29 November – 3 December 2010

CODEX – Report of the 42nd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Kampala, Uganda)

The Forty-second Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE 34TH SESSION OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION:

The Committee agreed to forward for adoption at Step 5/8:

• Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Control of Campylobacter and Salmonella spp. in Chicken Meat (para 63 and Appendix III); and
• Proposed Draft Revision of the Recommended International Code of Hygienic Practice for Collecting, Processing and Marketing of Natural Mineral Waters for adoption at Step 5/8 (para. 116 and Appendix V).

MATTERS FOR ACTION BY THE COMMISSION

The Committee agreed to request the removal of section 4.4 of the Standard for Natural Mineral Waters (CODEX STAN 108-1981) as a consequence to the decision to include microbiological criteria in the Proposed Draft Revision of the Recommended International Code of Hygienic Practice for Collecting, Processing and Marketing of Natural Mineral Waters (CAC/RCP 33-1985) (para. 115).

NEW WORK

The Committee agreed to propose to the Commission to approve new work on:

• Guidelines for Control of Specific Zoonotic Parasites in Meat: Trichinella spiralis and Cysticercus bovis (REP11/FH, para.137 and Appendix VI); and
• Annex on melons to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 53- 2003) (REP11/FH, para.142 and Appendix VII).

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION AND/OR TO FAO/WHO

The Committee agreed to:

• return the Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Viruses in Food to Step 3 for comments and further consideration at its next session (para. 86 and Appendix IV).
• return the Proposed Draft Revision of the Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods to Step 2 for redrafting, circulation for comments at Step 3 and consideration at its next session (para. 127).
• agreed to request FAO/WHO to:

  (i) review the status of knowledge on parasites in food and their public health and trade impact; and

  (ii) issue a call for data and to evaluate the pathogen specific hazards associated with various types of melons and the role of various agricultural and manufacturing practices in enhancing or mitigating these hazards in melons (para. 144)

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO OTHER COMMITTEES

Committee on General Principles

The Committee agreed to review its risk analysis principles and procedures with a view to its simplification in line with Activity 2.2 of the Strategic Plan (2008 – 2013) and taking into account recommendation in CL 2010/1-GP) and did not discuss the amendment of the definition for hazard following the decision of the Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) not to amend the definition (paras 6- 7).

Committee on Fish and Fishery Products

The Committee endorsed the hygiene provisions Draft Standard for Smoked Fish, Smoke-Flavoured Fish and Smoke-Dried Fish with amendments and the hygiene provisions of the Draft Standard for Fish Sauce without amendment (paras 9 - 10 and Appendix II)