Government Chemist represented at CODEX meeting
Selvarani Elahi, deputy Government Chemist, attended as part of the UK delegation with colleagues from the FSA and the Association of Public Analysts.
"Gluten free" labelling was discussed at the meeting
The Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) held its 40th Session in Budapest, Hungary, 27 - 31 May 2019. The Session was attended by 49 member countries, one member organisation and 12 observer organisations.
Selvarani Elahi, representing the UK Government Chemist, attended with colleagues from the Food Standards Agency and the Association of Public Analysts.
CCMAS considers methods of analysis for Codex standards and testing in relation to international food trade. The CCMAS 40th Session discussed analytical methods for nutritional metals, acid value and free fatty acids in palm oil, milk and milk product commodities, ‘gluten free’ labelling in products containing cereals, pulses and legumes, and herbs and spices.
The meeting also included updates from working groups on the revision of three substantive Codex documents: general standard for methods of analysis and sampling, guidelines on measurement uncertainty and guidelines on sampling. Work on these documents continues in order to reach global consensus.
The UK delegation presented a poster on the UK Food Authenticity Network, which attracted attention from delegates. Follow-up discussions are planned with member countries on creating ‘country-specific’ pages on the Food Authenticity Network for their countries in order to create a truly global network.