43. A report of the ad hoc Working Group on Endorsement was presented by its chairperson, Dr. W. Horwitz (USA). Dr. G. Diachenko (USA) served as rapporteur of the Group. The following countries and international organizations participated in the Group: Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, AOAC International, ISO and IUPAC.
44. In order to clarify the previous recommendation of the Committee to the Commission to delete the CAC/RM numbering system[29], the Working Group proposed and the Committee accepted the following wording: "The Committee provides the following clarifying information to assist the Commission in implementing the Committee's previous recommendation to delete the CAC/RM numbering system. When the original reference is available, this reference should be included and the CAC/RM numbering system reference deleted. When the original reference is not available, the full text of the method should be included in Codex Alimentarius Volume 13 and the CAC/RM numbering system reference deleted".
45. The Committee accepted the proposal of the Working Group regarding the endorsement of a number of Type I methods based on the proposals of the commodity committees, historical and widespread satisfactory use of the methods by the industry, and the importance of these methods for trade purposes even though they had not been and were unlikely to be collaboratively studied.
46. During the discussions on methods of analysis submitted for endorsement, the Committee agreed that if a method had not been collaboratively studied, it could be temporarily endorsed as Type IV pending further information on collaborative studies, or if it met the criteria stated above, endorsed as Type I. The Committee decided to delete a reference to conversion factors for determination of relative density of fats and oils and classified IUPAC 2.101 method as Type II. The Committee also decided to endorse ISO 1742:1980, originally proposed by the Committee on Sugars, for determination of loss on drying of fructose rather than ISO 5381:1983 proposed by the Working Group as the latter method is a Karl Fischer method to determine H2O. A list of methods considered along with their status and assigned Types is attached to this report as Appendix V.
47. Concerning appropriateness and practicality of the use of the commodity designation "all foods" for some methods, it was felt that for the time being the term be kept and, when necessary, an appropriate exclusion statement be introduced in the method.
48. The Committee was informed that AOAC 996.15 became available to be used for the determination of fish core in quick frozen fish sticks (fish fingers) and fish portions - breaded or in batter. As it was noted that AOAC 971.13 had been endorsed for the same commodity/provision combination, it was proposed that this information should be forwarded to the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products for consideration of amending the method. The Committee was also informed that there was an IDF Standard available for the determination of sulphite in dried milk, yoghurt and fermented milks, which should be submitted to the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants for consideration.
