Medium-Term Plan of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
5. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, at its 21st Session, had approved the strategic planning approach for implementing the Medium-Term Plan. It had also approved the Project Plans submitted to it and requested the relevant Committees to take immediate action as required in respect of the Project Plans. The Committee had been identified as being involved in the Programme Areas of risk analysis[5], pesticide residues and biotechnology.
Pesticide Residues
6. The Project Plan for Pesticide Residues required a progress report to be presented to the 43rd Session of the Executive Committee on MRLs associated with the top 20 food commodities in international trade. The Committee noted that the list in Annex 2 of CX/PR 96/2 showed that most of the top 20 commodities in trade were well covered by Codex MRLs and agreed to inform the Executive Committee accordingly. The list was referred to the ad hoc Working Groups on Priorities and on Pesticide Residue Problems in Developing Countries to determine if additional coverage was needed.
Biotechnology
7. The Committee acknowledged that at present there were no urgent problems related to pesticide applications on genetically modified plants. The JMPR could deal with biotechnology matters in its routine practice.
Proposals to Elaborate New Standards
Pesticide Residues in Honey
8. While chemicals used to treat beehives were defined as veterinary drugs in the Codex system, several delegations reported that in their countries those used to treat bee mites were categorized as pesticides. It was acknowledged that residues in honey might also be derived from pesticide treatment of honey-providing plants or environmental contamination. The Committee agreed that at present this issue was of low priority.
MRLs for Fish
9. Several delegations reported that they had established MRLs for fish for certain pesticides, especially organochlorines. The Committee was informed that the Draft Code of Practice for Aquaculture under consideration by the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products contained a section on chemicals used in aquaculture. The Committee agreed to send a Circular Letter informing of developments in this area and soliciting information on the need to establish MRLs for fish.
MRLs for Low-fat Meat
10. The Committee agreed that at present there were no urgent trade problems associated with pesticide residues in low-fat meat and that the matter was of low priority.
General Guidelines on Sampling
11. The Committee noted that the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling was elaborating the General Guidelines on Sampling and the document had been provided to the ad hoc Working Group on Methods of Analysis. The Committee would consider a revised document when it became available.
