The FAO and which face increasing requests for scientific assessments at a time when there has been a “significant” reduction in donor financing.
The joint secretariat of the FAO / OMs of experts on food additives (JECFA) made these comments at the last meeting of the Codex Committee on food contaminants.
A JECFA meeting in June addressed food additives, while the October 2025 meeting will assess the Arsenic only, due to the budgetary constraints of the World Health Organization (WHO). This means that the planned evaluation of dioxins has been deferred. Financial limitations have also led to the postponement of the meeting of veterinary drug residues.
JECFA’s activities are supported by the WHO and are mainly based on extra-dubbing resources from government agencies in WHO Member States. However, a significant reduction in donor contributions for scientific advice activities has led to the need to reduce JECFA operations. In May this year, the United States and Argentina revealed plans to withdraw support from WHO.
The JECFA secretariat said that the committee’s work was currently limited to resources. There was a desire to collaborate with countries wishing to provide support, speed up work and respond to requests as quickly as possible.
“It is premature to speculate on developments for 2026; However, which will have to assess the possibility of evaluating fewer food additives and could also consider a reduction in the frequency and duration of the future meetings of JECFA in general. ”
It has already been revealed that the Trust Fund Codex knew “serious financial constraints” and that funding was insufficient to implement the program as planned. Limited support had made it possible to finish certain current projects, but new initiatives were unable to start and several active projects were interrupted.
Contaminants decisions
The Codex Committee met in Bangkok, Thailand in late June. Discussions covered by lead in spices, cadmium, pyrrolizidin alkaloids and mycotoxins.
A maximum level proposed of 2.5 mg / kg for lead in spices and dried bark and 2 mg / kg for lead in culinary herbs, dried was put forward for a final decision of the Codex Alimentarius Committee in November. India and China wanted higher maximum limits.
The production of a practice code for prevention and reduction of cadmium contamination in food, led by the United States, is underway.
When you discuss sampling plans for total aflatoxins and ochratoxin has in some spices, a sample size of 200 grams has been rejected in favor of a size of 100 grams due to the high value of the spices. The work at the maximum level and the associated sampling plan for total Aflatoxins in ready -to -use peanuts have been interrupted.
The Committee has agreed to start working on a revised practice code for controlling weeds in order to prevent and reduce the contamination of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food and food, subject to approval of the Codex Alimentarius commission.
A code of practice to prevent and reduce the contamination of tropane alkaloids in food and food for food as well as on ochratoxin A in dried fruits have also been suggested.
As part of a priority list of contaminants for the evaluation by JECFA, the participants discussed ethylene oxide, cadmium and lead in Yerba Mate and delays in bisphenol a work.
Several discussion documents will be produced, including the maximum level for methylmercury in tuna, food safety aspects recycled plastics in food packaging and on T-2, HT 2, 4.15-Diacétoxyscirolé (DAS) and alkaloids ergot.
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