The Codex Secretariat is requesting an opinion on whether the scope of the Code should apply to quick frozen foods in general - quick frozen(processed) fruits and vegetables, fish and fishery products, meat and meat products, fruitjuice/purée/pulp concentrates, etc.) or only to a food category, for example, quick frozen (processed) fruits and vegetables), and whether reference should be made to documents and guidelines which have not been developed by Codex.
Europe responded that regarding the scope of the Code, the European Community is 'of the opinion that the Codeshould maintain a general scope and that the Code should apply to all quick frozen foods'. On the second point, the reference to documents and guidelines developed by other international bodies than Codex, the European Community 'is not opposed to reference being made to documents or guidelines which have not been developed by Codex, but references to those documents should be limited as much as possible.'
Europe pointed out that at this stage no technical comments are requested, but it'wishes to mention that the EC will submit comments on the Draft Code at step three of the Codex procedure and in particular on the modifications made to the text version, which was distributed at the 26th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Codex was created in 1963 by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
The main purposes of the programme are to protect the health of the consumer and to ensure fair trade practices in the food trade. The Codex committee of the commission will meet for its fifty-fourth session in Geneva later this month - 24-26 June 2004 - and the commission is set to get together from 28 June to 3 July 2004.