Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....

Food Law News - FAO / WHO / WTO / Codex - 2015

Codex Meeting Report, 13 February 2015

CODEX - Committee on Fats and Oils: Report of 23rd Session

The 24th Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO24) reached the following conclusions:

Matters for adoption/approval by CAC38

The Committee agreed to forward:

Draft Standard for adoption at Step 5 of the Procedure

• Draft Standard for Fish Oils (para. 47, Appendix III)

Other texts for adoption

• Amendments to Appendix 2: List of Acceptable Previous Cargoes of the Code of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk (CAC/RCP 36–1987) (para. 60, Appendix IV);
• New text replacing the statement on voluntary application in the following standards: for Edible Fats and Oils not Covered by Individual Standards (CODEX STAN 19-1981); for Named Vegetable Oils (CODEX STAN 211-1999), for Named Animal Fats (CODEX STAN 210-1999) and for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils (CODEX STAN 33-1981) (para. 63).

New Work for approval

• Revision of the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils: addition of palm oil with high oleic acid (OxG) (para. 89, Appendix VI);
• Revision of the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils: Revision of Fatty Acid Composition and Other Quality Factors of Peanut Oil (para. 97, Appendix VII);
• Revision of the Standard for Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oil): Revision of Section 3 (para. 118, Appendix VIII).

Matters for consideration by CAC38 and FAO and WHO

The Committee:

• 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 II);
• Forwarded the 23 substances to FAO and WHO for evaluation (para. 60 and Appendix V).

Matters referred to other Committees

The Committee agreed to:

• Inform CCMAS that ISO 12228:1999 was withdrawn and replaced by ISO 12228-1:2014 and ISO 12228-2, and that ISO 12228-2:2014 and COI/T.20/Doc. No. 30 were equivalent (para. 11);
• Forward the methods of analysis and sampling and food additive provisions of the proposed draft Standard for Fish Oils to CCMAS and CCFA respectively for endorsement (para. 48, Appendix III).

Other matters for information

The Committee agreed to:

• Retain the provisions in Tables 3 and 4 of the Appendix of the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils and to consider any further proposals for transferring provisions from the Appendix to the main body only after review of the parameters (para. 69);
• Consider proposals from members on the amendments to the List of Acceptable Previous Cargoes of the Code of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk (para. 60);
• Revise the discussion papers on revision of the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils : ranges of oleic and linoleic acids values and related quality composition factors in sunflowerseed oil (para. 79); and inclusion of walnut oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, pistachio oil, flaxseed oil and avocado oil” (para. 105);
• Prepare discussion papers on revision of the: Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (– (i) Replacement of acid value with free fatty acids for virgin palm oils in the (para. 126); (ii) Inclusion of quality parameters of crude rice bran oil in the (para. 131); of the Standard for Named Animal Fats – Inclusion of unrefined edible tallow (para. 128);
• Discontinue consideration on revision of the: Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (i) Inclusion of high oleic soybean oil (para. 82); and (ii) Inclusion of provisions for high stearic high oleic acids in sunflower seed oils (para. 100); of the Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils - Content of delta-7-stigmastenol (para 106); and of the Code of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk (para 123).

A copy of the report is available on the Codex website at: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/download/report/919/REP15_FOe.pdf