Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - FAO / WHO / WTO / Codex - 2014

Codex Report, 7 November 2014

CODEX - Coordinating Committee for Asia: Report of 19th Session

The Nineteenth Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA19) reached the following conclusions:

Matters for adoption by CAC38

Draft Regional Standards for adoption at Step 8 of the Procedure

• The draft Regional Standard for Non-Fermented Soybean Products (para. 44, Appendix IV).

Other texts for adoption

• Amendments to the Regional Standard for Tempe (specific provisions for Food Additives, Methods of Analysis and Sampling) (para. 8, Appendix II).

Matters for consideration by CAC38

• Provided replies regarding the status of implementation of selected activities of the Codex Strategic Plan 2014-2019 relevant to its work (para. 10 and Appendix III);
• Agreed on the need for revitalisation of RCCs and made comments on several proposals (para. 34);
• Returned the proposed draft Regional Standard for Laver Products and the proposed draft Regional Code of Hygienic Practice for the Street-Vended Foods to Step 2/3 (paras 60 and 68);
• Agreed to discontinue work on development of the Strategic Plan for CCASIA 2015-2020, and to replace it with the List of Activities of Interest to CCASIA (para. 78 and Appendix V);
• Unanimously agreed to recommend that India be appointed as Coordinator for ASIA (para. 102).

Matters referred to other Committee

Agreed:

• To inform CCMAS regarding the decision to retain the conversion factor of 5.71 for the determination of protein content in Tempe (para. 8);
• To forward food additives and labelling provisions of the draft Regional Standard for Non-Fermented Soybean Products to CCFA and CCFL for endorsement (para. 44, Appendix IV).

Other matters for information

Agreed:

• To discontinue consideration of discussion papers on Edible Crickets and their Products and on new work on Samgyetang (paras 83 and 114);
• To request interested countries to send the information on food contact/packaging materials to FAO in support to their ongoing work and, if still interested, to prepare a discussion paper on the issue for consideration at the next CCASIA session (para. 93);
• To encourage interested members to propose new work on guidance on health claims for food supplements and revision of Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements (CAC/GL 55-2005) to relevant Committees and, if still relevant, prepare a discussion paper on this subject, for consideration at the next Session of CCASIA (para. 98);
• That a revised discussion paper on the development of a regional standard for Makgeolli addressing the two questions raised by the Representative of WHO and providing information on the production and trade of similar products in the region would be a good basis for CCASIA to start consideration on new work on this commodity (para. 110); and
• That a revised discussion paper on the development of a regional standard for Natto should provide information on: (i) similar products in the region; (ii) possibility to revise existing standards to include Natto; and (iii) Justification for the development of the standard (why is necessary and which issues is intended to addressed) (para. 118);
• To recommend interested members to propose work on dried longan within the framework of the CCPFV EWG on dry and dried produce and, in case there is no support in CCPFV, to prepare a discussion paper and project document for consideration a

A full copy of the report can be seen on the Codex website at: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/download/report/910/REP15_ASe.pdf