39. The Committee was informed that the document[27] was a follow-up to discussions held at its 20th Session on the implications to Codex endorsed methods of the phasing out of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and environmental considerations. Following on this, the Codex Secretariat had prepared and provided to each international organization working in the field of analysis, a list of endorsed Codex methods which had been elaborated by the organization, with the express purpose of identifying which method(s) used ODS. The replies so far obtained identified ten methods using ODS (Annex II of the paper). Annex III of the paper contained a list of methods for which the reference documents were not available to the Codex Secretariat and the concerned organizations were requested to provide the necessary information. The Committee was invited to consider actions to be taken in relation to the methods identified in Annex II, i.e., endorsed Codex methods using ODS. It was proposed that future work on this agenda item be undertaken by the Inter-Agency Meeting (IAM). This proposal was made as the Committee was interested in the potential impacts on the Codex endorsed methods of non-availability of ODS and the Committee does not develop analytical methods while the IAM is where organizations developing methods gather and therefore, the IAM was judged to be the best forum to continue work on this issue.
40. The Committee noted the obligations of member countries following Montreal Protocol. The Observer from the EC was requested to forward the information on the ongoing activities within the EC which was presented at the Session. The Committee was informed that IUPAC would consider the issue at its General Assembly to be held in August 1997. The Observer from AOAC INTERNATIONAL stated that two years ago it had started a programme to eliminate ODS from its methods. However, replacements were yet to be provided.
41. It was pointed out that, although the Committee had not endorsed methods proposed for standards for milk products, the Committee could request the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products to review such methods as were identified in Annex II, in light of the decisions made by this Committee on the issue. The Committee recalled the three options which were provided during the 20th Session i.e.:
(i) using less ODS solvent i.e., micro quantities;
(ii) replacement of the ODS solvent, which might necessitate re-validation of the method; and
(iii) using alternative methods.
