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| Report of the U.S. Delegate, 1st Session of the Codex ad hoc
Intergovernmental Task Force on the Processing and Handling of Quick Frozen Foods, February 25-29, 2008, Bangkok, Thailand |
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The United States was pleased with the results of the 1st Session of the Codex Ad hoc Intergovernmental
Task Force on the Processing and Handling of Quick Frozen Foods (Task Force). The Task Force completed its work on the
Code of Hygienic Practice for the Processing and Handling of Quick Frozen Foods (Code) in a manner satisfactory for the
United States and forwarded the Code for adoption at Steps 5/8 by the Task Force by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at the
Commission's 31st (2007) Session.
The Commission, at its 29th (2006) Session had established a one-session Task Force to try and resolve points on which no
consensus had been reached, primarily the inclusion of the Defect Action Point (DAP) concept and the relationship between
safety and quality factors, and which prevented the Code's advancement. The Commission agreed to a one-session Task Force
to attempt to resolve the concerns and complete work on the Code. Thailand agreed to host the Task Force, and the United States,
because of its historical involvement in developing the Code, agreed to assist Thailand in technical and other matters associated
with the Task Force. Thailand, assisted by the United States substantially revised the Code to: eliminate the DAP concept and
replace it with essential quality factors; restructure the Code to resolve the concerns over safety and quality issues; and,
to otherwise edit and streamline the Code. The Code was circulated for country comment through two Codex Circular Letters
with good agreement reached among countries on the contentious issues prior to first Session of the Task Force.
The first session of the Task Force was attended by 64 participants representing 17 Member countries and one Member Organization
(the European Community). The United States was represented by Dr. Donald Zink, the U.S. Delegate, 3 government advisors and
1 non-government advisor.
The Task Force had only one substantive agenda item before it, the revision of the Code. A summary of major decisions taken on the
Code by the Task Force is given below. The full report of the Session can be found in ALINORM 08/31/25 the Codex Web site,
www.codexalimentarius.net.
Recommended International Code of Practice for the Processing and Handling Of Quick Frozen Foods (Agenda Item 3)
The Task Force provided initial general comments supporting the work done by Thailand with the assistance of the United States
including removal of the DAP concept and inclusion of essential quality provisions, clarifying the relationship between safety
and quality factors, and structural revisions to the Code including rearrangements of certain sections, eliminating two Annexes
containing DAP and HACCP examples, and revising a third annex on temperature monitoring and control in the food chain.
The Task Force carried out a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of the main Code and the Annex. Substantive changes made in the
Code and the Annex included the following.
- Deleted the "Introduction" Section and included critical portions of it (e.g., references to Codex texts) into the Scope and Objective Section.
- Broadened the scope of the document to include cereals and bakery products but did not broaden the scope to include the production and transportation of raw materials. The Task Force also agreed that the Code would not apply to edible ices, ice creams, or milks.
- Moved an explanatory text defining "thermal center" to the definitions section. The Task Force also: included a definition for "blanching"; simplified the definition for "quick freezing process"; modified the definition of "cold chain" to include transport and storage; and, modified the definition of "quick frozen food" to indicate that a temperature of -18°C or colder had to be maintained at all points.
- Agreed not to include the concepts of verification and validation in the section on prerequisite programs but did include a reference to the Codex Guidelines for the Validation of Food Safety Control Measures (to be considered by the Commission for adoption at Steps 5/8 in July, 2008).
- Agreed that temperatures of quick frozen products should be maintained at -18°C or colder.
- Included physical hazards, in addition to chemical and microbiological hazards, as hazards needed to be controlled.
- Strengthened the "facilities" section to indicate that a contingency plan needed to be in place to maintain product temperature.
- Clarified the use of the term "food hygiene" in relationship to both safety and quality.
- Strengthened and clarified the section on "glazing" to ensure that the prevention of the occurrence of excessive addition of water was included in the guidance for this item.
- Clarified and made less prescriptive the appropriate temperature to be maintained at the thermal center of a product.
- Reorganized a section on "packaging and labelling" to separate the two aspects.
- Linked the rotation of stocks to include the shelf life (durability date).
- Clarified that the cold chain included food service in addition to retailers.
- Clarified the relationship and applicability of non-destructive versus destructive temperature measurements.
- Broadened the section on "temperature violation" to include corrective actions to ensure quality and safety beyond reducing product temperature.
- Clarified the Annex on temperature monitoring and control indicating that, in addition to providing guidance and explanation on currently available technologies in the cold chain, new temperature measuring and recording devices may be developed and used in the future.
- Broadened language of the Annex to extend air temperature monitoring devices to devices other than electronic thermometers.
- Replaced language in the Annex relating to air temperature monitoring of cold stores with more flexible language, but removed a provision that would have included storage temperature as a HACCP Critical Control Point.
The Task Force advanced the Code to Steps 5/8 and recommended its adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at the Commission's 31st
(2008) Session. The Task Force noted that there was no other work for the Task Force and that it had successfully fulfilled its Terms of
Reference. The Task Force thanked Thailand and the United States for their work excellent work in preparing the final draft of the
Code which had greatly facilitated discussions during the plenary session. In this regard, the United States thanks Thailand for the
opportunity to contribute to the success of the Task Force.
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Last Modified:
March 7, 2008 |
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