Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - FAO / WHO / WTO / Codex - 2015

Codex Meeting Report, 14–18 September 2015

CODEX  - Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs: Report of 2nd Session

The full report is available at: Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs: Report of 2nd Session

The Second Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs reached the following conclusions:

Matters for Adoption by CAC39

The Committee agreed to forward the following draft Standards for adoption at Step5:

• Proposed Draft Standard for Cumin (para. 25and Appendix III);
• Proposed Draft Standard for Thyme (para. 37 and Appendix IV).

Matters for consideration by CAC39

The Committee provided replies regarding the status of implementation of selected activities of the Codex Strategic Plan (2014-2019) relevant to its work (para. 12 and Appendix II).

Matters Referred to other Committees

The Committee:

Committee on Food Additives (CCFA)

• Replied to the request of CCFA47 regarding the use of food additives in culinary herbs (para.15).

Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF)

• Requested CCCF to clarify the applicability of maximum levels of contaminants for leafy vegetables to spices and culinary herbs (para. 36).

Relevant committees (endorsement)

• Forwarded the provisions for food additives, labelling and methods of analysis to CCFA, CCFL and CCMAS respectively for endorsement (para. 24).

Other Matters for information

The Committee:

• Returned the proposed draft standard for Black, White and Green Pepper and the proposed draft standard for Oregano to Step 2/3 for redrafting by eWGs (paras 21 and 31);
• Agreed to use the prioritised list for sending proposals for new work to the Commission at its next session (para 54);
• Agreed to consider at its next session: (i) sampling plans for inclusion in the standards for thyme and cumin; and (ii) discussion paper on development of a glossary of terms and on what further processing meant and how it applied to the scope of CCSCH (paras 36 and56).