Food Hygiene progresses with work on Salmonella in Beef and Pork
The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) was established in 1964 to draft basic provisions on food hygiene applicable to all food and prioritize areas where there is a need for microbiological risk assessment at the international level.
The committee held its 47th session in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 9–13 November 2015. Technical experts, senior administrators and researchers representing 75 member countries, one member organization and nine international governmental and non-governmental organizations attended.
The meeting forwarded the draft Guidelines for the Control of Non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. in Beef and Pork Meat; the draft Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Foodborne Parasites; and the draft Annexes to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods (CAC/RCP 75-2015) to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) for adoption and requested CAC to revoke the Code of Hygienic Practice for Spices and Dried Aromatic Herbs (CAC/RCP 42-1995) as it is now an annex to the Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Moisture Foods.
New work
The Committee requested the Codex Alimentarius Commission to approve new work on the revision of the General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969) and its HACCP Annex as well as the revision of the Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 53-2003)
FAO and WHO will also be asked for scientific advice on the use of clean, potable and other types of water in the General Principles Food Hygiene and other hygiene texts; and on Verotoxigenic E. coli (VTEC) / Shiga toxigenic E. coli (STEC).
Successful outcomes for working groups
Attending a Codex meeting is an opportunity for specialist working groups (who often only work electronicially) to meet face to face and finialise tasks set by the various Codex committees. Three groups met extremely successfully at this session of the Food Hygiene Committee. One group worked on establishing work priorities for the committee. A second group prepared the draft Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Foodborne Parasites and the third working group dealt with work on the Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Control of Nontyphoidal Salmonella spp. in Beef and Pork Meat.
Links
The full final report is available on the Codex website here in English. French and Spanish will follow shortly.
For further details on this committee, and for a comprehensive list of all the standards that the committee has developed since its inception in 1964 click here.
Photo credit
©/FAO John Spaull