End November, the Codex Alimentarius Commission reviewed all texts proposed for adoption, advancement, amendments, revocation, and discontinuation from its technical Codex Committees, Regional Coordinating Committees, or specific intersessional work they performed in the past twelve months since CAC46 meeting. CAC47 adopted decisions on product standards, e.g., spices and culinary herbs, avocado oil, olive oil, other
Food and Drug
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: Main Outcome of the 48th Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL48)
The 48th session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL48) finalized a historical update of the section on allergens in the General Standard on the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (GSLPF or CXS 1) and completed work on two new guidelines on the use of new information technologies to convey food labelling and on…
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: Main Outcomes of 44th Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU44)
The 44th session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU44) finalized work on new General Principles for the Establishment of NRVs-R For Persons Aged 6 – 36 Months; a first set of NRV-Rs for that population group; a stepwise approach to develop new NRV-Rs; editorial amendments to the infant formula…
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: Outcome of 54th Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA54)
Aspartame and Titanium Dioxide are both safe for use as Food Additives
The 54th session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Additives, Flavorings, Enzymes, Yeasts, and Processing Aids (CCFA54) successfully concluded its assigned work ahead of schedule. As a landmark decision, CCFA54 reaffirmed the safety of both aspartame (INS 951) and titanium dioxide (INS…
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: Outcome of 17th Codex Committee on Toxins and Contaminants in Foods (CCCF17)
The 17th meeting of the Codex Committee (on Toxins and) Contaminants in Foods (CCCF17) was held in Panama City (Panama) from 15 to 19 April 2024. CCCF17 was productive as it adopted new maximum limits (ML) for lead in several commodities (such as spices), lead and cadmium in Quinboa, a new sampling plan for methylmercury…
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: Outcome of 54th Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH54)
The 54th session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH54), co-hosted and co-chaired by USA and Kenya, concluded its work on two annexes for inclusion into the existing Guidelines for the Control of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) (CXG 99) in Fresh Leafy Vegetables and in Sprouts. It also completed its work on…
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: Outcome of 28th Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO28)
The 28th session of the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO28), hosted and chaired by Indonesia, concluded its work on amending the existing Standard for named vegetable oils (CXS 210) by adding four new oils (avocado, Camellia seed, Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis), high oleic acid-soybean oil). CCFO28 completed its work on amending sections…
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: Outcome of 7th Codex Committee – Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH7)
The 7th session of the Codex alimentarius Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH7), chaired by India, concluded its work on several important new add-ons to existing and new standards on small cardamon; allspice, juniper berry and star anise; and turmeric. It advanced the work on vanilla, still subject to additional inter-sessional work until the…
Codex alimentarius: historical 46th meeting (CAC46) while celebrating its 60th anniversary
This article was published in World Food Regulation Review, January 2024, p. 25-34.
While celebrating its 60th anniversary, the 46th CAC meeting has seen several historical decisions taken.
First and foremost, it has closed the long-standing controversy about Zilpaterol hydrochloride by adopting through two successive votes by advancing and adopting the proposed maximum…
Aspartame safety review by the WHO: a short story about a tempest in a teapot…
This article was published in World Food Regulation Review, August 2023 Issue, Vol. 33, Number 3.
On July 14, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the results of the dual review of the well-known sugar-substitute aspartame by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the International Agency for Research on…