WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/447
29 October 2003
(03-5751)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Communication from the Codex Alimentarius Commission
1. The 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Co mmission was held in Rome, Italy, from
30 June to 7 July 2003.
2. The Commission:
− Adopted amendments to the Rules of Procedure concerning the membership of Regional
Economic Integration Organizations, and on consensus;
− Adopted 59 new or revised Codex standards or related texts, including Guidelines for the
Judgement of Equivalence of Sanitary Meas ures Associated with Food Inspection and
Certification Systems, and Principles and Guidelines for the food safety assessment of foodsderived from biotechnology (see Appendices I and II);
− Adopted Principles for Food Safety Risk An alysis to be used in the Codex framework;
− Took relevant decisions in order to implement the recommendations of the Joint FAO/WHO
Evaluation of Codex Alimentarius, enacting some recommendations immediately and
requesting the Codex Committee on General Principles to meet in special session to draft the
Rules required to implement others.
− Welcomed progress made on the FAO/WHO Trust Fund for Participation of Developing
Countries in Codex Standard Setting Procedures and expressed the hope that it would soon
become operational.
Meetings since the last SPS Committee
− Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Mexico City, Mexico, 8 - 12 September 2003)
− Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (Aalesund, Norway, 13 – 17 October 2003)
Forthcoming Meetings
− Committee on Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses (Bonn, Germany, 3 -8 November
2003)
− Committee on General Principles (Special Session) (Paris, France, 17 – 21 November 2003)
− Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (Brisbane,
Australia, 1- 5 December 2003)
− Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, Switzerland, 4 - 6
February 2004)
− Committee on Meat Hygiene (Auckland, New Zealand, 16 – 20 February 2004)
− Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Budapest, Hungary, 7 -14 March 2004)G/SPS/GEN/447
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3. The special session (19th) of the Codex Committee on General Principles will consider
rules to implement some of the recommendations of the Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex
Alimentarius. In particular:  amendments to the Rules of Procedure, including the structure and
functions of the Executive Committee and the participation of international organizations in the work
of the Commission; consideration of the status of Observers in the Executive Committee;  processesfor Standards Management Review;  review of the Guidelines for Codex Committees; and other
proposals to facilitate standard development (other than the Standards Management process).
4. The 12
th Session of the Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and
Certification Systems  will consider the revision of the Codex Guidelines for the Exchange of
Information in Food Control Emergency Situations, and discussion papers on traceability/product
tracing in the context of food import and export inspection and certification systems and on the
judgement of equivalence of technical regulations associated with food inspection and certificationsystems.G/SPS/GEN/447
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APPENDIX I
LIST OF STANDARDS AND RELATED TEXTS ADOPTED BY THE TWENTY-SIXTH
SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Standards
Standard for Aqueous Coconut Products: Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream
Standard for Boiled Dried Salted Anchovies
Standard for Canned Bamboo Shoots
Standard for Canned Stone Fruits
Standard for Chocolate and Chocolate Products
Standard for Cream and Prepared Creams: Revision
Standard for Fermented Milks: Revision
Standard for Named Vegetable Oils: Amendmen ts (Mid-Oleic Acid Sunflower Oil, Palm
Superolein and additional data to Table 3 and 4)
Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils: Revision
Standard for Pitahayas
Standard for Sweet Cassava
Standard for Whey Powders: Revision
Standards for Limes, Pummelos and Grapefruits:  Revised Provisions:  Section 3 – Provisions
concerning Sizing and Section 6.2.4 – Commercial Identification
General Standard for Cheese: Amendment - Appendix on Cheese Rind, Surface and Coating
General Standard for Food Additives: Amendments to Annexes and Tables
General Standard for Irradiated Foods: Revision
General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods: Amendment to Class Names
Code of Practices
Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products
Code of Practice for the Prevention (Reduction) of  Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals, including
Annexes on Ochratoxin A, Zearalenone, Fumonisin and Tricothecenes
Code of Practice on the Prevention and Reduction of Patulin Contamination in Apple Juice and
Apple Juice Ingredients in Other Beverages
Code of Practice for the Radiation Processing of Food; Revision
Guidelines
Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology
Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety A ssessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA
Plants
Annex on the Assessment of Possible Allergenicit y of the Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety
Assessment of Foods derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants
Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety A ssessment of Foods Produced Using Recombinant-
DNA Microorganisms
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System and Guidelines for its Application; Revision
(Annex to the Recommended International Code of  Practice – General Principles of Food Hygiene)
Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems
Guidelines for the Judgment of Equivalence of Sa nitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection
and Certification Systems
Guidelines for Packing Media for Canned Fruits
Guidelines for the Production, Processing, Labelling and Marketing of Organically Produced
Foods: Amendment to Section 5: Criteria
African Regional Guidelines for National Codex Contact Points and National Codex CommitteesG/SPS/GEN/447
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Guidelines on Good Laboratory Practice in Pesticide Residue Analysis: Revision
Guidelines on Nutrition Labelling: Amendment
General Principles of Meat Hygiene
Harmonized IUPAC Guidelines for Single-Laboratory Validation of Methods of Analysis
Other texts
Glossary of Terms and Definitions for Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods: Amendments
Extraneous Maximum Residue Limits
International Numbering System for Food Additives: Amendments
Advisory Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives
Maximum Levels for Patulin in Apple Juice and Apple Juice Ingredients in Other Beverages
Maximum Limits for Pesticide Residues
Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs
General Methods of Analysis for Additives and Contaminants
General Methods of Analysis for the Detection of Irradiated Foods
Recommended Methods of Analysis for Pesticide Residues: Amendments to the Introduction
SectionG/SPS/GEN/447
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APPENDIX II
LIST OF STANDARDS AND RELATED TEXTS REVOKED BY THE TWENTY-SIXTH
SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
STANDARDS OR RELATED TEXT
Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides Recommended for Revocation
Maximum Residue Limits Recommended for Revocation
General Standard for Vegetable Juices (CODEX STAN 179-1991)
Regional European Standard for Mayonnaise (CODEX STAN 168-1989)
Standard for Chocolate (CODEX STAN 87-1981)*
Standard for Composite and Filled Chocolate (CODEX STAN 142-1983)*
Standard for Cocoa Butter Confectionary (CODEX STAN 147-1985)*
Standard for Yoghurt (Yogurt) and Sweetene d Yoghurt (Yogurt) (C ODEX STAN A-11(a)-1975)**
Standard for Flavoured Yoghurt (Yogurt) and Products Heat-Treated after Fermentation (CODEX
STAN A-11(b)-1976) **
Standard for Canned Apricots (CODEX STAN 129-1981)†
Standard for Canned Peaches (CODEX STAN 14-1981)†
Standard for Canned Plums (CODEX STAN 59-1981)†
Code of Practice for Fres h Fish (CAC/RCP 9-1976)‡
Code of Practice for Frozen Fish (CAC/RCP 16-1978)‡
Code of Practice for Minced Fish (CAC/RCP 27-1983)‡
Code of Practice for Canned Fish (CAC/RCP 10-1976)‡
*  Replaced by the Codex Standard for Chocolate and Chocolate Products
** Replaced by the Codex Standard for Fermented Milks
†   Replaced by the Codex Standard for Canned Stone Fruits
‡  Replaced by the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products
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