USDA, FDA to host public meeting ahead of Codex committee session

Officials with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said they “recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 36th Session of CCMAS and to address items on the agenda.”​ The CCMAS meeting will take place February 23-27, 2015, in Budapest, Hungary.

The public meeting is scheduled from 10am to 12 noon (EST) at the Jamie L. Whitten Building of USDA’s headquarters in Washington, DC. Documents related to the 36th Session of CCMAS are accessible on the Meetings & Reports page of the Codex Alimentarius website.

Agenda items

The public meeting covers the following items on the agenda for the 36th Session of CCMAS: 1) methods of analysis and sampling in Codex Standards at different steps; 2) Proposed Draft Principles for the Use of Sampling and Testing in International Food Trade (explanatory notes and practical examples); 3) a discussion paper on developing procedures and guidelines for determining equivalency to type I methods; 4) a discussion paper on the criteria approach for methods that use a sum of components; 5) review and update of methods in Codex Standard 234-1999 (Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling); and 6) follow-up methods of analysis and sampling plans.

The Federal Register​ notice said at the public meeting, draft US positions on the agenda items will be described, discussed, and attendees will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments.

Interested parties may also participate in the public meeting via conference call. Call-in details may be found under the US Codex heading on the International Affairs page of the USDA-FSIS website.

In the Federal Register ​notice, Dr. Gregory Noonan, the US Delegate to the 36th Session of CCMAS, invited US interested parties to submit comments electronically. A research chemist with FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Noonan may be reached by email at Tertbel.Abbana@sqn.uuf.tbi​.

Why is the CCMAS important?

The CCMAS is responsible for defining the criteria appropriate to Codex Methods of Analysis and Sampling. It also serves as a coordinating body for Codex with other international groups working in methods of analysis and sampling and quality assurance systems for laboratories.

In addition, the CCMAS specifies the basis of final recommendations submitted to it by other bodies. It considers, amends, and endorses methods of analysis and sampling proposed by Codex (Commodity) Committees, except in the areas of sampling for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food; assessing the microbiological quality and safety of food, and assessing specifications for food additives.

The Committee is also charged with elaborating sampling plans and procedures. It considers specific sampling and analysis problems submitted to it by the Commission or any of its Committees.

The CCMAS defines procedures, protocols, guidelines, or related texts for assessing food laboratory proficiency, and develops quality assurance systems for laboratories. The Committee is hosted by Hungary.