16. The proposed draft Revised Codex Standard for Canned Applesauce (ALINORM 99/27, Appendix II) was adopted at Step 5 by the 45th Session of the Executive Committee as a draft Standard (see para. 7) and subsequently circulated for comment at Step 6 under CL 1998/25-PFV.
Introductory Statement to the Standard and the Annex to the Standard
17. The Committee was informed that the 14th Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles agreed that all Codex texts, including standards and their annexes, were covered by the World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) definition for “standard”, and that distinctions based on Acceptance (under the Codex Procedures) were not relevant in the framework of the WTO.[16]
18. In view of this decision, the Committee agreed to delete the introductory statements to the Standard and the Annex to the Standard as they were irrelevant in the application of the texts in international trade. The Committee also agreed to apply this decision to all subsequent standards under its consideration.
Section 1 - Scope
19. After considerable debate, the Committee reaffirmed that the Standard does not apply to product to be further processed or for use in other products.
Section 2.1 - Product Definition
20. The Committee removed the reference to the addition of water from paragraph (b) of this section, as the addition of water in the preparation of applesauce was adequately covered under Section 3.1.2, Other Permitted Ingredients.
Section 2.2 - Styles
21. The Committee agreed that sweetened applesauce should have not less than 16.5% total soluble solids (16.5° Brix), as this figure reflected current trading practices in the commodity.
Section 2.3 - Classification of Defectives
Section 2.4 - Lot Acceptance
22. Section 2.3 was moved into Section 3.2.1 - Colour, Texture and Flavour and Section 2.4 was moved and renumbered as a new Section 3.3 as these provisions were relevant to quality, as opposed to product description, criteria.
Section 4 - Food Additives
23. The Committee noted that the food additive provisions were endorsed by the 31st Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC) and as directed by that Committee, changed the provisions for ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid to a maximum level of GMP, singly or in combination.
24. Notwithstanding the fact that the provisions for colours in the Standard were already well advanced in the step process in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives, the Committee, after considerable discussion, decided to remove these provisions from this section since their use was not felt to be technologically justified. The Committee did in fact consider, on the basis of the Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual and on the Preamble to the Codex General Standard for Food Additives, that commodity committees were required to take decisions on the technological justification and good manufacturing practice for the use of these additives.
Section 5 - Contaminants
25. The Committee decided to remove the maximum levels for heavy metals in this section pending the completion of the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods. A general statement was added to indicate that “The products covered by the provisions of this Standard shall comply with those maximum levels for heavy metals established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for these products”. The Committee further agreed that this decision would apply to all subsequent standards under its consideration.
Section 6 - Hygiene
26. The Committee noted that the 23rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted an amendment concerning general food hygiene provisions to be used in Codex commodity standards as proposed.[17] The Committee therefore agreed to amend Section 6 - Hygiene with the standardized text adopted by the Commission. The Committee further agreed that this decision would apply to all subsequent standards under its consideration.
Annex to the Standard
27. In view of earlier discussions concerning the status of Codex texts in the context of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade, the Committee decided that all provisions of the Standard should appear in the main body of the text.
28. Therefore, the Committee moved Section A2 - Weights and Measures from the Annex to a new Section 8 in the main body of the Standard. Sections A1.1, A1.2, A1.3, A1.5 and A1.6 of the Annex were deleted from the Standard as they were already covered and/or irrelevant to the main body of the standard. Annex Section A1.4 - Defects was moved to the main body of the Standard into the new Section 3.2.1 - Colour, Texture and Flavour.
Status of the Draft Revised Codex Standard for Canned Applesauce
29. The Committee forwarded the draft revised Codex Standard for Canned Applesauce to the 24th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption at Step 8 (see Appendix II).
