The United Nations food standards body, the
Codex Alimentarius Commission has agreed on a set of residue limits for the
veterinary drug ractopamine in animal tissues. A growth promoter, ractopamine
is used to keep pigs lean; the Commission
have adopted maximum residue limits for the amount of the drug allowed in the
tissues of pigs and cattle.
The decision has been made after a rigorous process
of scientific assessment to ascertain that the proposed levels of residues have
no impact on human health. This assessment was carried out by the Joint Expert
Committee on Food Additives, a group of independent experts convened by the UN
Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) that
provides scientific support to Codex.
The Commission reaches decision through a system of
voting in accordance with the Commission’s rules and procedures. The limits
approved for ractopamine by the Commission are 10 micrograms per kilogram of
pig or cattle muscle, 40 micrograms per kilogram in liver and 90 micrograms per
kilogram of the animals’ kidneys.
The Commission has also agreed to new regulations on the maximum level of
melamine in liquid milk formula for babies to protect the health of consumers
across the world. Other measures adopted include new food safety standards on
seafood, melons, dried figs and food labelling.
Melamine
Melamine, which is lethal at high concentrations, has been used illegally
to increase apparent protein content in food products including infant formula, and
milk powder. Milk tainted with melamine cause death and illness in
infants. Two years ago, the Codex Commission adopted a maximum melamine level
of 1 mg/kg for powdered infant formula and of 2.5 mg/kg for other foods and
animal feed. The Commission has now set a maximum limit of 0.15 mg/kg for
melamine in liquid infant milk.
Melamine is used to make dishware and kitchenware, among other industrial
applications. The new limit will help governments protect consumers by
determining if detected levels of melamine result from unavoidable melamine
contamination that does not cause health problems or from deliberate
adulteration.
Dried figs
and aflatoxins
Aflatoxins, a group of mycotoxins produced by molds, are toxic and are
known to be carcinogenic or causing cancer. Found in a variety of products such as
dried fruits, nuts, spices and cereals at high levels if not
stored properly. The Commission has agreed a safe maximum limit of 10
micrograms/kg for dried figs, together with details on how test sampling should
be conducted.
Melons
Increased popularity of
pre-cut melon slices has raised a public health concern because exposed pulp of the fruit can become a breeding ground
for bacteria. This has been linked to life-threatening salmonella and listeria
outbreaks.
The Commission recommended that pre-cut melons should be wrapped or
packaged and refrigerated as soon as possible and distributed at temperatures
of 4⁰ C or less. Cooling and
cold-storing was recommended as soon as possible after harvest, while knife
blades used for cutting or peeling should be disinfected on a regular basis.
Seafood and
viruses
For practice of proper food hygiene in seafood such as molluscs (mussels and
oysters), the Commission adopted a set
of preventive hygiene measures aimed to control food-borne viruses. Viruses are
generally more resistant than bacteria and those transmitted by the faecal-oral
route can persist for months in bivalve molluscs, soil, water and sediments.
They can survive freezing, refrigeration, UV radiation and disinfection but are
sensitive to heat.
Common food-borne viral diseases are caused by hepatitis A virus and
norovirus. The Commission noted that the major hazard for the production of
molluscs was the biological contamination of the
waters in which oysters and mussels grow.
It is therefore important to ensure the seawater quality of growing
areas, the Commission noted. When there is a likelihood or evidence of viral
contamination, closure of the area, destruction of contaminated molluscs and/or
heat treatment before consumption of already harvested molluscs is recommended.
Mandatory
nutrition labeling
A very important recommendation of the Commission is that food manufacturers across the world label
nutritional content on their products to ensure that consumers are better
informed; the recommendation is in line with WHO’s Strategy on Diet, Physical
Activity and Health and is a major step forward in promoting healthy eating
worldwide.
The 49-year-old Codex Alimentarius Commission, meeting from 2–7 July, was
attended by 600 delegates representing 184 countries plus the European Union.
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