At 60, a forward-looking pesticides committee continues making progress

The 57th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) has opened in Beijing, China, 60 years after its first meeting in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1966. DUAN Lifang will preside over the Session for the first time as Chairperson of CCPR. 

Opening the Session in this anniversary year Xingwang Zhang, Vice-Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China said: “As the harvest season gets into full swing, it's my pleasure to welcome you to Beijing for the 57th session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues.” He commented that 150 millimetric tonnes of food have been harvested this autumn. “Such a harvest will help ensure adequate supply and contribute to global food security,” he said. “In such a context, our gathering here is not only an opportunity to share China's fruits in its agricultural development, but also an expression of our shared commitment to food safety and green development.” To align the ambitions of the Government of China to “give equal weight to quantity and quality” in food production, the Vice-Minister explained that China has amended its Supporting Rules for Pesticide Residue Regulations to streamline and improve pesticide management and approval services, and has shifted its pesticide management philosophy from an emphasis on efficacy and quality to more safety control, science-based use of pesticides and grain development to ensure food security and food safety. He went on to re-assert China’s commitment to CCPR and that the government “will share its experience in how it successfully maintains a steady food supply, ensures green control of pesticides and risk control solutions, which will help advance harmonization of pesticide residue standards, safeguard fair agricultural trade and help developing countries in standard development and regulatory oversight.”

The Codex Alimentarius Commission Chairperson, Allan Azegele, acknowledged the Committee’s anniversary year, commenting that “for six decades, this Committee has demonstrated what can be achieved when countries come together, guided by science, mutual respect and consensus.” He recalled that the 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July this year, expressed a desire to see that the next meeting of the Codex executive committee (CCEXEC) will be able to discuss and approve the priority list for compounds to be considered for evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). For this to be possible, CCPR57 will need to agree on that priority list. “I therefore encourage this Committee to give particular attention to this matter and to work towards a clear, well-considered and consensus-based outcome that will enable CCEXEC91 to undertake the responsibility entrusted to it by the Commission,” Azegele urged. The Commission Chairperson also commented that the Committee must remain forward looking so that its work aligns with the aims of the Codex Strategic Plan.

Sarah Cahill, Codex Secretary, drew the attention of the Committee to the importance of its work to international trade and to the efforts that have been made to get the cycle of JMPR and CCPR meetings back on track, following recent disruptions. The Codex Secretary noted that “MRLs facilitate trade, provide predictability for producers and regulators, support protection of consumer health through science-based decision making” adding that the importance of this work is evident at the WHO SPS Committee, which highlight how pesticide residue limits remain one of the most frequently raised food safety related trade concerns or trade issues. “In many cases, Codex standards help provide a common reference point and contribute to resolving trade issues,” said the Codex Secretary. She then explained that the modernization of Codex also involves the recently upgraded Codex website, which will also see upgrades to the Pesticide Residues in Foods and Feeds Database. “Our objective is straightforward: to ensure that technology supports the entire standard-setting process, from prioritization of compounds through to adoption and implementation of standards. Better tools help us improve transparency, accessibility and ultimately the uptake of Codex standards,” she commented.

Representatives of both FAO and WHO also spoke. Ming Xu, Assistant to the FAO Representative in China reiterated FAO’s commitment to Codex, commenting that the issue of pesticide residues is not “a mere food safety issue, it's also a trade issue, a development issue and ultimately a food security issue.” He also commented that “The strength of Codex lies in bringing together different perspectives from government, from academia, from producers, from industry and other relevant stakeholders, and translating scientific knowledge into internationally agreed standards.”

For WHO, Dr Simone Moraes Raszl, Unit Head, Standards and Scientific Advice, Nutrition and Food Safety Department, underlined the importance of JMPR work and summarized its recent achievements in a context of resource constraints. She thanked the experts that have made this possible. In congratulating CCPR on its 60th anniversary, she said commented that “this milestone is an opportunity to not only to celebrate past achievements, but also to reflect on how we can ensure this important work remains strong and sustainable in the future.”

CCPR57 will discuss a range of issues including proposed maximum residue limits for pesticides in food and feed arising from the 2025 JMPR evaluation and other matters related to MRLs in the Pesticide Residues in Foods and Feeds Database. Also on the agenda are alignment of adopted Codex MRLs (CXLs) in the Pesticide Residues in Foods and Feeds Database following revision of the Classification of foods and animal feeds (CXA 4-1989), management of unsupported compounds without public health concerns scheduled for periodic review and establishment of Codex schedules and priority lists of pesticides for evaluation/re-evaluation by JMPR. Lastly, the Committee will hear updates on the coordination of work between CCPR and the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods, the Joint CCPR/CCRVDF Working Group on Dual-Use Compounds.