting country, should inform all known affected and potentially affected countries without delay.
d) All relevant information should be shared by competent authorities detecting a food safety emergency to enable all affected and potentially affected countries to make informed risk management and/or risk communication decisions.
e) Competent authorities should also provide clear, relevant, factual and timely information to relevant stakeholders to the extent possible.
f) Information flow should be transparent and continue during all phases of the food emergency situation to enable continuous evaluation and development of the emergency response.
9. The nature of the food safety emergency including its scientific basis as it becomes available should be described in a clear, concise and accurate manner. Even in circumstances where the specific food safety hazard has not been precisely identified any clear and substantial association between the consumption of a food and the appearance of serious adverse public health effects should be provided by the competent authority in accordance with the principles outlined in paragraph 8.
10. In cases where the food safety hazard is associated with a specific food or foods, these foods should be identified in as much detail as is available to facilitate the identification and location of the affected foods. In other cases, where a food safety hazard affects many different categories of foods and potentially involves a large geographical area, all affected foods should be identified.
11. Each country should designate a primary official contact point for food safety emergency situations, which can act as the national focal point for information exchange in such situations. A list of the primary official contact points for the exchange of information in food safety emergency situations as mentioned in point 8.b is available and an update is distributed to governments on a periodic basis. It is the responsibility of all countries to ensure that they regularly provide updated information on their country primary official contact points to the World Health Organization (WHO) so that the list of contacts can be kept up-to-date. Although the primary official contact point is the first contact, it is understood that in a given food safety emergency national governments may wish to designate a specific contact point for that emergency.
12. The designated contact points for the competent authorities responsible for coordinating the response to the food safety emergency should be clearly identified. Necessary information includes the name of the competent authority and the contact details including name, address, phone numbers, facsimile numbers, and email addresses of the persons or offices that are responsible for managing the emergency situation and who can provide further details about the hazard, the foods concerned, actions taken and other relevant information. A website address should also be provided if this is used to provide up-to-date information.
13. Given the global nature of food trade, the impact of a food safety emergency may be widespread. The competent authority of the country where the food safety emergency is identified should, to the best of its ability and in cooperation with other competent authorities, determine all potential recipient countries of the implicated food(s) and all countries from which the potentially contaminated food or its ingredients was imported. All relevant information in relation to the food safety emergency should be provided to the competent authorities of the countries thus identified.
14. Communication should be made by the most expedient means, as early as possible, and with verification of receipt by key parties. Communications by telephone, email, facsimile and if necessary regular mail should all be considered to achieve early communication and to ensure that the message is received by the competent authorities as quickly as possible.
15. It is recognised that the initial information provided may often be incomplete and it is therefore the responsibility of the country identifying the food emergency to ensure that the initial communication is supplemented by further notification(s), as and when more detailed information becomes available.
16. It is recognized that the nature and the extent of the information disclosure to each competent authority will be as determined to be permissible by the disclosing competent authority according to its national law.
17. Competent authorities should exchange with all known affected and potentially affected countries the following information, as relevant upon identification of a food safety emergency.
a. The nature of the food safety emergency including the hazards and risks identified, the methodology used and assumptions made;
b. Detailed identification of the food or foods concerned including product markings, certificate information;
c. Affected and potentially affected populations group(s);
d. Shipping and related information, e.g. the name and contact information for the exporter, importer, consignee and shippers;
e. Action taken to reduce or eliminate the hazard;
f. Full details of the designated official contact point and the relevant competent authority.
18. The communication regarding the nature and extent of a food safety emergency should include relevant scientific substantiation and assessment of risk as they become available, including how international standards have been taken into account.
19. A standard format for the relevant information to be exchanged is recommended for use by both the importing and exporting countries. A model standard format for information exchange in food safety emergency situations is provided in the Annex. Where alternative formats are used, care should be taken to ensure that all the relevant information is included and is clearly presented.
20. Upon identification of a food safety emergency, the competent authority identifying the emergency should promptly communicate with and consult the appropriate competent authority/ies of other affected or potentially affected country/ies. The competent authorities responsible for coordinating the response should update countries receiving the affected food of action taken, as appropriate. The accuracy and veracity of the scientific and other information regarding a food safety emergency should be verified to assist in taking risk assessment, risk management and risk communication decisions. Any misinformation should be promptly corrected by competent authorities.
21. It is also essential that all other relevant parties be kept informed, as appropriate, of the nature and status of the food safety emergency. Competent authorities should therefore provide clear, relevant, factual and timely information to their industry, consumers, other stakeholders and the media on the status of the food safety emergency.
22. Communications between exporting and importing countries should be transparent and continue through all phases of the emergency situation, from initial notification of the food safety problem including details of any relevant risk assessments that have been used through to notification of the resolution of the problem. This will enable countries to re-assess their risk assessment, risk management and risk communication strategies as the situation changes.
23. In deciding on the appropriate communication measures to apply, the competent authorities should consider the quantity of food that is involved, the extent of its distribution and the level (e.g. wholesale, retail) at which it has been distributed. In some cases, the affected food may not yet have entered the importing country and communication will focus on the importers. However, in other cases the food will have entered and been distributed within the country or transhipped to other countries. The competent authority should take account of whether the food has been, or is likely to have been, distributed at the wholesale, retail or consumer level, and implement risk management and communication measures accordingly, including a notice of recall at one or more of these levels of food distribution.
24. Food that is refused entry into a country, or in some cases food that is recalled after entry, should be dealt with in accordance with Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between Countries on Rejection of Imported Food (CAC/GL 25-1997) and taking into account the Code of Ethics for International Trade in Foods (CAC/RCP 20-1979, Rev. 1-1985)22 .
25. Importing and exporting countries should develop a food safety emergency plan that would indicate the procedures to be followed in the case of a food safety emergency23. The plan should contain specific provision relating to the exchange of information including keeping their public informed, as appropriate, of food safety emergency.
26. Although the information exchange components of these guidelines are primarily intended for use between the competent authorities of the importing and exporting countries, copies or summaries of relevant information regarding the emergency should be provided to FAO, WHO or other international organizations on request. In these situations, the FAO and WHO may be able to offer technical advice and assistance to one or more of the affected countries or countries yet to be affected.
Annex
The following constitutes the information that should be exchanged between competent authorities of both exporting and importing countries involved in a food safety emergency. A food safety emergency is a situation whether accidental or intentional, that is identified by a competent authority, as constituting a serious and as yet uncontrolled foodborne risk to public health that requires urgent action.
1. Nature of the food safety emergency
The nature of the food safety hazard causing the food safety emergency should be described, and may include the following:
- biological/microbiological contamination (specify organism or toxin of concern);
- chemical contamination (e.g. pesticides, drugs, industrial chemicals, environmental contaminants);
- physical contamination (e.g. foreign bodies);
- radionuclide contamination (specify radionuclide(s) of concern);
- undeclared allergen (the allergen should be explicitly named);
- other identified hazards (e.g. inherent chemicals in foods or produced through processing, processing/packaging faults);
- unknown agent (specify serious adverse health effects associated with consumption of specified foods).
In each of the above cases the specific food safety hazard and its level or prevalence based on available information and, as appropriate, the sampling and methods of analysis used, and any assumptions made should be notified.
2. Identification of foods concerned
The foods concerned should be described completely. The following information should be provided if available, as appropriate to the product:
- description and quantity of product(s) including brand, the name(s) of the product listed on the label, grade, preservation method (e.g. chilled or frozen) and shelf life;
- type and size of package(s);
- lot identification, including lot code, dates of production and processing, and identification of premises where last packed or processed;
- other identification marks/stamps (e.g. bar codes, UPC codes);
- name and address of producer, manufacturer, packer, seller, exporter or importer as appropriate;
- pictorial image;
- export certificate(s) reference number(s), official name and mark.
An indication of the countries to which the product has been exported should also be provided, as soon as it is known, to enable countries to quickly identify whether they are likely to be affected, and to help locate the affected foods.
3. Affected or potentially affected population group(s)
Food safety emergency situations may predominantly affect certain segments of a population, e.g. children, pregnant women, immune compromised persons or the elderly. In such instances, this information should be communicated.
The nature and extent of any adverse health effects associated with a food safety emergency should be described, e.g. incubation period, severity, other epidemiological data.
4. Shipping and Related Information
Information on the following should be provided:
- Exporter name and contact information;
- Importer name and contact information;
- Container and shipping details, including port of origin and destination;
- Consignee(s) and shipper(s) and contact information.
5. Action taken by exporting or importing country
Information on action taken, such as:
- measures taken to identify and prevent the sale and export of the food;
- measures taken to recall food from markets including whether these recalls are voluntary or mandatory;
- measures taken to prevent further problems;
- measures taken to reduce the risk by appropriate physical treatment;
- methods of diagnosis and treatment of affected persons;
- measures taken regarding final disposition (e.g. destruction of the food).
6. Details of the designated official contact point and of the relevant competent authority
Full contact details including: the name of the competent authority, address, telephone, email address and facsimile numbers of persons or offices that can supply further information that may be sought by affected or potentially affected countries to assist in the management of the food safety emergency. A website address should be used where available to provide up-to-date information.
1 CRD 6 (EC Annotated Agenda for the 12th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems).
2 CX/FICS 03/1.
3 CX/FICS 03/2; CX/FICS 03/2-Add.1; and, CRD 3 (updating on ISO activities).
4 ALINORM 03/41, para. 147.
5 Article 1(b) of the Statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Procedural Manual, 13th Edition.
6 CX/FICS 03/3 and comments submitted by Argentina, Canada, Iran, Mexico, New Zealand, United States, European Community (CX/FICS 03/3-Add. 1), Indonesia (CRD 2), and the Philippines (CRD9).
7 A function of the probability that an adverse health effect and the severity of that effect, consequential to a hazard(s) in food - Codex Procedural Manual, 13th Edition.
8 CX/FICS 03/4 and comments submitted by Argentina, Canada, Mexico, United States, Consumers International, EuropaBio, ILSI (CX/FICS 03/4-Add. 1), Indonesia (CRD 2), CropLife International (CRD5); Uruguay (CRD 7), Paraguay (CRD 8), the Philippines and India (CRD 10).
9 ALINORM 03/30A, para. 53.
10 CX/FICS 03/5 and comments submitted by Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, United States and European Community (CX/FICS 03/5-Add.1); Indonesia (CRD 2) and the Philippines (CRD 11).
11 ALINORM 03/30A, paras. 40-45.
12 G/TBT/13 paras. 12-14 and 38-40 (11 November 2003).
13 Activity 27, Objective 1 “Promoting Sound Regulatory Framework”.
14 CL 2002/54-FICS, Part B.2 and CL 2003/17-FICS and comments submitted by Australia and the International Association of Consumer Food Organization (CX/FICS 03/6); the United States (CRD 1); OECD (CRD 4); the Philippines (CRD 12); and CRD 13 (Project Documents on Proposals for New Work).
15 ALINORM 03/30A, para. 55.
16 Codex Alimentarius Commission Procedural Manual, 13th Edition.
17 ALINORM 03/41, paras. 163 and 182.
18 Available upon request at the Australian and Codex Secretariats (e-mail: [email protected] and [email protected] respectively).
19 WT/MIN (01)17 (20 November 2001).
20 Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Annex B, para. 2.
21 Provisions for emergency situations affecting animal feed are included in the Draft Code of Practice for Good Animal Feeding: Section 4.3.1 “Special conditions applicable to emergency situations”
22 A revision of the Code was under development in the Codex Committee on General Principles at the time this text was developed.
23 e.g. Guidelines for Strengthening National Food Control Systems (FAO/WHO); “Terrorist Threat to Food” (WHO).