219. The Representative of FAO, also speaking on behalf of WHO, informed the Commission of the major outcomes of the FAO and WHO expert meetings and related activities carried out since the last Session of the Commission, including those of JECFA, JEMRA, JMPR, ad hoc meetings, consultations and related projects. He highlighted the new reporting format (see ALINORM 05/28/9G) providing a brief summary of the outcome of each meeting and a hyperlink to the report. He also informed the Commission that the report of the FAO/WHO Nutrient Risk Assessment Workshop: a Model for Establishing Upper Levels of Intake for Nutrients and Other Related Substances, held in May 2005, would be published shortly.
220. With reference to the Joint FAO/WHO Technical Workshop on residues of veterinary drugs without ADI/MRL, the Commission noted the request of the Delegation of India to implement as a priority the recommendations of the last session of the CCRVDF on this subject (ALINORM 05/28/31, paras. 173–176)
221. The Representative of FAO further informed the Commission of the planned FAO/WHO expert review on the use of the lactoperoxidase system for milk and milk products and (Rome, November 2005), and of the FAO/WHO expert consultation on practical risk management strategies based on microbiological risk assessment outputs.
222. The Representative of FAO presented a report on progress made on this matter, including the following action:
the elaboration of a draft procedural guideline compiling all written procedures followed by FAO and WHO in relation to the provision of scientific advice;
the establishment of an FAO/WHO internal task force to review management options and consider improved coordination;
the preparation of review papers to address procedures for the selection of experts, to consider factors associated with enhanced openness of meetings, and to improve procedures for the use of data;
explore new approaches to enhance participation of experts and the use of data from developing countries in the elaboration of international scientific advice.
223. The final step of the consultative process would be implemented in 2006 in the form of an expert consultation or an intergovernmental meeting to prepare feasible recommendations for consideration by FAO and WHO.
224. The Representative of FAO referred to the list of pending requests for scientific advice contained in Table 1 annexed to ALINORM 05/28/9G. The Commission was informed that the list was not in priority order and that FAO and WHO would continue to use the criteria established by the 55th Session of the Codex Executive Committee to prioritise these requests.
225. The Delegation of the Netherlands expressed concern about the impact on the work of CCFAC of the lack of funds in WHO to convene future regular JECFA sessions. The Delegation of Malaysia requested that the information provided in the table on the status of the expert consultation on the safety and regulatory problems related to functional foods be corrected to also include the origin of the request, i.e. the 13th Session of CCASIA.
226. In response to the request that an additional criterion be added to the existing criteria for the prioritization to give consideration to the specific needs of developing countries, the Commission noted that the existing criteria adequately covered this matter and that the criteria could be further reviewed later, if required, in the light of experience with the application of existing criteria.
227. The Commission expressed its appreciation to FAO and WHO for their continuous effort to provide scientific advice to Codex in a timely and effective way.
228. The Commission was informed of FAO/WHO activities in capacity building in the field of food safety (CAC/28/INF 5) which covered three main areas, namely: (i) the organization of global and regional/subregional conferences, workshops and seminars on food safety related matters; (ii) field projects; and, (iii) guidance and training tools.
229. The Representative of WHO drew the attention of the Committee to the fact that the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health had been developed at the request of Member States of WHO to reduce morbidity and mortality due to non-communicable disease and that the paper LIM-6 had been prepared at the request of the 55thSession of the Executive Committee88. The Representative pointed out that the World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 57.17 endorsed the above strategy and called upon the Codex Alimentarius Commission “to continue to give full consideration, within the framework of its operational mandate, to evidence-based action it might take to improve the health standards of foods consistent with the aims and objectives of the strategy”. The Representative of WHO referred to the potential work to be undertaken by the Committees on Food Labelling and on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses and emphasized that coordinated work was needed to implement the Global Strategy.
230. The Delegation of the United Kingdom, speaking on behalf of the Member States of the European Community present at the session, pointed out that clear and understandable nutrition labelling can help consumers to make healthier choices. General consideration should be given to the integration of nutrition issues into Codex work and in that context the report mentioned in para. 14 of the WHO discussion paper would be welcome.
231. The Delegation of the United States expressed the view that this question should be approached carefully in view of the multi-factorial nature of non-communicable diseases, including life-long dietary patterns, that several recommendations of the Global Strategy should be implemented at the national level, such as consumer education, but were not within the mandate of Codex, and that Codex work on nutrition and labelling issues should proceed within its terms of reference.
232. Several observers while supporting the implementation of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, proposed that stakeholders, including consumers organizations, be consulted if a more focused document was to be developed by WHO. One observer expressed the view that there was scope within the mandate of Codex for the nutritional issues raised by the Global Strategy to be integrated into Codex work.
233. The Representative of WHO reaffirmed that stakeholders would be involved in the follow-up to the Global Strategy by WHO and in the development of a revised WHO submission to be presented to the next session of the Commission.
234. The Commission noted that the potential areas for action by Codex identified in the LIM paper was mainly relevant for the work of the Committee on Food Labelling and the Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses and after some discussion agreed with the recommendation of the 56th Session of the Executive Committee, to ask the WHO, in cooperation with FAO, to produce a more focused document for consideration by these Committees, including specific proposals for new work. The Commission agreed that its next session would consider further the implementation of the Global Strategy, taking into account the views and proposals put forward by these Committees.
235. The Representative from WHO informed the Commission that the World Health Assembly had adopted a major revision of the International Health Regulations in May 2005, that would enter into force in June 2007, as presented in INF 14.
236. The Representative indicated that the broader scope of application was a key change from the current IHR addressing only three diseases, as the new IHR(2005) provided a legal framework for detection and response to public health emergencies of international concern irrespective of the origin or source.
237. The Representative pointed out that the IHR(2005) contained new emphasis on establishing the national capacities required for both effective detection and response to public health emergencies and implementing public health measures at points of entry.
238. The Representative of WHO informed the Commission that the Fifty-eighth World Health Assembly had adopted the resolution on Infant and young-child nutrition (WHA 58.32) which endorsed the WHO global strategy for infant and young children feeding. The Resolution urged Member Governments to ensure that caregivers were informed that powdered infant formula may contain pathogenic microorganisms and that powdered infant formula must be prepared and used appropriately so as to minimize risks; and, where applicable that this information is conveyed through an explicit warning on the packaging. The Resolution also urged Member Governments to work closely with relevant entities, including manufacturers, to continue to reduce the contamination of pathogens, including Enterobacter sakazakii in powdered infant formula. The Resolution requested WHO in collaboration with FAO to develop specific guidelines on this issue. The Resolution urged Member Governments to ensure that nutrition and health claims were not permitted on breast milk substitutes except where specifically provided for in national legislation.
239. The Representative indicated that the resolution also requested the Codex Alimentarius Commission to give full consideration, when establishing standards, guidelines and recommendations, to resolutions of the Health Assembly that are relevant in the framework of its operational mandate and urgently complete its ongoing work on addressing the risk of microbiological contamination of powdered infant formula; to establish appropriate microbiological criteria on E. sakazakii and other relevant microorganisms in powdered infant formula; and to provide guidance on safe handling of the product.
240. The Representative indicated that the WHA had also requested the Director-General of WHO to report to the Health Assembly each even year, along with the status of the implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes report, on progress in the consideration of matters referred to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for its action.
