Food Law News - FAO/WHO/WTO/Codex - 2006

8-12 May 2006

CODEX - Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (16th Session) Cancun, Mexico

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The Sixteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION/CONSIDERATION BY THE 29TH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION:

Adoption of draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 8 of the Uniform Procedure

The Committee agreed to forward:

• Draft MRLs for Trichlorfon, Pirlimycin, Cypermethrin and alpha-Cypermethrin, and Doramectin, for adoption at Step 8 (para. 77 and Appendix II).

Adoption of proposed draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 5 of the Uniform Procedure

The Committee agreed to forward:

• Proposed draft MRLs for Colistin and Ractopamine, for adoption at Step 5 (para. 77 and Appendix IV);
• Proposed draft Guidelines for the Design and Implementation of National Regulatory Food Safety Assurance Programmes Associated with the Use of Veterinary Drugs in Food Producing Animals, for adoption at Step 5 (para. 86 and Appendix VII).

Proposal for New Work

The Committee agreed to forward:

• Priority List of Veterinary Drugs Requiring Evaluation of Re-evaluation by JECFA (para. 133 and Appendix XI).

Other Matters for Consideration by the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

The Committee agreed:

• To leave in place the temporary MRL for Tilmicosin in sheep’s milk until JECFA had evaluated the data, in view of the strong commitment of the sponsor to make available radiolabelled residue depletion study in dairy cattle and of two residue depletion studies for further evaluation by JECFA (paras 42-43);
• To forward the Compendium of Methods of Analysis Identified as Suitable to Support Codex MRLs (para. 120 and Appendix X).

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION/CONSIDERATION BY THE 30TH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION:

The Committee agreed:

• To forward the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods and the Risk Assessment Policy for the Setting of MRLs in Food to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, through the Codex Committee on General Principles, for adoption and inclusion in the Codex Procedural Manual (para. 111 and Appendices VIII and IX).

MATTERS REFERRED TO CODEX COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES:

Executive Committee (CCEXEC)

The Committee agreed:

• To retain the MRLs for Melegenstrol acetate at Step 7 for further consideration at its next Session, because consensus could not be reached on their advancement (para. 73);
• To inform the 58th Session of the Executive Committee that work on the proposed draft Guidelines for the Design and Implementation of National Regulatory Food Safety Assurance Programme Associated with the Use of Veterinary Drugs in Food Producing Animals would be completed by its next Session (para. 86).

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION AND/OR CODEX COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES:

The Committee agreed:

• To retain the MRLs for Flumequine in muscle of Black tiger shrimp and shrimps at Steps 7 and 4, respectively and to ask the Codex Secretariat to issue a Circular Letter requesting information on registered use of Flumequine with the understanding that, if this information is not provided, it will discontinue work on these MRLs at its next Session (para. 54 and Appendices III and V);
• To circulate the proposed draft MRLs for Erythromycin and Triclabendazole for comments at Step 3 (para. 77 and Appendix VI);
• To establish an electronic Working Group, led by France, to prepare a Discussion Paper to identify risk management topics and options to be considered at the next Session of the Committee (para. 113);
• To ask the Codex Secretariat to issue a Circular Letter requesting that members and observers review the list of methods; review and update any addresses of contact points for information; advise of any methods for which they are no longer able to provide information; and provide information on substances and matrices for which validated methods are still required (para. 119);
• To reconvene the ad hoc Working Group on Methods of Analysis and Sampling, under the co- Chairmanship of Canada and United Kingdom, prior to its next Session to continue work on the identification of suitable methods of analysis for residues of veterinary drugs in foods on the basis of information received in response to the Circular Letter (para. 121);
• To re-establish the physical Working Group on Residues of Veterinary Drugs without ADI/MRL led by the European Community to consider Annex III (Starting Point for a Priority List of Veterinary Drugs Requiring Evaluation or Re-evaluation by JECFA) of CX/RVDF 06/16/13. In particular, the Working Group will: i) give further consideration to the prioritization of compounds on the list and update the list; ii) consider management option for compounds to be evaluated by JECFA where a management decision is pending; and iii) provide guidance on practical analytical methods suitable for use by national regulatory authority for these compounds (para. 134);
• To reconvene the ad hoc Working Group on Priorities prior to its next Session, under the chairmanship of Australia, to consider proposals for compounds to be evaluated or re-evaluated by JECFA and the report of the physical Working Group on Compounds with no ADI/MRL (para. 135).