52. The report of the ad hoc Working Group on Endorsement was presented by its chairperson, Dr. William Horwitz (USA). Ms. Harriet Wallin (Finland) served as rapporteur of the Working Group. The following countries and international organizations participated in the Working Group: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Republic of Korea, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, AOAC International, IDF, ISO and NMKL.
Endorsement of Method of Analysis Provisions
53. The Committee agreed to the proposal of the Working Group to revise the endorsement status of two different methods for the determination of potassium in food grade salt that had been previously endorsed together as one Type II method: ESPA/CN-E/104-1994 was endorsed as a Type II method and ESPA/CN-E/103-1994 as a Type III method.
54. The Committee did not endorse a number of methods proposed for milk products as either the method had not been demonstrated to be applicable to the product or there could be only one Type I method endorsed for one analyte/product combination.
55. The Committee amended the methods for determining salt to clarify that the methods determined chloride and the result would be expressed in sodium chloride. The Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables would be requested to consider appropriateness of four significant figures for the maximum level for tin in pickles. For some other methods, the Committee recommended to consider the use of more modern methods instead of currently proposed methods.
56. A list of methods considered along with their status, assigned Types, and notes containing rationale for non-endorsement and temporary endorsement is attached to this report as Part 1 of Appendix III for approval by the Commission.
Endorsement of Method of Sampling Provisions
57. The Committee considered the sampling provisions of the standards for kimchi, pickles and milk products in the plenary. The Committee endorsed those for kimchi and pickles which used the Codex Sampling Plans for Prepackaged Foods, the only document currently available in Codex on sampling and commonly referred to in Codex commodity standards.
58. The Committee was informed that IDF Standard 50C provides general instruction for physically obtaining samples while IDF Standards 113A and 136A are statistical sampling plans. The Committee agreed to endorse those sampling provisions proposed by the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products and to inform the Commission and that Committee of the contradiction in the additional text in the Standard for Cheeses in Brine concerning “cloth or non-absorbent paper”.
59. In making the above decision the Committee noted that after the adoption of the General Guidelines on Sampling by the Commission as a final text, it might need to review all sampling provisions of the Codex commodity standards. A list of sampling provisions considered by the Committee is attached to this report as Part 2 of Appendix III for approval by the Commission.
Other Related Matters
60. During the consideration of the sampling provisions, it was pointed out that information on the selection of sampling plan required in the Procedural Manual[16] had not been submitted to this Committee. It was also pointed out that in the case of methods of analysis, no information was generally submitted by the commodity committees despite the Recommendations for a Checklist of Information Required to Evaluate Methods of Analysis and Sampling for Endorsement[17] required it. The Committee agreed to ask commodity committees to provide information as required by the Checklists to this Committee when they send methods of analysis and sampling to this Committee for endorsement.
61. The Committee noted that AOAC 971.20 which had been endorsed as a Type II Codex general method for the determination of copper had only been validated for tea, but not for foods in general. It would consider at its next Session whether this method should be replaced by a method validated for foods in general.
62. The Committee recommended that commodity committees should select methods from the exiting Codex general methods wherever possible. It also recommended that commodity committees should use the SI unit system in the specifications of the standards they develop. The Committee noted that the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods also refers to the use of the SI unit system in relation to net weight and drained weight.
63. The Committee agreed to establish a new ad hoc Working Group for Endorsement under the Chairship of the United States at its next Session.
