SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The Thirty-second Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE 47^TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

• Forwarded all remaining proposed draft food additive provisions in Table 1 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) (at Step 3) to the Executive Committee for adoption at Step 5 (para. 49);
• Forwarded proposed draft revisions to the INS System to the Executive Committee for preliminary adoption at Step 5 (para. 74);
• Forwarded the proposed draft Code of Practice for Source Directed Measures to Reduce Contamination of Foods with Chemicals to the Executive Committee for adoption at Step 5 (para. 112); and,
• Forwarded the proposed draft revision to the Codex Standard for Food Grade Salt concerning the addition of a new section regarding Packaging, Transportation and Storage to the Executive Committee for adoption at Step 5 (para. 142).

MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE 47^TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

• Agreed that its deliberations on the Discussion Paper on the Application of Risk Analysis Principles for Food Additives and Contaminants should be reported to the Executive Committee in order to clarify the intended status of the CCFAC document in the context of the general consideration of a uniform and consistent approach to the application of risk analyses in different committees (para. 25);
• Agreed to circulate proposed draft amendments to Table 3 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (Additives with an Acceptable Daily Intake of "Not Specified") for comments at Step 3 of the Accelerated Procedure, subject to confirmation by the Executive Committee (para. 45);
• Requested the Executive Committee to consider as new work the proposed draft revision of the Recommended International Code of Practice for the Operation of Irradiation Facilities Used for the Treatment of Foods for consistency with the ongoing revision of the General Standard for Irradiated Foods (para. 65);
• Decided to create a single general proposed draft Code of Practice for the Prevention of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals for circulation, comment and further consideration at its next Session (para. 93). In taking this decision, the Committee also requested the development of Annexes to the general Code of Practice to provide specific information and recommendations related to the prevention of Ochratoxin A (para. 93), Zearalenone (para. 100) and Fumonisin (para. 109) contamination in cereals for circulation, comment and further consideration at its next meeting;
• Requested the development of a proposed draft Code of Practice for the Prevention of Patulin Contamination in Apple Juice and Apple Juice Ingredients in Other Beverages for circulation, comment and consideration at its next Session (para. 105);
• Requested the Executive Committee to provide advice as to whether or not the development of Codes of Practice to inform national authorities on source directed measures for the reduction of the contamination of foods was within the Committee's terms of reference (para. 113);
• Agreed that a proposed draft Code of Practice for Source Directed Measures to Reduce Dioxin Contamination of Foods would be developed for circulation, comment and consideration at its next meeting (para. 131); and,
• Agreed that its preliminary discussions on the consideration of "Other Legitimate Factors" be reported to the Executive Committee in order to clarify the current status of the consideration of these factors within Codex with a view towards providing advice on a uniform approach to the matter (para. 146).

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE 24^TH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION:

• Forwarded the draft Guidelines for the Development of Maximum Levels for the Use of Food Additives with Numerical Acceptable Daily Intakes (Annex A to the GSFA) to the Commission for adoption at Step 8 (para. 40);
• Forwarded the proposed draft (Step 4) and draft (Step 7) food additive provisions in Table 1 of the GSFA for adoption by the Commission at Step 5/8 or 8, respectively (para. 47);
• Forwarded 34 food additives and 55 flavouring agents in Category I and 2 additives in Category II to the Commission for adoption as Codex Advisory Specifications (para. 70);
• Forwarded the proposed addition of 4-Hexylresorcinol to the INS System as number 586 (antioxidant, colour retention agent) and the proposed revision to Pectins (INS 440) to include the technological function of emulsifier to the Commission for final adoption as draft revisions to the Standard at Step 5 of the Accelerated Procedure (para. 73);
• Forwarded the draft maximum level for Patulin in Apple Juice and Apple Juice Ingredients in Other Beverages to the Commission for adoption at Step 8 (para. 104); and,
• Forwarded draft maximum levels for Lead (except fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs and fruit juices) to the Commission for adoption at Step 8 (para. 122).

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE 47^TH SESSION OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND/OR THE 24^TH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION AND OTHER CODEX COMMITTEES:

• Agreed to circulate the "Agreed CCPR Positions on Setting Extraneous Maximum Residue Limits (EMRLs)", as recommended by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues, for comment and consideration at the 33^rd Session of the CCFAC (para. 8);
• Decided that a drafting group would prepare a proposed draft revised version of the sampling plan for peanuts for circulation, comment and consideration at its next meeting. It was further decided that the proposed draft revised sampling plan should also be referred to the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (paras. 9-10);
• Agreed that a drafting group would revise the Discussion Paper on the Application of Risk Analysis Principles for Food Additives and Contaminants on the basis of written comments submitted and the Committee's discussions for circulation, comment and further consideration at its next session (para. 25);
• Did not endorse the use of Pimaricin in Sliced, Cut, Shredded or Grated Cheese, pending the reevaluation of Pimaricin by JECFA (para. 29);
• In regard to the Codex General Standard for Food Additives:
  • agreed to request comments on the use of additives used as carriers for consideration at its next session (para. 32);
  • accepted the offer of the Codex Secretariat to prepare a discussion paper on the relationship between Codex commodity standards and the further development of the GSFA for circulation, comment and consideration at its next session (para. 35);
  • agreed to circulate the GSFA Food Category System for comment and further consideration at its next session (para. 37);
  • decided to reestablish the GSFA quality control group to perform a quality check on the source data for the additives in Groups VI and VII (para. 38);
  • agreed to return the draft maximum levels for benzoates to Step 6 for additional comment and consideration at its next Session (para. 48); and,
  • decided to reconvene the ad hoc Working Group on the General Standard for Food Additives prior to its next Session under the chairmanship of the United States (para. 50).

• Decided to discontinue the consideration of discussions concerning the use of colours in foods (para. 58);
• Agreed that the discussion paper on Processing Aids would be amended by New Zealand, in collaboration with the Codex Secretariat, for circulation, comment and further consideration at its next session (para. 61);
• Decided to ask WHO, in coordination with IAEA and FAO, to revise the Codex General Standard for Irradiated Foods for circulation, comment at Step 3 and further consideration by the 33^rd CCFAC (para. 65);
• Agreed to reestablish the ad hoc Working Group on Specifications to meet immediately prior to the 33^rd Session of the CCFAC (para. 71);
• Agreed to request comments on additional revisions to the INS System, including technological functions and functional classes/sub-classes in the framework of the INS System, the GSFA and the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (para. 74);
• Agreed to create a new Schedule 1 to the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods containing proposed draft and draft maximum or guideline levels for contaminants in foods as well as and indication of their Step status (para. 79);
• Decided to reconvene the ad hoc Working Group on Contaminants and Toxins prior to its next Session under the Chairmanship of Denmark (para. 80);
• Agreed to append Annex I (Methodology and Principles for Exposure Assessment in the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food) to its report for circulation, comment at Step 3 and further consideration at its next meeting. The Committee also agreed that comments would be requested concerning data on actual foodstuff contamination on the Technical Annex on Distribution Curves of Contaminants in Food Products, with the intention that this document would in due course be incorporated into Annex I (para. 85);
• Returned the draft maximum level for Aflatoxin M₁ in Milk to Step 6 and the proposed draft maximum level for Ochratoxin A to Step 3 for additional comment and consideration at the 33^rd Session of the CCFAC (paras. 89 and 96, respectively);
• Agreed that the author countries would finalize their Position Papers on Zearalenone and Fumonisins as a potential basis for future work (paras. 98 and 108, respectively);
• Requested the development of a document describing a Standard Format for Codes of Practice as a useful management tool for circulation, comment and consideration at its next Session (para. 114);
• Returned the draft maximum levels for Lead in fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs and fruit juices to Step 6 for additional comment (para. 122);
• Returned the draft guideline level for Cadmium in cereals, pulses and legumes to step 6 and other proposed draft maximum levels to Step 3 for circulation, comment and further consideration at its next meeting (para. 124);
• Accepted the offer of WHO to provide data on Cadmium as well as information on the standardized GEMS Food Programme format for the collection of data to the Committee for information (para. 125);
• Agreed that the Discussion Paper on Dioxins would be finalized and used as a basis for the elaboration of a Position Paper on Dioxins and Dioxin-like PCBs for consideration at its next Session (para. 130);
• Agreed to inform the ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Animal Feeding and the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling on CCFAC discussions concerning Dioxins as a matter of interest. The CCFAC also requested the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling to provide information on methods of analysis for dioxins (para. 132);
• Agreed on the Priority List of Food Additives, Contaminants and Naturally Occurring Toxicants Proposed for Evaluation by JECFA and to request additional comments for additions or amendments to its Priority List for consideration at its next Session (para. 136);
• Agreed to forward a method of analysis for the determination of Ochratoxin A in cereals and cereal products, further to those methods of analysis for the determination of Cadmium, Copper, Iron, Lead and Zinc in foods proposed by the 31^st CCFAC, to the 23^rd Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling for consideration. The Committee also agreed to invite comments for additional methods of analysis for the determination of food additives and contaminants in foods for discussion under Other Business at its next Session (paras. 137-139);
• Decided to consider the possible inclusion of a separate Annex concerning "Other Legitimate Factors" in its Discussion Paper on the Application of Risk Analysis Principles for Food Additives and Contaminants at its next Session (para. 147); and,
• Requested the development of a Position Paper on Chloropropanols for circulation, comment and consideration at its next Session (para. 150).