Food Law News - FAO/WHO/WTO/Codex - 2006
27 November – 1 December 2006
CODEX - Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology (6 th Session), Chiba , Japan
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The Sixth Session of the Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology reached the following conclusions:
Matters for Consideration by the Commission
The Task Force agreed to forward the project document contained in Appendix IV, through the Executive Committee for critical review, to the 30th Session of the Commission for approval of new work to develop an annex to the Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants on Low-level Presence of Recombinant-DNA Plant Material (para. 77 and Appendix IV).
Matters of Interest to the Commission
The Task Force:
- agreed to return the section on “Use of Antibiotic Resistance Marker Genes” (paragraphs 64-67) to Step 3 for comments and hold the remaining sections of the Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Animals at Step 4 (paras 50-51 and Appendix III);
- agreed to return the proposed draft Annex to the Guideline for the Conduct of Foods Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants: Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants Modified for Nutritional or Health Benefits to Step 2 for further drafting by a physical working group. The proposed draft Annex, prepared by the working group, would be circulated for comments at Step 3 and be considered by the next session of the Task Force at Step 4 (para. 59).
Matters of Interest to Other Codex Committees and Task Forces
The Task Force agreed that the matter on safety assessment of foods derived from animals exposed to protection against diseases through gene therapy or recombinant-DNA vaccines be referred to the Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods for information and advice as appropriate (para. 71).
Other Matters
The Task Force:
- agreed to monitor the progress of the ongoing work by OIE with respect to food safety relating to foods derived from animals exposed to protection against diseases through gene therapy or recombinant-DNA vaccines. In this regard, the Task Force decided to request the Codex Secretariat to liaise with OIE so that a report of OIE's activities in this area would be submitted to the next session of the Task Force, while informing OIE of the expectation of the Task Force on the ongoing work of the ad hoc Group (para. 71);
- agreed to forward those questions regarding marker and reporter gene and non-heritable applications to FAO and WHO for scientific advice (para. 45 and Appendix II).
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