FAO/WHO CODEX TRAINING PACKAGE

SECTION FOUR SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR CODEX WORK

Module 4.3 JECFA

What is JECFA?
JECFA Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (founded in 1956) International expert scientific body Normally meets twice a year; agendas address either additives, contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants residues of veterinary drugs in foods

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

Purpose of JECFA
JECFA serves as a scientific advisory body to: FAO and WHO FAO and WHO Member Governments the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies (in particular CCFAC and CCRVDF) JECFA performs a vital function in providing a reliable source of expert advice for countries that do not have the resources to perform their own risk assessments.

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

Membership of JECFA
Membership of the meetings varies according to the agenda, with different sets of experts being called on depending on the subject matter. Selection of members is based on the scientific credentials of the various candidates, and a balance of scientific expertise and other experience is considered essential. FAO selects members to deal with the development of specifications for the identity and purity of food additives and the assessment of residue levels of veterinary drugs in food.

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

Membership of JECFA (cont.)

WHO is responsible for selecting members to deal with the toxicological evaluations of the substances under consideration. FAO and WHO meet the costs of experts attendance at JECFA meetings.

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

JECFA activities
Food additives, contaminants and toxicants: elaborates principles for evaluating their safety conducts toxicological evaluations and establishes acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) or tolerable intakes prepares specifications of purity for food additives assesses intake

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

JECFA activities (cont.)

Residues of veterinary drugs in food: elaborates principles for evaluating their safety establishes ADIs and recommends maximum residue limits (MRLs) determines criteria for the appropriate methods of analysis for detecting and/or quantifying residues in food
JECFA experts are also expected to conduct extensive literature

searches on substances they are considering in addition to reviewing the information submitted by sponsors of the chemicals under review.

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

For food additives, JECFA...

establishes ADIs on the basis of available toxicological and other relevant information develops specifications of the identity and purity This helps to ensure that the product in commerce is of appropriate quality, can be manufactured consistently and is equivalent to the material that was subjected to toxicological testing.

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

For contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants, JECFA.......

establishes levels corresponding to tolerable intakes when there is an identifiable no-observed-effect level
may provide other advice when a no-observed-effect level cannot be identified

FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

For veterinary drugs, JECFA...

evaluates data on good practice and recommends corresponding

MRLs in animal tissues, milk and/or eggs Such MRLs are intended to provide assurance that when the drug has been used properly, the intake of residues of the drug present in food is unlikely to exceed the ADI.

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FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004

Results of JECFA evaluations

A summary is published within a few weeks of the meeting, giving the main conclusions, including details of the ADIs and MRLs set by the committee. The summary is distributed in printed form and posted on the FAO and WHO Web sites.

Detailed conclusions of JECFA meetings are published in the WHO Technical Report Series.

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Results of JECFA evaluations (cont.)

The reports reflect the agreed view of the committee and describe the basis for the conclusions. A minority report may be included as an annex in those rare cases where full consensus is not reached. Toxicological and intake monographs are published in the WHO Food Additive Series (FAS). Specifications for the identity and purity of food additives are published in the Compendium of food additive specifications (FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No. 52 and addenda).

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Web sites
Information on JECFA is available at both the FAO and WHO Web sites: www.fao.org/es/ESN/jecfa/index_en.stm www.who.int/pcs/jecfa/jecfa.htm

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FAO/WHO Codex Training Package Codex Training Package June Module 4.3 2004