CODEX News
Codex News
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
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Public Meetings

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

The U.S. Codex Program is sponsoring a public meeting on June 21, 2019, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. EDT to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 42 nd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 8-12, 2019. The public meeting will take place in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 107-A, Washington, DC 20250. Documents related to the 42 nd Session of the CAC will be accessible via the internet at the following address: www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en .

  • Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Delegate to the 42nd Session of the CAC, invites U.S. interested parties to submit their comments electronically to the following email address: uscodex@osec.usda.gov.
  • Please register to attend by emailing uscodex@osec.usda.gov by June 18, 2019. Early registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building, for which attendees should bring photo identification and plan for adequate time to pass through federal building security screening systems.
  • Attendees who are not able to attend in person, but who wish to participate, may do so by phone/conference call; please use the call-in number: 1-888-844-9904, participant code 5126092.

Requests for Comments

Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA)

General Standard for Food Additives : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/35/OCS-FA) requesting comments on draft and proposed draft food additive provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) at Steps 8 and 5/8; the revised food additives provisions of the GSFA related to the alignment of 23 commodity standards and the relevant provisions for ASCORBYL ESTERS; the revised food additives provisions of the GSFA related to the replacement notes to Note 161; and insertion of a footnote to the table entitled “References to Commodity Standards for GSFA Table 3 Additives.” The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their Codex Contact Point (CCP) using the Online Commenting System (OCS) ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Identity and Purity of Food Additives : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/36/OCS-FA) requesting comments on the proposed draft Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives at Step 5/8 and the consequential amendments to the List of Codex Specifications for Food Additives . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/37/OCS-FA) requesting comments on the proposed draft revision at Step 5/8 to the Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Food Additive Sections : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/38/OCS-FA) requesting comments on the proposed revised food additive sections of various Codex commodity standards . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Changes/Additions to Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/39/FA) requesting proposals for changes and/or additions to Section 3 of the Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by September 5, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP to ccfa@cfsa.net.cn with a copy to codex@fao.org by September 15, 2019. 

Food Additive Provision of the GSFA : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/40/FA) requesting proposals for new provisions and/or revisions of the food additive provision of the GSFA . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by January 3, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP to ccfa@cfsa.net.cn with a copy to codex@fao.org by January 15, 2020.

Priority List of Substances : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/41/FA) requesting information and comments on the priority list of substances proposed for evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by January 3, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP to ccfa@cfsa.net.cn with a copy to codex@fao.org by January 15, 2020.

Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH)

Histamine Control Guidance: The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2018/92/OCS-FH) requesting comments on the alignment of the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products with the Histamine Control Guide. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.
Food Allergen Management: The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2018/93/OCS-FH) requesting comments at Step 5 on the proposed draft Code of Practice on Food Allergen Management for Food Business Operators. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)

Voluntary Third-Party Assurance (vTPA) Programmes: The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2018/96/OCS-CCFICS) requesting comments at Step 5 on the Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Assessment and Use of Voluntary Third-Party Assurance (vTPA) Programmes. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO)

Standard for Named Vegetable Oils : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/29/OCS-FO) requesting comments on the proposed amendments to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils for adoption by the 42 nd Session of the CAC. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Standard for Named Vegetable Oils—Addition of Palm Oil with Higher Oleic Acid : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/30/OCS-FO) requesting comments at Step 8 on the proposed revision to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oil —Addition of Palm Oil with Higher Oleic Acid. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Standard for Named Vegetable Oils—Replacement of Acid Value for Virgin Palm Oils and Inclusion of Free Fatty Acids for Crude Palm Kernel Oils : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/31/OCS-FO) requesting comments at Step 5/8 on the proposed revision to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils —Replacement of Avid Value with Free Fatty Acids for Virgin Palm Oil and Inclusion of Free Fatty Acids for Crude Palm Kernel Oils. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Standard for Named Vegetable Oils—Inclusion of Almond, Hazelnut, Pistachio, Flaxseed, and Walnut Oils : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/32/OCS-FO) requesting commends at Step 5/8 on the proposed revision to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils– Inclusion of Almond oil, Hazelnut oil, Pistachio oil, Flaxseed oil, and Walnut oil. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Food Additives Provision in Standards for Fats and Oils : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/33/OCS-FO) requesting commends on the proposed amendments to the food additives provisions in the Standards for Fats and Oils for adoption by the 42 nd Session of the CAC. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS)

Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/16-MAS) requesting comments at Step 3 on the revision of the Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling : preamble and structure. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Doreen Chen-Moulec ( doreen.chenmoulec@usda.gov ) by April 19, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using to hu-codexcp@nebih.gov.hu with a copy to codex@fao.org by April 30, 2019.

Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)

Follow-up Formula: The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2018/94/OCS-FH) requesting comments on the alignment at Step 5 on the Review of the Standard for Follow-up Formula: proposed draft scope, description, and labelling for follow-up formula for older infants. The CL is available in English, Spanish, and French at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Doreen Chen-Moulec ( doreen.chenmoulec@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted through their CCP using the Online Commenting System ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses, and Legumes (CCCPL)

Quinoa : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/42-CCPL) requesting comments at Step 8 on the proposed draft sections in the Standard for Quinoa. The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Ken Lowery ( ken.lowery@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP to ussec_cccpl@osec.usda.gov with copies to ken.lowery@usda.gov , henry.kim@fda.hhs.gov , and codex@fao.org by May 31, 2019.

Codex Committee on Sugars (CCS)

Panela : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/34-CS) requesting comments at Step 8 on the proposed draft Standard for Panela and/or common vernacular name as known in each country (non-centrifuged sugar). The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 1, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP to bolarte@minsalud.gov.co with a copy to zcaro@mincit.gov.co and codex@fao.org by May 15, 2019.

Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH)

Saffron : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/27/OCS-SCH) requesting comments at Step 5 on proposed draft Standard for Saffron . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Dried Floral Parts—Dried Cloves : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/26/OCS-SCH) requesting comments at Step 5 on proposed draft Standard for Dried Floral Parts—Dried Cloves . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Dried Leaves—Dried Basil : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/25/OCS-SCH) requesting comments at Step 5 on proposed draft Standard for Dried Leaves—Dried Basil . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Dried Roots, Rhizomes, and Bulbs—Dried or Dehydrated Ginger : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/24/OCS-SCH) requesting comments at Step 5 on proposed draft Standard for Dried Roots, Rhizomes, and Bulbs—Dried or Dehydrated Ginger . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Dried Oregano : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/23/OCS-SCH) requesting comments at Step 5 on proposed draft Standard for Dried Oregano . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Dried or Dehydrated Garlic : The Codex Secretariat issued a Circular Letter (CL 2019/22/OCS-SCH) requesting comments at Step 5/8 on proposed draft Standard for Dried or Dehydrated Garlic . The CL is available in English at the following link: www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/resources/circular-letters/en . If you are interested in having your comments considered in the U.S. response, please send them to Marie Maratos ( marie.maratos@usda.gov ) by May 21, 2019. Comments by other observers and countries should be submitted via their CCP using the OCS ( ocs.codexalimentarius.org ) by May 31, 2019.

Other

Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025 : An overview of the reflections and key points from the regional discussions on the revised draft Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025 that were held in Bordeaux, France on March 14, 2019 in the margins of the 31 st Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) is now available on the Codex website at www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/codexalimentarius/committee/docs/report-informal-RCCs-SP-CCGP31F.pdf .

51 st Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives : The Delegate Report for the 51 st Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives held in March 2019 has published. It is posted on the USDA website at: www.usda.gov/topics/trade/international-food-standards/codex-delegation-reports .