CODEX, General Standard for

Codex Alimentarius Commission (2003). Schedule 1 of the Proposed Draft Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food. Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants, Thirty-fifth Session, Arusha, Tanzania. 

Anon. (1984). Codex General Standards for Irradiated Foods and Recommended International Code of Practice for the Operation of Radiation Facilities used for the Treatment of Foods. Codex Alimentarius Commission, XV, 1st edn. Rome... 

The Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food (GSCTF) was accepted in 1997 by the CAC, the superior body of the Codex system, in the form of a Preamble with five Annexes.3 The GSCTF, however, does not yet contain figures pertaining to the maximum limits (MLs) for contaminants and... 

Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme (1991a) Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods. Codex Stan 1-1985 (Rev. 1-1991). 

The standard, promulgated by the State Bureau of Technical Supervision, adheres closely to the 1991 Codex General Standards for Pre-packed Foods. However, the standard includes certain unique requirements ... 

Governments throughout the world advocate the inclusion of fruit juices in a healthy diet. A juice that is 100% derived from its parent fruit or fruits is almost universally regarded as a healthy and nutritious part of a human diet. The main emphasis in health-promoting dietary recommendations is increased consumption of fruit and vegetables. According to the CODEX General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars, an authentic fruit juice product... 

CODEX General Standard for Irradiated Foods, CODEX STAN 106-1983, rev. 1-2003... 

CODEX STAN 1—1985. Codex General Standard for the labelling of prepackaged foods. Codex Alimentarius. Joint FAOAJ7HO Food Standards Programme, vol. 66 2010. (acceded in 21.03.2014) http //www. codexalimentarius.org/download/standards/32/CXS 001e.pdf. 

The function of the Codex Alimentarius (Food Code) in its current incarnation is to establish food health standards that provide a harmonized reference for international trade in foodstuffs. Legislation developed by the European Union and others is assisted in the case of toxic elements such as lead through the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods (GSCTF). The Code s legal importance is significant, inasmuch as it has 171 member countries, including all states of the European Union and, since 2003, the European Community. 

CAC, Codex Alimentarius Commission. 2013. Codex General Standard for Food Additives. Rome, Italy World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 

Beyond national approvals the Codex Alimentarius is developing a General Standard for Food Additives which will be the applicable basis for international trade. All and only sweeteners endorsed for food use by JECFA are/or will be listed in this standard. For bulk sweeteners the standard has progressed to permanent while the part dealing with intense sweeteners is still under discussion. 

A review of the international legislation concerning food was recently presented in International Standards for Food Safety 24 This review contains a chapter on the Codex Alimentarius General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food where more information about the development and the content of the GSCTF can be found.25 There are also other chapters of significance for readers who wish to seek further information on specific subjects concerning international food legislation. 

Within the Codex system, the contaminants considered in this section are mainly dealt with by the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC), which is hosted by the Netherlands. Many of the Member States of the European Union are very active in CCFAC. For example, Denmark and the Netherlands have been instrumental in developing the Codex General Standard on Contaminants and Toxins and draft limits for lead in various foods. Sweden has developed a proposal for a limit for ochratoxin A in cereals and cereal products and France has proposed a maximum level for patulin in apple juice. 

The People s Republic of China used Codex Alimentarius standards as model in designing its General Standard for the Labeling of Foods, which went into effect on 1.2.95. 

Codex Alimentarius Commission (2005) General standard for food additives (CODEX STAN 192-1995 [Rev. 6-2005]). 

In the meantime, international agreement on standards for food irradiation is being sought through the Codex Alimentarius Commission at the UN. A document with the title Draft General Standard for Irradiated Foods and a Draft Code of Practice for the Operation of Radiation Facilities used for the Treatment of Foods , has already been considered by the appropriate committee and moved successfully through many stages of approval prior to submission to the Commission itself with a view to adoption as a recommended standard. 

The EU Directives 94/35/EC, 94/36/EC and 95/2/EC on sweeteners, colours and food additives other than colours and sweeteners, limit the amounts of certain food additives that can be used and the range of foods in which they are permitted. Similarly, the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC) has published its General Standard on Food Additives (GSFA), which lists the maximum use levels recorded world-wide. Care should be taken when using data from the EU Directive annexes or the GSFA because the figures represent the maximum permitted in each food group. In practice, use levels may need to be much lower to achieve the desired technical effect, particularly if used in combination with other additives intended for the same purpose. Furthermore, the additive is unlikely to be used in all foods in which it is permitted because other additives compete for the same function in the marketplace. 

The standards and limits adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission are intended for formal acceptance by governments in accordance with its general principles. Codex Alimentarius permits only those antioxidants which have been evaluated by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) for use in foods. Antioxidants may be used only in foods standardised by Codex. The antioxidant provisions of Codex Commodity Standards are included in and superseded by the provision of this Standard. Food categories or individual foods where the use of additives are not allowed or are restricted are defined by this Standard. The primary objective of establishing permitted levels of use of antioxidants in various food groups is to ensure that the intake does not exceed the acceptable daily intake (ADI). 

DENNER, w. H. B., Future Activities of the Committee in regard to the Establishment and Regular Review of Provisions Related to Food Additives in Codex Standards and Possible Mechanisms for the Establishment of General Provisions for the Use of Food Additives in Non-Standardised Foods, CX/FAC 89/16. Rome, Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1989. 

Anklam et al. [7] as well as Ahmed [8] recently published a comprehensive overview of different PCR assays that have been published in the literature. The authors tried to include performance data adding to the value of the review articles. The validation of PCR methods and thus the establishment of such performance criteria is still the subject of much debate. H bner et al. [9] suggested an approach for the validation of PCR assays. In general, it is currently the view of most researchers that validation of a PCR assay should not differ essentially from the validation of other analytical methods. Thus, all principles outlined in the ISO standard 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, ISO standard 5725 Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results as well as the principles as laid down by Codex Alimentarius (http //www.co-dexalimentarius.net), are applicable to PCR. 

---