81. The Commission had before it documents ALINORM 79/29, Parts I and II, which had been prepared following the recommendation of the Executive Committee, at its Twenty-Fifth Session, that it would be appropriate for the Commission to include as a standing item on the agenda of its regular sessions a review of its nutrition related activities and those of FAO and WHO. The purpose of these documents was to outline possible approaches to the idea of introducing more nutritional considerations into the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and to explore the potential of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies for this purpose. The documents were introduced by the Director of the Food Policy and Nutrition Division, who welcomed the recommendation of the Executive Committee on this topic.
82. Part I of the document reported on current FAO/WHO activities in nutrition, of interest for the work of the Commission. These related to (i) Food Balance Sheets (ii) Food Consumption Surveys (iii) Food Composition Tables (iv) Nutrient Recommended Intakes (v) Food Aid Programmes.
83. Part II of the document offered for consideration by the Commission possible ways of placing increased emphasis on the nutrition aspects of the Commission's work, and put forward certain proposals towards this aim.
84. The Commission was informed of the availability of vast data files on food consumption, food composition and nutrient recommended intakes. The Director referred to the work of establishing nutrient recommended intakes at the international level which was a long standing activity of FAO/WHO. He thought that greater use should be made of the above kind of data which could be very valuable in setting realistic compositional food standards, Particular mention was made of foods for special dietary uses. This kind of data would also be valuable in developing concepts of nutrition labelling. These were two important aspects of the work of the Commission.
85. The Commission was also informed by the Director that its activities had an impact on the nutrition of the populations, because the activities were concerned with different aspects of food standardization for maximal nutritional quality, microbiological and toxicological safety of foods, and protection of consumers against fraud and adulteration.
86. The Director pointed out that increasing emphasis was being placed in FAO and WHO on the integration of nutrition into development and investment projects. There was an emerging global consensus that development should be gauged by the extent to which it satisfied basic human needs. He also expressed the opinion that the aims of the Commission, namely the protection of the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade, would be strengthened by a continuation of and increase in the Commission's activities in nutrition.
87. The Director drew the Commission's attention to the proposals set out in paragraphs 13, 14 and 15 of ALINORM 79/29, Part II on which the Commission was asked to give an opinion:
A review of the nutrition aspects of the Food Standards Programme should be included as a standing item on the Agenda of Sessions of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (paragraph 13, ALINORM 79/29, Part II).
The Secretariat should be invited to undertake a systematic analysis of the nutrition impact of the work of each of the Commission's subsidiary bodies (paragraph 14, ALINORM 79/29, Part II).
Each of the subsidiary bodies should be requested to introduce provisions of a nutritional nature, where appropriate, in establishing standards for foods having a significant role in the diets of developing countries (paragraph 15, ALINORM 79/29, Part II).
88. Several delegations were of the opinion that within the activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission there was limited scope for the application of nutritional considerations to standards in general. Delegations agreed however that, where appropriate, nutritional considerations should be introduced into standards and codes of practice. The delegation of Nigeria stated that in selecting products for the development of worldwide standards, priority should be given to products which were nutritionally important.
89. Several delegations emphasized that in the Commission's work due consideration had always been given to nutritional aspects in food standardization. In this connection, mention was made of the work of the Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses and the work on nutrition labelling in the Codex Committee on Food Labelling. Reference was also made to the potential of the two new Codex Committees on Cereals and Cereal Products and Vegetable Proteins in relation to nutritional considerations.
90. The Commission agreed with the recommendation of the Executive Committee that it would be appropriate to include a review of the nutritional aspects of the Food Standards Programme as a standing item on the agenda of sessions of the Commission.
91. The Commission also decided to request its subsidiary bodies to consider, as the need arose, nutritional aspects in drawing up standards for foods, particularly foods having a significant role in the diets of developing countries.
92. The Commission pointed out that many products moving in international trade were not of great nutritional significance. However, many such products were of great economic importance both to developing and developed countries.
93. Regarding paragraph 14, ALINORM 79/29, the Commission expressed concern about inviting the Secretariat to carry out the work outlined. The Commission agreed that a consultant should be recruited to carry out a study of the nutritional impact of the work of its subsidiary bodies. In this connection, the Commission also agreed with the recommendation of the Executive Committee, at its Twenty-sixth Session (ALINORM 79/4, paragraph 18) that any consultant recruited for this purpose should be a Codex consultant.
94. The Commission received oral progress reports on the continued reorientation of the work of the Commission aimed at attuning its activities more to the concerns and needs of developing countries. The reports were given by Mr. G.O. Kermode, Chief of the Joint FAO/ WHO Food Standards Programme and Dr. V.B. Vouk, Manager, Environmental Health Criteria and Standards, and Chief, Central Unit International Programme of Chemical Safety, Division of Environmental Health, WHO.
95. The Chief of the Programme recalled the decision of the Twelfth Session of the Commission and the fundamental changes made in connection with its programme of work, its procedures and the establishment of new Subsidiary Bodies (see paragraphs 108–133, ALINORM 78/41) in meeting the wishes expressed by the FAO Council. He informed the Commission that these changes had been fully endorsed by the World Health Assembly and by the FAO Conference. The work of the Commission had been strongly supported and it had been emphasized that it was of importance both to developing and developed countries. It had been stressed that the process of reorientation of the work of the Commission was a continuing one, necessitated by the growing membership of the Commission and the changing needs of Members of the Commission especially those with developing economies.
96. The new measures proposed for adoption by the Commission, by the Codex Committee on General Principles and the Codex Secretariat, would enable full examination and consideration of the impact which Codex recommendations might have on the economic interests of Member Countries at all major Steps of the Procedure for the Elaboration of Standards. It would further be possible after finalization of Standards when sent to Governments for acceptance, to consider their amendment in the light of specified deviations occasioned by economic considerations. The proposed review by a Codex consultant of nutritional questions in relation to food standards work would also facilitate the Commission's consideration of a further area of interest to some members of the Commission.
97. In order to better meet the needs of all governments - especially of those which did not have adequate facilities of capabilities for the assessment of health risk arising from the presence of toxic chemicals or foodborne microorganisms in food - WHO and FAO were endeavouring to strengthen their food safety activities. An important initiative had been taken by WHO concerning the setting up of an international programme on chemical safety. FAO had been requested by WHO to participate in the new Chemicals Safety Programme which would be of great importance to the work of the Codex Committees on Food Additives and Pesticide Residues.
98. Codex Commodity Committees were playing their part in increasingly meeting the needs of developing countries by giving greater attention - through direct requests by developing countries or by the Regional Coordinating Committees - to developing standards for foods which were of economic or potential economic interest to developing countries, especially regarding their export trade. Many examples of standards being developed for the products of tropical zones could be cited and this trend would continue.
99. Regional Coordinating Committees had examined their new and widened terms of reference as well as their programmes of work. As a result, the value of their work was likely to be greatly enhanced and the Coordinators for the Regions should be able to make a greater contribution to the deliberations of the Executive Committee and of the Commission. The Regional Coordinating Committees were also developing regional positions on a number of matters referred to them by Codex General Subject and Codex Commodity Committees. The Regional Coordinating Committees were developing standards for products of importance in intra-regional trade as well as for staple items of traditional diets. Other matters of a regional or group of countries interest were being given attention, for instance, the requirements of Islamic countries in relation to matters such as labelling, certain ingredients in compounded foods and ritual slaughter methods.
100. The Commission was also informed that the two new Codex Committees on Cereals and Cereal Products and Vegetable Proteins would commence work in 1980. The work of these Committees was of special interest to developing countries both from the point of view of trade and of nutrition.
101. Many staple foods had been or were being covered by the Codex Programme although perhaps the most important major exception was the absence of any work on grain legumes and pulses, which formed part of the diet of millions of persons in all parts of the world and were major items of international trade.
102. As regards Codex General Subject Committees, special mention should be made of the work of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues, which had considered some 380 pesticide/ commodity combinations of importance to the trade of developing countries. An ad hoc Working Group had recently been formed within the framework of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues which would study pesticide residue questions in relation to developing countries.
103. The development of a Code of Ethics for the International Trade in Food by the Codex Committee on General Principles was another example of an attempt to assist countries which lacked adequate food control facilities - to ensure that imported foods as well as foods in general moving in international commerce were of acceptable quality.
104. In order to increase the number of acceptances by Governments of the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the Codex Secretariat was hoping to intensify the “drive on acceptances” as well as assist National Codex Committees and/or National FAO Committees in their examination of standards for acceptance. In this respect, meetings with representatives of National Codex Committees and interested international organizations such as EEC, ASMO, CMEA and ECA were envisaged. It was also hoped to complete the membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
105. The WHO representative presented a statement on the reorientation of WHO's food safety programme together with WHO's views on the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. He pointed out that the World Health Assembly (WHA) at its Session in May 1972, had requested the Director-General to take action with a view to assuring the wholesomeness of food and its protection from biological, physical and chemical contaminants. The Sixth General Programme of Work Covering a Specific Period (1978–1983), as well as subsequent resolutions of the Health Assembly, gave further guidance on the promotion and development of programmes to ensure food safety.
106. The Thirty-First World Health Assembly (1978) had discussed the principles and orientation of WHO's food safety programme and had requested the Director-General to emphasize the following:
review and analysis of national needs, and the collection, evaluation and transfer of information on policies, strategies and technologies to ensure the safety of food, on risks ensuing from unsafe food, and on the approaches for their control.
Technical cooperation with a view to:
developing national food safety policies and programmes;
identifying and resolving specific health problems relating to basic food hygiene and foodborne diseases of biological origin, and the chemical contamination of food;
establishing or strengthening food contamination monitoring programmes, and the collection, review, evaluation and dissemination of information on contaminants in food;
developing appropriate food laws and introducing progressive changes in existing national food legislation that will reflect current principles of food safety;
developing an effective food control infrastructure, including food inspection and facilities for food analysis; and
education of the public and training of food control personnel at all levels.
Assessment of the risks to health of the growing number of chemicals that are either added to food or found in food as contaminants.
Coordination and collaboration with FAO and the Codex Alimentarius Commission, with a view to increasing the output of the Commission as regards standards on food safety, codes of practice that are relevant to developing countries and the acceptance of Codex Standards.
Rationalization of the use of resources available within WHO to ensure their most effective application for the food safety programme.
Close cooperation will also be maintained with FAO and the International Atomic Energy Agency concerning the safety of irradiated food, and with FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme, particularly as regards food contamination monitoring and the control of mycotoxins in food products.
107. Dr. Vouk further stated that with regard to the future orientation of Codex activities, these WHO guidelines indicated the following needs:
Strengthening the role of Regional Coordinating Committees, particularly with a view to:
the development of more standards for staple foods in the Regions;
greater emphasis on hygiene matters; and
more technical cooperation with and among developing countries.
A reduction in the work relating to commodities of interest to industrial countries only and, when appropriate, a gradual reduction in the number of commodity committees.
Changes in the content of the work of some General Subject Committees in order to make their work more responsive to the needs of developing countries.
Further simplification of Codex Procedures for the Elaboration of Standards with a view to reducing expenses and the need for all Members of the Codex Secretariat paid from the Joint Budget to be fully engaged in Codex work.
108. Dr. Vouk also indicated that WHO was aware that many steps in the reorientation of the work of the Commission and its Committees had already taken place. He stated that the Director-General of WHO had reported these facts to the Thirty-Second World Health Assembly in May 1979, where they had been fully endorsed. The WHO was continuing to involve its Regional Offices to a greater extent in the work of the Commission.
109. Dr. Vouk concluded his remarks by stating that while no consideration could be given by WHO to increasing its percentage share of the joint costs of the Codex Programme for 1980/81, WHO was prepared to consider carefully an increase in its percentage share of these costs in 1982/83, especially in view of the new orientation of the Codex Programme, which was now underway.
110. As regards the possible standardization of legumes and pulses, a number of delegations were of the opinion that these commodities merited further consideration in view of their importance in national diets and international trade. The delegation of Hungary informed the Commission of work already done by ISO TC/34 and ICC in the field of methods of analysis for cereals which should be taken into account by the Codex Committee on Cereals and Cereal Products.
111. A number of delegations spoke on the question of the need for increased participation by developing countries at Codex Sessions. They pointed to possible ways of ensuring such an increase in participation, e.g. (a) by ensuring that invitations were sent out well in advance of Codex Sessions; and (b) through the holding of more Codex Sessions in the developing regions of the world.
112. The delegation of the United States of America indicated that it would inquire whether the United States of America is willing to host meetings outside the USA and would welcome suggestions as to locations outside of the USA for the holding of the sessions, other than the first of the Codex Committee on Cereals and Cereal Products, in an attempt to increase participation from developing countries. The delegation of India suggested that other host countries might offer similar countries. The delegation of Senegal indicated that its Government would welcome such a meeting in Senegal.
113. The delegation of Kenya undertook to explore the possibility of its Government offering to provide facilities for the holding of such Codex Sessions in Kenya, in the event of such offers or approaches being made by the relevant countries. The delegation of Nigeria considered that the suggestion by the USA had immense possibilities for the future participation of developing countries. The delegation believed that many other Member Governments which were Chairmen of Codex Committees might wish to make a similar offer and that many developing countries, in addition to Kenya and Senegal, might offer to host meetings of Committees if the requirements were clearly known to them. In order to fully exploit the possibilities, therefore, the delegation of Nigeria suggested that the Secretariat should send a questionnaire to all Member Governments which were Chairmen of Codex Committees to indicate whether they would be willing to hold the meetings of their Committees in other regions of the world and, if so, under what conditions. Information thus obtained should be circulated to all Member States of the Commission to assist them to decide whether they would be able to provide venues for the meetings of such Committees.
114. The delegation of Kenya, speaking on behalf of delegations from developing countries, expressed its appreciation of the reorientation of the work of the Commission aimed at attuning it more to the needs of developing countries.
115. A number of delegations were of the opinion that the Codex Secretariat would have to assist the Chairmen of Codex Committees in ensuring that the reorientation of the work of the Commission would be achieved in a concerted manner among the various Committees. The delegation of Kenya was of the opinion that Coordinators had an important role to play in giving effect to the new reorientation of the Commission's work in their regions and in reporting on this to the Executive Committee. In this connection, it was pointed out by the Secretariat that greater use would be made of consultants from the regions concerned, especially for the preparation of reports and studies on products of particular interest to the region or group of countries concerned.
116. The Commission expressed satisfaction with the reports received from the representatives of FAO and WHO regarding the status of the reorientation of the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It considered that the new trends in the work of the Commission were very positive and requested FAO and WHO to make every effort to carry out the reoriented programme as expeditiously as possible. The Commission requested the Secretariat to look further into the question of standards for legumes and pulses.
