68. The 32nd CCFAC agreed that the Discussion Paper on Processing Aids would be amended by New Zealand, in collaboration with the Codex Secretariat, for circulation, comment and further consideration at its current meeting[26]. Due to time constraints, comments were not requested and therefore, document CX/FAC 01/10-Add. 1 was not issued.
69. In presenting the discussion paper, the delegation of New Zealand noted that the paper examined the Codex Alimentarius Commission Procedural Manual sections concerning processing aids, current Codex definitions for food additives and processing aids and several options concerning the future consideration of processing aids, including the option of including processing aids in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives.
70. The Committee agreed that the paper was a good starting point for the further consideration of processing aids by the CCFAC. Some discussion took place about the future of the Inventory of Processing Aids. It was noted that the Inventory was not a positive list and not all of the substances on it had necessarily been evaluated. The Committee recognised that substances used as processing aids should be safe to use but recognised that undertaking detailed evaluations of all of the compounds on the list would be an enormous task.
71. In view of its discussions under Agenda Item 7(e) on carriers, the Committee confirmed that the drafting group (see para. 67) would prepare one document as a Discussion Paper on Processing Aids and Carriers in the Context of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives for circulation, comment and further consideration at its next Session. The Committee also agreed that comments would be requested on document CX/FAC 01/10 by Circular Letter to this report for consideration by the drafting group.
