FAO Activities
15. The Codex Secretariat noted that the global activities of FAO included the holding of an FAO Expert Consultation on the Trade Impact of Listeria in Fish Products in Amherst, Massachusetts from 17-20 May 1999. The Consultation was convened in response to concerns regarding the impact in the fishery sector of a zero-tolerance policy for Listeria monocytogenes in foods. The Consultation recommended that for the purpose of setting standards it should be accepted that it is not possible to produce certain fisheries products consistently free of L. monocytogenes, and reviewed measures for the prevention and control of this microorganism in foods. The Consultation also recommended that food quality and safety assurance systems based on good hygienic practices and HACCP principles be developed and implemented to reduce the potential of colonization.
16. The representative of Codex also noted that FAO continued providing technical assistance on the implementation of the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene and the Application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System (HACCP) through the implementation of “train the trainers” courses and by facilitating the interchange of experience among developing countries.
17. In regard to the promotion of Codex activities in the Region, the Committee was informed that several Workshops were held concerning the administration of a national Codex committee in Tonga (November 1998), Fiji (June 1999), Cook Islands (August 1999), Samoa (June 2000) and Vanuatu (August 2000).
18. The representative of Codex noted that FAO continued assisting developing countries on agriculture trade issues and, in particular, in preparing for multilateral trade negotiations including in agriculture, fisheries and forestry inter alia through studies analysis and training. An initial series of 14 subregional workshops were being organized as part of the FAO Umbrella Programme for Training on Uruguay Round Follow-Up and Multilateral Trade Negotiations in Agriculture. An important part of the workshops is the discussion of the importance of Codex Alimentarius in the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS). Other FAO activities included the holding of a Follow-up Meeting on the Implication of the Uruguay Round Agreements on Agriculture for the Pacific Region (Auckland, March 1999), the Third Round Table Meeting on the Implications of the WTO Agreements for the Pacific Region (Auckland, April 2000) and a National Seafood HACCP Workshop in Tonga (October 1998).
19. The Committee expressed its appreciation to the governments of New Zealand and Australia, as well as the FAO, for their efforts in conducting and providing resources for these initiatives.
WHO Activities
20. Among the various issues presented in the information document, the representative of WHO indicated that the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) conducted a Regional Workshop on Operational Plans of Action for Food Safety from 13-17 November in Manila, Philippines. As a result of the Workshop, participants reviewed the food safety situation in the Region and established a framework for the development of multi-sectoral national operational plans of action for food safety. The participants also noted the need for greater interagency collaboration amongst international and other partner agencies in food safety and urged WHO to play a key role, in association with FAO, in conducting an international interagency meeting on food safety in the Region.
21. The representative of WHO noted that in response to the resolutions of the 53rd World Health Assembly and to the WHO mandate of protecting public health, the WHO/WPRO undertook a survey of its Member States to better understand the distribution of the foodborne illness burden in the Region and to identify the capacity of its Member States to control and prevent foodborne illnesses through effective national food safety programs. In summary, the survey identified that there are a number of countries with well developed programmes capable of detecting and controlling foodborne diseases. It was also noted that other countries in the Region that suffer from an intermediate or heavy burden of disease and have national food safety programmes with a low level of development will be considered as high priorities in ongoing WHO activities.
Joint FAO/WHO Activities
22. The Committee noted that risk assessment of microbiological hazards in foods had been identified as a priority area of work for the Codex Alimentarius Commission. In response, FAO and WHO launched a programme of work with the objective of providing expert advice on risk assessment of microbiological hazards in foods to their member countries and to the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
23. In March 2000, WHO convened an Expert Consultation on the Interaction between Assessors and Managers of Microbiological Hazards in Foods in collaboration with the Institute for Hygiene and Food Safety of the Federal Dairy Research Centre, Germany, and FAO. The Consultation provided guidance on the appropriate mode of interaction between assessors and managers in microbiological risk assessment. The Consultation addressed the issue of developing a clear and comprehensive description of the scope of work for risk assessment, translating risk assessment results into intervention strategies, and the appropriate use of terminology in communications between risk assessors and risk managers.
24. The Committee noted that a Joint FAO/WHO Hazard Characterization Workshop began a process for the development of practical guidelines on hazard characterization of microbiological hazards in food and water. The workshop reviewed and compared the approaches used in hazard characterizations for the following pathogens: Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, Cryptosporidium parvum and Norwalk-like viruses. The workshop formulated general principles and guidelines for hazard characterization. The first draft of these guidelines were reviewed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Risk Assessment of Microbiological Hazards in Foods.
25. WHO and FAO held a Consultation on Risk Assessment of Microbiological Hazards in Foods in Rome from 17-22 July 2000. The objectives were: 1) to provide scientific advice to FAO/WHO Member countries and to Codex on the risk assessment of Salmonella spp. in broilers and eggs and Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods; 2) to provide guidance to FAO and WHO Member Countries and Codex on practical guidelines and methodology for hazard characterization and exposure assessment; and 3) to identify the knowledge gaps and information requirements needed to complete the above-mentioned risk assessments. The report of this Expert Consultation was published and presented to the 33rd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene in October 2000. The reports on exposure assessment and hazard characterization that were prepared by expert drafting groups are available for comment on the FAO and WHO websites.
26. A joint FAO/WHO workshop was convened at WHO headquarters in July 2000 to facilitate discussion between risk assessors and risk managers on exposure assessment methodologies for contaminants and toxins in food. Major elements were agreed upon and recommendations were made relative to procedures, methodology and communication of exposure assessment issues.
27. In regard to biotechnology, a Joint FAO/WHO Consultation on Foods Derived from Biotechnology was held in Geneva in July 2000. It addressed the overall safety aspects of foods derived from genetically modified plants and reviewed the existing strategies for the safety and nutritional assessment of those foods. It also addressed the questions posed by the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology. The Consultation identified specific areas on which further expert consultation was needed and recommended that FAO/WHO should convene an expert consultation on the assessment of allergenicity of genetically modified foods and the novel proteins contained therein as a matter of priority. The second Consultation on allergenicity is scheduled to be held from 22-25 January 2001 in Rome.
28. The Committee was also informed that WHO and FAO jointly established new procedures to improve transparency in the selection procedure for experts who participate in consultations. FAO and WHO established rosters of experts in microbiological risk assessment and safety assessment of genetically modified foods (biotechnology and microbiological risk assessment) from which individuals are selected to serve at expert consultations. FAO and WHO issued “Call for applications to the roster”, which described the essential qualifications of the applicants, the selection procedure for the roster, and other relevant information. The rosters are posted on the respective WHO and FAO websites.
29. The Committee noted that the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) provided scientific guidance to the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants and the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food. The 51st, 53rd and 55th JECFA assessed over 600 food additives including approximately 560 flavouring agents and five contaminants. Regarding residues of some veterinary drugs in animals and food, two meetings were held. The 52nd and 54th JECFA evaluated thirty (30) veterinary drugs.
The Importance of the WHO Recent Food Safety Resolution: The Increasing Global Public Health Focus on Food Safety[10]
30. The Committee was informed of discussions held at the 47th CCEXEC[11] concerning the resolutions adopted by the 53rd WHO World Health Assembly (WHA). The WHA recognized that foodborne diseases were widespread and represented growing threats to health in both developing and developed countries and it emphasized the importance of a better estimation of the burden of foodborne diseases and the development of regional and/or national targets for reduction of the incidence of foodborne diseases (Food Safety Resolution WHA 53.15).
31. Regarding the review of the current working relationship between FAO and WHO, the WHO representative at the CCEXEC noted that the WHO role in Codex was in health, so that, for example, the financial contribution by WHO to the Codex Joint Budget should be focussed on the health related work of the Commission.
32. The CCEXEC also noted[12] the on-going discussions between FAO and WHO on their working relationship that were being undertaken with a view to increasing the involvement and support of WHO in the work of the Commission and its committees. The CCEXEC looked forward to the completion of this effort by FAO and WHO and to being informed of the outcome of the discussions between the two parent organizations. It renewed its call for close cooperation between FAO and WHO notably in the context of Codex Alimentarius.
33. The CCNASWP also looked forward to the outcome of the discussions between FAO and WHO and in this regard, the representative of WHO clarified that funding of Codex activities would result from efficiency savings in the WHO budget which would be redirected towards Codex. The representative of WHO further noted that although the Organization was primarily responsible for human health related matters, it welcomed the collaboration of FAO through a multi-sectorial approach.
34. On the basis of a submission made by the United States, the Committee congratulated WHO for identifying food safety as a high priority public health issue and stressed its support of the World Health Assembly’s Food Safety Resolution (WHA 53.15). The CCNASWP recommended that the Codex Alimentarius Commission should:
Fostering the Capability of Developing Countries to Implement Codex Standards, Guidelines and Recommendations[13]
35. On the basis of a submission made by the United States under Conference Room Document 2, the Committee noted that:
35. The Committee recommended that the Codex Alimentarius Commission should foster the capability of developing countries to enhance food safety and quality and better enable their implementation of Codex standards by:
