Codex Decides on Key Issues for Food Supplement Sector

At its meeting earlier this month in Geneva, the CAC, the highest decision-making body in Codex, adopted firstly, the ‘General Principles for Establishing Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) of Vitamins and Minerals for the General Population’.

Jul 18 2011 --- The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has agreed on a way forward for key issues in the food supplement sector – Steviol Glycosides, Nutrient Reference Values, Genetically Modified Organisms and fish oils, IADSA can report.

At its meeting earlier this month in Geneva, the CAC, the highest decision-making body in Codex, adopted firstly, the ‘General Principles for Establishing Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) of Vitamins and Minerals for the General Population’.

It also adopted a ‘Compilation of Codex texts relevant to the Labelling of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology’, following a decision from its food labelling committee to discontinue work on definitions and labelling conditions for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) following no agreement, and to develop the compilation of existing Codex texts instead.

Thirdly, the CAC endorsed the decision of its Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) to develop a ‘Standard for Fish Oils’, which will cover oil from fish and shellfish, and on the additives front, it agreed a maximum level for the use of Steviol Glycosides (INS 960) as an additive in food supplements, at the level of 2,500 mg/kg as proposed by IADSA. This level and use applies only to chewable food supplements.

“This week’s meeting has seen significant developments,” said IADSA’s Regulatory Affairs Director David Pineda Ereño. “We are pleased that the CAC has accepted our scientific and technological justification for the retention of Steviol Glycosides, and in terms of nutrient reference values, the agreed text includes changes consistent with IADSA position.”

“The decision to finalise the work on definitions and labelling for GMOs too ends years of discussion,” he continued, “with some countries proposing process-based GMO labelling and others proposing GMOs to be declared on the label only when they are present in the final product.”