Food Additives and Contaminants

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Food Additives and Contaminants

Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (Host Government - Netherlands)

The Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC) establishes and endorses permitted maximum or guideline levels for individual food additives, contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants in food and animal feed.

Regarding additives, the committee considers technological justification and the need for proposed levels of use. It also develops and enables general risk analysis for all foods through the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) and the General Standard for Contaminants and Toxicants in Foods (GSTF).

Existing Codex Standards

Standards relating to food additives and contaminants* that have been endorsed and adopted into the international food code:

  •  General Standard for the Labelling of Food Additives When Sold As Such
  •  General Standard for Food Additives
  •  General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods
  •  General Principles for the Use of Food Additives in Food
  •  List of Codex Advisory Specifications for Food Additives
  •  Guidelines for Simple Evaluation of Food Additive Intake
  •  Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives

Outcomes from 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

The 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, July 2006) endorsed the split of the CCFAC into the Codex Committee on Food Additives (Host Country - China) and the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (Host Country - The Netherlands).

The Commission also considered and endorsed, at Step 8, the Draft Revision of the Preamble of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives as well as the Draft and Proposed Draft Food Additive Provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA). The Draft Maximum Level for Lead in Fish, the Draft Maximum Levels for Cadmium in marine bivalve molluscs (excluding oysters and scallops) and in cephalopods (without viscera) and in polished rice, and the Proposed Draft Amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives were also considered and adopted at Step 8 of the procedure.

The Proposed Draft Revision of the Codex Class Names and International Numbering System for Food Additives - CAC/GL 36-2003 (N)7-2005 and the Proposed Draft Maximum Level for Total Aflatoxins in almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios "ready-to-eat" were also considered and adopted at Step 5.

* This is an indicative list only. For a full list of standards approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, please consult its Official List of Standards.

What is GSFA Online?

GSFA Online is a web-based version of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (CAC/STAN 192-1995), which sets out the conditions for the use of food additives in food products. Users can use GSFA Online to search the Standard by food additive (name, synonym, INS number), functional class of additives or food category. Each page includes explanatory text and a glossary of the technical terms. GSFA Online is easy to use and will be updated regularly after the Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted new and revised food additives provisions.

Last Meeting

This committee met for its 38th Session in The Hague, The Netherlands, from 24 – 28 April 2006. At this meeting the Committee forwarded to the Commission:

  • Draft revision of the Preamble of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives, at Step 8;
  • Draft and proposed draft food additive provisions of the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), at Step 8 and 5/8, respectively;
  • Proposed draft Amendments to the International Numbering System for Food Additives,at Step 5/8;
  • Specifications for the Identity and Purity of Food Additives arising from the 65th JECFA meeting, at Step 5/8;
  • Proposed draft Appendix to the Codex Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxins Contamination in Tree Nuts – Additional Measures for the Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxins in Brazil nuts (N08-2005), at Step 5/8;
  • Draft Maximum Level for Lead in Fish, at Step 8;
  • Draft Maximum Levels for Cadmium in marine bivalve molluscs (excluding oysters and scallops) and in cephalopods (without viscera) and in polished rice, at Step 8;
  • Proposed draft Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Dioxin and Dioxin-like PCB Contamination in foods and feeds, at Step 5/8; and
  • Proposed draft revised Guideline Levels for Radionuclides in Foods Contaminated Following a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency for Use in International Trade, at Step 5/8.
Proposed Draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 5 of the Uniform Procedure
  • Proposed draft revision of the Codex Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives – CAC/GL 36-2003” (N07-2005);
  • Proposed draft Maximum Level for Total Aflatoxins in Almonds, Hazelnuts and Pistachios “Ready-to-Eat"; and
  • Proposed draft Maximum Levels for Tin in Canned Foods (other than beverages) and in Canned Beverages.
Proposals for New Work and for Discontinuation of Work
  • Guidelines for the Use of Flavourings;
  • Revision of the Preamble of the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods and the Procedural Manual;
  • Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Ochratoxin A Contamination in Wine;
  • Code of Practice for the Reduction of Acrylamide in Food; and
  • Code of Practice for the Reduction of Contamination of Food with PAH from Smoking and Direct Drying Processes.
Other Matters for Consideration by the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
  • Forward to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, for inclusion in the GSFA, the food additive provisions of the Codex commodity standards with a one-to-one relationship to GSFA food categories and to recommend to the Commission to revoke the corresponding food additive provisions of the GSFA that are inconsistent with these provisions, including the consequential changes in parent food categories as illustrated in CX/FAC 06/38/7, Annex IV that would be prepared by the Codex Secretariat;
  • Forward to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for inclusion in the GSFA, an amended Annex to Table 3 of the GSFA, so that the general provisions of Table 3 do not apply to these food categories or standardized foods;
  • Request the Codex Alimentarius Commission to replace the list of food additives of those Codex commodity standards that have a one-to-one correspondence with GSFA food categories, with text that refers to the provisions of the relevant GSFA food categories;
  • Recommend to the Commission to request Codex commodity committees, when they consider new entries or revisions of food additive provisions in commodity standards, to provide to the Committee justification of technological need for the food additives based upon Section 3.2 of the Preamble to the GSFA;
  • Recommend the Codex Alimentarius Commission to revoke a number of food additive provisions;
  • Forward the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods, including Schedule I to the Commission for adoption;
  • Recommend to the Codex Alimentarius Commission that specific reference to the GSCTF be included in the sections on contaminants of Codex commodity standards, e.g. “The products covered by this Standard shall comply with the Maximum Levels of the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods (CODEX/STAN193-1995) and the maximum residue limits for pesticides and veterinary drugs established by the CAC”;
  • Forward a request for a FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the health risks associated with methylmercury and dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in fish and the health benefits of fish consumption; to postpone consideration on the need to revise the guideline levels for methylmercury in fish pending the outcomes of the requested FAO/WHO Expert Consultation and to retain the current Codex guideline levels for the time-being. In addition it was decided not to proceed with the development of a list of predatory fish and not to start compiling data on the ratio of methyl mercury to total mercury in different fish species and to possibly consider this at a later stage with a particular focus on the different ratios for shellfish; and
  • Request to revise the GSFA descriptor of food category 13.6 “Food supplements".
Endorsement and/or Revision of Maximum Level for Food Additives and Processing Aids in Codex Standards
  • Agreed not to endorse provisions regarding the use of Annatto Extracts (INS 160b), included in several draft and proposed draft Standards, because JECFA had assigned a temporary ADI for this food additive

Codex Committee for Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)

Endorsed the food additive provisions in the draft revised Standard for Processed Cereal-Based Foods for Infants and Young Children. It endorsed the additional provisions presented related to Section 3.9 “Flavours” and recommended that the Codex Alimentarius Commission include them in Section 4 “Food Additives”.

Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP)

Endorsed all the food additive provisions, except for Gluconic Acid (INS 574), in the draft and proposed draft Standards, with some modifications; it also endorsed the two lists of food additive provisions for use in plain fermented milks and in heat-treated fermented milks (plain) to be included in Codex Standard for Fermented Milks, and requested CCMMP to consider whether Microcrystalline Cellulose (INS 460i) and Powdered Cellulose (INS 460ii) should be used in these products.

Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes (CCCPL)

Endorsed the food additive provisions in the draft Standard for Instant Noodles, with some modifications and deleted all additives associated with the technological function “Sweetener”. It also noted that the Maximum Levels for Tartrazine (INS 102), Sunset Yellow FCF (INS 110), Amaranth (INS 123), Fast Green FCF (INS 143), Curcumin (INS 100i) and Carmines (INS 120) might be reconsidered in the future, depending on the outcome of the JECFA dietary exposure assessment .

Matters of Interest to the Codex Alimentarius Commission and/or Codex Committees and Task Forces

The Committee agreed to:

  • Discontinue work on other proposed draft and draft food additive provisions, as proposed in CX/FAC 06/38/7. It was agreed that these provisions would be included in the Appendix of the draft and proposed draft food additive provisions to be discontinued, arising from the discussion of Agenda Item 6b “Food Additive Provisions in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives”;
  • Establish an electronic Working Group to prepare a discussion paper describing in full the impacts of the revisions on the food additive provisions in the relevant GSFA food categories with a one-to-many relationship to a commodity standard, for circulation, comments and further discussion at the next session of the Committee;
  • Request the Codex Secretariat to prepare every year an updated version of the “Working document for information and support to the discussion on the GSFA”;
  • Reconvene the physical ad hoc Working Group on the Codex General Standard for Food Additives prior to its next session;
  • Incorporate into the GSFA the proposed food additive provisions: for Lutein from Tagetes erecta L (INS 161b(i)) and Zeaxanthin (INS 161h) at Step 4 and for Aspartame-Acesulfame Salt (962) at Step 3 and to include peroxyacid antimicrobial solutions in the Inventory of Processing Aids as antimicrobial agent (para. 75); Re-establish the electronic Working Group on the GSFA to consider the outstanding recommendations contained in CX/FAC 06/38/10, comments contained in CX/FAC 06/38/9 Parts 1 and 2, relevant decisions of the 37th and 38th CCFAC and new comments submitted in response to the Circular Letter to be issued by the Codex Secretariat;
  • Request the Codex Secretariat to issue a separate Circular Letter requesting comments by 15 September 2006 on a number of food additive provisions;
  • Consider the listing of additives used in glazes, coatings, marking inks and surface decorations in the GSFA at a later stage;
  • Establish an electronic Working Group to develop a discussion paper on guidelines and principles on the use of processing aids and accepted the offer of the Delegation of New Zealand to prepare a further updated version of the Inventory of Processing Aids (IPA);
  • Reconvene the ad hoc Working Group on Specifications prior to its next session, under the Chairmanship of Denmark;
  • Reconvene the ad hoc Working Group on Contaminants and Toxins in Foods prior to the next Session of the Committee under the Chairmanship of the European Community;
  • Retain the proposed draft Sampling Plan at Step 4 awaiting outcome of the discussion paper on Maximum Levels of aflatoxins in tree nuts;
  • Establish an electronic Working Group to expand the discussion paper on the aflatoxin level in ready-to-eat tree nuts;
  • Re-establish the electronic Working Group to revise the discussion paper on aflatoxin contamination in Brazil nuts; it also agreed that discussion on a sampling plan for Brazil nuts should be performed as part of the ongoing discussion on a sampling plan for aflatoxin in tree nuts;
  • Re-establish the electronic Working Group to revise and update the Discussion Paper on Deoxynivalenol (DON);
  • Establish two electronic Working Groups to prepare separate discussion papers on Ochratoxin A (OTA) in coffee and on Ochratoxin A (OTA) in cocoa;
  • Return the proposed draft Code of Practice for the Reduction of Chloropropanols during the Production of Acid Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVPs) and Products that Contain acid HVPs (N05-2005) to Step 2 for revision by the electronic Working Group;
  • Maintain the proposed draft Maximum Level for 3-MCPD in Liquid Condiments Containing HVPs at Step 4 and to re-establish the electronic Working Group on Acid-HVP Containing Products and other Products containing Chloropropanol;
  • Postpone discussion on the risk communication aspects of methylmercury in fish until a general discussion on this issue within Codex could give guidance on this matter;
  • Request proposals for addition or amendments to the revised Priority List of Food Additives, Contaminants and Naturally Occurring Toxicants under a separate Circular letter which would also contain the questionnaire for submission, for consideration at its next session;
  • Establish an electronic Working Group to revise the Discussion paper on aflatoxin contamination in dried figs; and
  • Establish an electronic Working Group to develop a discussion paper for the revision of the Food Category System of the GSFA.

Download the report from this meeting

Next Meeting

The 1st Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food will be held in Beijing, China from
17 - 20 April 2007.

The 39th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives will be held in Beijing, China from
24 - 28 April 2007.

Related Links

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)



Last Updated: 18 Dec 2007
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