As reported last week, the 28th Session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO28) agreed to submit for approval GOED’s Proposal for New Work on a Standard for Microbial Omega-3 Oils.
CCFO28 agreed to the following:
- To submit the proposal for approval by the 47th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47), which will likely take place in November 2024.
- To establish an electronic working group (EWG) chaired by the United States and co-chaired by China, subject to the CAC47 approval, to prepare the proposed draft standard for circulation for consideration by CCFO29, expected to be held in 2026 and hosted again by Malaysia.
- That the report of the EWG should be made available at least three months before CCFO29.
Had it not been for extensive support during the discussion from Codex Member Countries (CMC) United States, China, India, Kenya, Egypt, Canada, Brazil, Peru, as well as the UK with qualification, there would not have been agreement to forward the Proposal for New Work to CAC47 for approval. In addition to the support during the discussion, other CMCs supported the Proposal in advance of the meeting by written comment. Those countries included: Bangladesh, Burundi, Ghana, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Uganda and the East African Community.
It’s important to note that the European Union (EU) strongly opposed GOED’s Proposal due to safety concerns (for further details, see Paragraphs 124-131 of the draft report). The opposition of the EU is not specifically aimed at GOED’s proposal, but rather a reflection of its intent to have Codex develop a working structure that allows for the safety evaluation of what Codex calls “New Foods and Processes.” How Codex will address this request from the EU, and how that affects the progress of GOED’s proposal and any other future proposals for new work that will be submitted to Codex, remains to be determined.
While GOED is pleased with the progress thus far, significant work remains and we hope to continue to receive full cooperation from all stakeholders as the work progresses.
GOED last reported on the Proposal for New Work in the October 30, 2023 GOED Current.
Calanus Oil Proposal for Inclusion in Fish Oil Standard Also Advances
On a separate topic, CCFO28 also discussed Proposed Draft Amendment/Revision of the Standard for Fish Oils (CXS 329-2017): Inclusion of Calanus Oil. While the EU initially objected to the inclusion of calanus oil because of concern about potentially exceeding the EU maximum limit for astaxanthin, a compromise was reached by the inclusion of clarifying language in the amendment (see Paragraphs 87-103 of draft report).
Minor changes to the text will be reflected in the final report.
CCFO28 agreed to the following:
- To advance the Proposed Draft Amendment/Revision of the Standard for Fish Oils (CXS 329-2017): Inclusion of Calanus Oil (Appendix X) to CAC47 for adoption.
- To forward the method for the determination of wax content for endorsement by Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS).
- To forward the labelling provision related to astaxanthin for endorsement by Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL).
