Decisions from Day 2 of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

Maximum limits for pesticide residues in food
AGREED - 28 June 2016

Pesticides are chemicals used to kill insects, weeds and other pests to prevent them from damaging crops. Even when used in accordance with best practices, low levels of residues of pesticides can end up in food. To ensure that such residues do not cause harm to people's health and based on risk assessments provided by a group of independent international experts (the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on Pesticide Residues, JMPR), the Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted maximum residue limits for more than 30 different pesticides in various foods.

Related links:
• Relevant Codex document (para 113 & Appendix II)
• Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR)
• WHO Q&A on pesticide residues in food


Future revision of Codex's General Principles of Food Hygiene
AGREED - 28 June 2016

The General Principles of Food Hygiene (GPFH) and its Annex: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application provide food business operators worldwide with the basis for producing food that is safe and suitable for consumption. Since its inception in the early 1970s, HACCP has become the universal system for the control of food safety, on which most regulatory food control systems and international food safety standards (e.g. ISO 22000) are based. HACCP or similar approaches to identifying hazards and establishing controls to prevent them have also been used in guidance on the safety of animal feed and drinking water. While the current GPFH remain largely pertinent, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has agreed to initiate an overhaul of the existing text, including its annex on HACCP, to extend the scope of the GPFH, make them more user-friendly and incorporate the latest developments in food safety management.

Related links:
• Relevant Codex document (Para 45c & Appendix V)