Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (33rd Session)

• Identified and Agreed on the questions to be raised by risk managers to risk assessors of the ad hoc Expert Consultation on Microbiological Hazards in Foods in relation of Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat foods and Salmonella enteritidis in eggs as well as Salmonella spp. in eggs, and suggested priorities for the next FAO/WHO Expert Consultation. The Committee also agreed to request the Committee on General Principles to consider the proposed amendments to its Terms of Reference.
• Agreed to merge the Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Primary Production, Harvesting and Packaging of Fresh Produce and the Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Pre-Cut Fruits and Vegetables and advanced it for adoption by the 24th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission;
• Agreed to redraft the Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Management on the basis of comments received and discussions held during the session including the application of Food Safety Objectives;
• Agreed to redraft the Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products on the basis of comments received and discussions held during the session and circulate it for further comments and consideration;
• Agreed to redraft the Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Hygienic Reuse of Processing Water in Food Plants and to circulate the revised document for further comments and consideration by the next session of the Committee;
• Agreed to redraft the Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods by incorporating the results of risk characterization data on the Listeria monocytogenes in ready to eat foods to be finalized by ad hoc joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation in April 2001 and circulate the revised draft for consideration at the next session of the Committee;
• Agreed to prepare an amendment to the existing HACCP Guidelines without altering the seven HACCP Principles in redrafting of the Discussion Paper on the Application of HACCP in Small and/or Less Developed Businesses while asking additional comments on the proposed amendments and inform the Commission accordingly; agreed to revise the Discussion Paper prepared in the form of the risk profile on the Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria in Food for further consideration while asking the advice of the Commission on how to proceed with it in order to ensure coordination of work between concerned Codex Committees; and agreed to revise the Discussion papers on the Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Validation of Food Hygiene Control Measures, as well as on the Proposed Draft Guidelines for Evaluating Objectionable Matter in Food and;
• Agreed to initiate the revision of the existing Code of Hygienic Practice for Egg Products.