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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
Proceedings of Workshop on
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: PRINCIPLES & PROCEDURES
2nd
August, 2013
New Delhi
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
WORKSHOP ON CODEX ALIMENTARIUS: PRINCIPLES & PROCEDURES
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) organized a workshop on “Codex
Alimentarius: Principles and Procedures” on 2nd
August, 2013 in New Delhi. While
welcoming the participants, Ms Vinod Kotwal, Director (Codex) shared her experience of
being associated as National Codex Contact Point of India and the developments so far. She
emphasized that the main endeavour of FSSAI is to create awareness amongst the
stakeholders and ensure active participation from their side. Shri S. Dave, as the Chairman,
Codex Alimentarius Commission delivered the key note address appreciating the efforts of
NCCP, India and also threw light on issues relevant to Codex such as harmonization of
Indian Standards and SPS/TBT Matters. NCCP India has always felt the need to interact with
all the stakeholders on a regular basis in an interactive manner. Towards this end, NCCP
India came out with an electronic newsletter to share news/views with the stakeholders. Shri
K. Chandramouli, Chairperson, FSSAI released the first issue of the E-newsletter,
Connect@CodexIndia on FSSAI Website. Shri Chandramouli in his inaugural address noted
that though India has come a long way in Codex Meetings, however, we still follow a
reactive approach and not a proactive approach. There is a need to build our expertise in the
subject matter so that India makes meaningful contribution in every meeting of Codex
Committees and the comments of India are well received.
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
TECHNICAL SESSION 1
10:30 A.M. – 01:00 P.M.
1. Shri S. Dave, Advisor, FSSAI - Codex Alimentarius Commission: Introduction
Shri S. Dave focussed on the basic information about Codex Alimentarius, its
structure and relevance. He mentioned that Codex is an intergovernmental body of the United
Nations with 185 member countries and 1 member organization. The function of Codex is to
adopt science based standards with the mandate of safety of health of consumers and fair
practices in trade. He mentioned that the Executive Committee of the Commission consists of
Chairperson, 3 Vice-Chairpersons, 6 Regional Co-ordinators and 6 Members from each
region. There are 10 General Subject Committees, 7 Commodity Committees, 6 Regional
Coordinating Committees and 2 Ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces. Further, the
scientific advice to Codex is provided by JECFA (Jt. Expert Committee on Food Additives),
JMPR (Jt. Meeting on Pesticide Residues), JEMRA (Jt. Expert Committee on
Microbiological Risk Assessment) and JEMNU (Jt. FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on
Nutrition).
The talk focussed on the issues that are relevant to developing countries and the issues
that are of particular importance to India such as:
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables : Okra, Pomegranates, Grapes, Potatoes, Onion
Spices, FFV
Tea, Coffee
Nutrition related issues
Marine, Dairy, Poultry, Meat Products
Additives / Contaminants / Veterinary Drugs / Labeling / Inspection / Methods of Analysis
/ Street Foods
Equivalence / Traceability (organic, grapes)
He gave a way forward for India to harmonize standards
with Codex, introduce guidance texts for small business / farmers (e.g., GAP, GMP, GHP,
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
conformity assessment), Strengthen laboratory network, Invest in Scientific Risk Assessment,
Play an active role in Codex (NCCP, WGs, CCSp. be visible), Engage in equivalence
negotiations and thereby, Make the country strong in Codex Activities.
2. Ms Vinod Kotwal, Director (Codex), FSSAI - Codex Procedural Manual
Ms Kotwal made the presentation on Codex Procedural Manual, which is the
foundation for Codex Functioning and Codex Documentation. She explained the structure
and the network of Codex, which was also discussed by Shri Dave. She explained in detail
about the various documents that are circulated by the Codex Secretariat, which are:
Codex Procedural Manual
ALINORMs
Committee working papers (CXs)
Circular Letters (CLs)
Conference Room Documents (CRDs)
Limited distribution documents (LIM)
Information documents (INF)
Adopted texts.
She explained that the Codex Procedural
Manual outlines the agreed set of rules to ensure that the Commission and its subsidiary
bodies work in a uniform manner and it is intended to help member countries to participate
effectively in the work of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The Manual
contains the Statutes of the Commission and rules of procedure, guidelines for the operation
of Committees and Task Forces and the information on how the Commission carries out its
work, including the reference system for Codex documents. Codex Committee on General
Principles is responsible for updating the Manual, and such amendments are considered
regularly by the Commission. She then elaborated on the various Codex Documents that are
circulated by the Codex Secretariat. All Codex documents contain a reference number which
is unique to that document. She explained to the participants on how to read the reference of a
document and the meaning of each code. She further emphasized on the 8 step procedure
that is followed in Codex and strict adherence to these steps is essential. Since the amount of
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
papers that are circulated by the Codex Secretariat are huge, it is also equally important to
organize them appropriately. The organization of Codex Documents depends on the Codex
Committee that you wish to participate and send your comments on. As all the Codex
Documents are available electronically, it is now quite easy to organize them in various
folders.
3. Ms Sakshi Gambhir, Technical Officer, Codex Cell, FSSAI - Conducting Shadow
Committee Meetings: Procedure followed by NCCP India
Ms Sakshi Gambhir talked about the procedure that is followed by NCCP, India in
conducting the Shadow Committee Meetings. Her talk focussed on what a shadow committee
is, its role and the composition. For each Codex Committee, a parallel Shadow Committee
has been constituted in India that works for that particular Codex Committee. “Shadow
Committee” means the Committees of the National Codex Committee constituted by the
Food Authority for reviewing the agenda of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its
subsidiary Committees and finalizing India’s comments on various agenda items. The various
shadow committees are:
1. Shadow Committee on Core Issues – FSSAI, MoHFW
2. Shadow Committee on Processed Fruits Products, Food Additives & Contaminants in
foods –FSSAI, MoHFW
3. Shadow Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) – FSSAI, MoHFW
4. Shadow Committee on Fats & Oils, Sugar and Cereals, Pulses & Legumes –FSSAI,
MoHFW
5. Shadow Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
(CCFICS) – Ministry of Commerce (MoC)
6. Shadow Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) – FSSAI, MoHFW
7. Shadow Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) –
Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD)
8. Shadow Committee on residues of Pesticides & Veterinary Drugs in Foods - Ministry of
Agriculture
9. Shadow Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP) - Ministry of Agriculture
(Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries)
10. Shadow Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) – Ministry of Agriculture
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
Most of the Shadow Committees are with FSSAI and
some are with other line Ministries/Departments since the expertise required to manage these
committees are with these Ministries, and therefore, it was very important to follow a uniform
streamlined procedure of conducting meetings and formulating India’s viewpoints. She
mentioned that the important function of a shadow committee is to provide a forum for
discussion and thereafter, to finalise India’s viewpoints. The shadow committee stakeholders
include representatives from various ministries, educational institutions, industry associations
and experts and scientist from concerned areas. She explained the entire process of finalising
the India’s viewpoints that is followed at FSSAI.
4. Shri Adtiya Jain, Manager (QA), National Dairy Development Board - Guidance on
how to prepare National Response or National Viewpoint on Codex Matters
Shri Aditya Jain gave a presentation on how to prepare National viewpoints on
various Codex issues. The entire process consists of following steps:
Obtaining documents
Identifying concerns
Developing comments
Debating and refining
Presentation of comments
Analysis of some past comments
The documents are available at Codex website
www.codexalimentarius.org and are also distributed by the NCCP, India. It is first important
to identify the documents of relevance based on the competence we have to comment on the
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
subject matter. To identify the concerns, it is required to read the document carefully and to
correlate with past versions and to locate new concerns arising due to changes. Then he
talked about the development of comments and also providing justification for the comments.
The comments should first be discussed among the colleagues, then within the organization,
thereafter among the organizations and finally should be discussed in the shadow committee.
To refine the comments, check with science, data, previous decisions, consistency
with/contradiction to existing texts and the Procedure. It needs to be consciously decided at
every stage of refinement if it is necessary to send written comments and in what form. It is
also important to provide notes for the delegation wherever required. He also gave some
examples of how to present the comments. The comments should be divided into two parts:
General and Specific.
The important points to be kept in mind are:
Specific comment: Clear and accurate reference to the text being commented upon
Proposed amendments
Insertions- Bold and underline; deletions- strikethrough (may also be bold)
Not to use ‘track change’
Not to use colours
Not to reproduce excessive text
Rationale for every comment
Note to delegation
5. Shri Anil Mehta, Designated and Authorised Officer, FSSAI - Follow Up Action by
the Delegation
Shri Anil Mehta made presentation on a very
important component of the entire process involved with Codex Meetings, ie, debriefing
meeting, wherein, the delegation identify the concerns and necessary action that have to be
taken after the meeting is over. The leader of the delegation should submit a report of
participation to the NCCP. The report should be submitted within a period of 30 working days
after the session/meeting is over. The report should essentially contain additional agenda
items/notes tabled in the meeting and the conference room documents/discussion papers
circulated by other Member Countries. The delegation report should also contain the reports
of the in–session Working Groups. The delegation report should include possible strategies
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
for the next session. He shared an example of the Codex Committee on Food Additive,
wherein a number of ewgs were established by the Committee. However, the delegation
identified the important ewgs after the session was over and India participated only in the
identified ewgs.
The Technical Session I was concluded by Question and Answer round giving an opportunity
to the participants to ask questions from the panel members.
TECHNICAL SESSION II
02:00 – 04:00 P.M.
1. Ms Abhilasha Tanwar, Scientist (IV) 2, FSSAI - Submitting a new work proposal in
Codex
Ms Abhilasha Tanwar made a presentation on how to prepare a new work proposal
and submit it in Codex. She mentioned that the foremost thing is to identify whether new
work falls under the mandate of Codex? She focussed her presentation on the various
parameters that should be covered in a project document and provide justification to the new
work, which are as follows:
Purpose and Scope
Criteria for establishment of work priorities
Information on relation between proposal and other existing Codex Documents
Identification of requirement of expert advice
Identification of need for technical inputs to the standard from external bodies
Proposed timelines for completion of work
She also mentioned about the criteria to be looked into for a commodity standard and
for a general standard. The criteria for developing a commodity standard are:
Volume of production, consumption and pattern of trade
Diversification of National legislation
International or regional market potential
Amenability of Commodity to standardization
Existing or proposed general standard
Number of commodities covered
Work already taken by other international organizations
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
The criteria for developing a general standard are:
Diversification of National Legislation
Scope of the work
Work already undertaken by other International organization
Amenability of subject
Global magnitude of the problem
She also elaborated on the procedure for getting a new
work approved. The project document is first submitted in the Committee. The Committee
after deliberations approved it and forwards it to the Executive Committee for critical review.
If the CCEXEC finds the project document suitable, it forwards it to the Commission for
approval.
The presentation also included a list of new work proposals that have been approved
by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and some of which are under process, such as:
Inclusion for a New Part B for underweight Children in the Standard for Processed
Cereal-Based foods for Infants and Young Children (CCNFSDU)
Proposed Standard for Okra (CCFFV)
Proposed Code of Hygienic Practice for Street Vended Foods (CCASIA)
Proposed Standard for Ware Potato (CCFFV)
Developing general standard for labelling of wholesale packages of food (CCFL)
Establishment of Maximum level for total aflatoxin in Ready-to-eat peanuts (CCCF)
She also mentioned some of the new works that can be suggested by India such as:
Proposal for Standard for Sapota (CCFFV/CCASIA)
Proposal for Standard for Gourds (Annexes for bitter gourd/bottle gourd etc.) (CCFFV)
Proposal for establishment of MRLs for Chlormequat Chloride in Grapes (CCPR)
Proposal for establishment MRLs for Isoprothiolane in Rice (CCPR)
Proposal for establishment MLs for Aflatoxin in Spices (CCCF)
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
Proposals for development of commodities standards under Codex Committee on Spices
and Culinary Herbs
Proposal for Code of Practice for hygienic and wholesome food for School Children
(CCFH/CCNFSDU)
2. Dr. Himanshu Gupta, FICCI –CIFTI Codex Cell - Scientific Basis of Codex
Dr. Himanshu Gupta focussed his talk primarily on what forms the basis of Codex:
The Science. Codex committees, while developing standards, apply risk analysis and rely on
the independent scientific advice provided by expert bodies organized by FAO/WHO.
He explained about the three FAO/WHO expert committees:
• Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
• Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR)
• Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA)
The Main Principles for developing scientific advice
are Excellence, Independence, Transparency and Universality. He also mentioned that risk
analysis within Codex is a structured, systematic process that examines the potential adverse
health effect consequential to a hazard or condition of a food, and develops options for
mitigating that risk. The whole risk analysis process includes risk assessment, risk
communication and risk management. The International risk assessors are JECFA, JMPR,
JRMRA & Adhoc expert consultations and the International risk manager is the Codex
Alimentarius Commission.
3. Ms Sukhmani Singh, Technical Officer, Codex Cell, FSSAI - Participation in the
EWGs
Electronic Working Groups, i.e., Ewgs are one of the most important stages to make
an intervention since all the discussions and deliberations happen electronically through these
ewgs. Ms Sukhmani Singh provided guidance on how to participate in these ewgs and the
important points for every ewg participant. EWGs have been developed in Codex to enhance
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
the participation from all member countries and to reach consensus. An eWG is established
at the plenary session by the Committee. Codex Committee decides that the eWG will
be managed by the Host Government Secretariat or by another member of the
Commission which has volunteered to undertake this responsibility. EWG’s membership
is notified to the Chairperson of the Codex Committee and to the Host country
Secretariat of the Committee.
She also talked about how an ewg works starting from circulation of an invitation
upto the finalising of the report for consideration by that Codex Committee, as follows:
The Host is responsible for the management of the eWG for which it has been
appointed.
A notice or kick-off message is prepared indicating the timeline where the start and
end of the program is displayed about particular work and is distributed to all members
and Observers who have been nominated.
The Draft of that particular work for an eWG is prepared and is circulated to the
participants and call of comments are requested from them.
The Comments by the participants are submitted by electronic means.
A compilation of these comments and other contributions received are sent to the
number of countries/ participants who participated in the eWG.
An update of the progress of the work is presented by the Host at each session of the
Codex Committee which has established it.
Once the work is finished of an eWG, the Host Secretariat sends the copy of the final
conclusions in the form of discussion paper or a working document along with the list
of participants to the Codex Secretariat and to the Host Country Secretariat of the
Committee.
The Codex Secretariat then forwards these to the Codex Contact Points and
Observers.
The Codex Secretariat ensures that these conclusions are included in the distribution
papers for the next session of the Codex Committee, which has established the eWG.
She also shared various examples of various ewgs
where India has been a participant and ewg where India is the host. NCCP India faces a lot of
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
challenges while nominating the right expert for a particular ewg and then submitting the
comments on time. Therefore, it becomes very important for the stakeholders to come
forward with their active participation and give their nominations for the ewgs. Also,
sometimes the comments which are provided by our stakeholders for an Ewg sometimes
are mere statement. So, it is important that the comments should be backed by data.
4. Shri Karthikeyan, Assistant Director, FSSAI - Harmonization of FSS Standards
with Codex Standards: Where do we stand?
Shri Karthikeyan made a presentation on harmonizing the Indian Standards in line
with the Codex Standards. He also touched upon the other important agreements under World
Trade Organization (WTO) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS). The need for
harmonization was felt to consider the latest development in food science across the globe,
food consumption pattern, new specifications, presence of new contaminants and toxins as
well as use of new food additives and ingredients required by the producers and
manufacturers in food business. Under the TBT and the SPS Agreement of the WTO, it is
mentioned that countries to use relevant international standards when they exist. CODEX and
WTO members should upgrade National Food Standards and Regulations based on
harmonization with Codex; get involved with Codex work; Strengthen National Food Control
Systems; and Ensure efficient importing and exporting inspection and certification systems.
He described in detail the process undertaken by FSSAI to
harmonize the standards and how the various stakeholders have been engaged in working
groups. The Authority has established 76 working groups to complete the work. The work is
expected to be completed by December 2014. The revision of vertical standards require first
to review the Food Safety Regulations and then initiate the revision process, to identify
products where we have no FSSR but there are Codex/other international standards and then
creation of standards for other (ethnic) products. The revision of horizontal standards involve
review standards for additives, contaminants, etc. for harmonisation with GSFA/GSCTFF,
then to harmonise ingredients/ nutrients and thereafter to develop Codes of Practice for
uniform application across vertical standards.
The Technical Session II was concluded by Question and Answer round giving an
opportunity to the participants to ask questions from the panel members.
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
PANEL DISCUSSION
04:30 – 05:30 P.M.
The panel discussion was moderated by Shri S. Dave, Advisor, FSSAI and the panellists
were:
Dr. Lalitha Gowda, CFTRI, Mysore
Dr. S.K. Saxena, Director, EIC
Shri Ajit Chavan, Deputy Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce
& Industry
Ms Shreya Pandey, FICCI-CIFTI Codex cell
Mr Prabodh Halde, Joint Convener, The Solvent Extractors Association of India
The panellists discussed the role of laboratories and institutes in collecting the data, risk
analysis principle in India and the work ahead.
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Proceedings of 1st Workshop
The workshop was concluded by Ms Vinod Kotwal with the following action points:
Conducting more such awareness workshop for Research Institutes
Setting up Risk Assessment body
Developing a strategy document on functioning of NCCP, India
Increasing the collaboration with the stakeholders
Developing links with other member countries