Below is a list of issues currently under discussion at Codex and other international forums that are relevant to the Australian Seafood Industry. SafeFish welcomes any technical advice, comments, or input around these issues.

Issues under discussion at Codex

Issues under discussion at other International standard setting forums

Issues under discussion at Codex

Codex Committee Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP)

In October 2024, the CCFFP worked by correspondence and discussed the following areas that fall within its remit:

The Committee also acknowledged the activities of FAO and WHO relevant to the work of CCFFP, including the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption.

Cadmium – Code of Practice (under development)

In April 2024, the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) agreed to establish a Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Cadmium Contamination in Foods. Further information on the proposal is available by contacting the SafeFish Secretariat at info@safefish.com.au.

Calanus oil – Inclusion in fish oil standard
A proposal for Calanus oil (derived from Calanus finmarchicus) to be listed as a named fish oil in Standard for Fish Oils (CXS 329-2017) was approved by the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) in February 2024 and has been forwarded to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption in November 2024. The essential composition and quality factors include ranges of fatty acid composition and wax esters of at least 80% w/w. Given concerns from a Member Organisation on the safe levels of intake of astaxanthin the standard will also specify that the maximum levels of astaxanthin shall comply with the regulations of the country of retail sale.

More information on the proposal is available by contacting the SafeFish Secretariat at info@safefish.com.au.

Canned Sardines – Insertion/update of species into Standard
In 2020 the Codex Alimentarius Commission proposed to evaluate if the Standard for Canned Sardines and Sardine-Type Products (CXS 94-1981) could be amended to include the fish species S. lemuru (Bali sardinella) in the list of Sardinella species. Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP) has been reactivated to work in accordance with the Procedure for the Inclusion of Additional Species in Codex Standards for Fish and Fishery Product. An electronic working group was established and recommended the CCFFP include S. lemura in the list of species. In October 2024 CCFFP agreed to include S. lemura in the list of sardine species and to forward the inclusion to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption.

In October 2024, Codex Secretariat informed CCFFP that Sardinella fimbriata and Sardinella sirm (currently named Amblygaster sirm) had been accidentally omitted from the Standard for Canned Sardines and Sardine-type Products (CXS 94-1981) since 1979 and that they would rectify the omission.

In October 2024, CCFFP also agreed on an editorial amendment to update the scientific names of the following species in the Standard for Canned Sardines and Sardine-type Products (CXS 94-1981).

  • Sardinops neopilchardus and Sardinops caeruleus replaced by Sardinops sagax;
  • Clupea bentincki replaced by Strangomera bentincki; and
  • Etrumeus teres replaced by Etrumeus sadina.

Ciguatera – FAO/WHO Expert Meeting and potential establishment of a Code of Practice
In November 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) held an expert meeting on ciguatera poisoning to develop scientific advice in response to a request from the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF). In particular, the requested scientific advice to FAO/WHO entailed a full evaluation of known ciguatoxins (toxicological assessment and exposure assessment), including geographic distribution and rate of illness; congeners; methods of detection; and based on this, guidance for the development of risk management options. A copy of the FAO/WHO Expert Meeting report is available here.

The Expert Meeting concluded that although there are many gaps in the available information about ciguatera poisoning; there are some needs that require urgent attention regarding both risk management and research. The main needs for risk management were the definition of clear protocols to avoid the risk of consuming toxic seafood, mainly by local people and tourists, but also consumers purchasing imported seafood from certain areas. This included a well-defined information and outreach programme, and a clear identification of the geographic distribution of fisheries resources and causative organisms, as well as CTXs presence and concentration in different tissues and anatomic parts of the affected fisheries resources. The main research needs referred to detection methods, and the need to have a stable supply programme of analytical standards.

In February 2023, CCCF released a discussion paper that proposed to develop a Code of Practice for the prevention or reduction of ciguatera poisoning. The discussion paper made note of the many knowledge gaps that remain in regard to analytical methods, human toxicology, monitoring and surveillance programs, climate change, and international cooperativity. The discussion paper was circulated to key stakeholders and SafeFish provided a submission to Codex Australia. In April 2023 CCCF agreed to develop a Code of Practice for the prevention or reduction of ciguatera poisoning and SafeFish participated through an electronic working group. In April 2024 CCCF agreed to forward the Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Ciguatera Poisoning to CAC for adoption.

More information on the Code of Practice is available by contacting the SafeFish Secretariat at info@safefish.com.au.

Extrapolation of MRLs for Veterinary Drugs in Finfish
In December 2021, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) adopted the approach for the extrapolation of maximum residue limits for veterinary drugs to one or more species. In February 2023, the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) agreed to the proposed extrapolation of:

  • a MRL of 30 μg/kg of deltamethrin (an insecticide) in muscle of salmon to muscle of all finfish
  • a MRL of 500 μg/kg of flumequine (an antibiotic) in muscle of trout to muscle of all finfish

The proposed extrapolations were adoption by CAC in November 2023.

CCRVDF continue to evaluate the extrapolation of MRLs for different combination of compounds/commodities. In October 2024 CCRVDF will consider the recommendations from an electronic working group that include the extrapolation of:

  • a MRL of 1,350 μg/kg of lufenuron (an insecticide) in fillet (muscle plus skin in natural proportions) of salmon and trout to fillet (muscle plus skin in natural proportions) of all finfish
  • a MRL of 100 μg/kg of emamectin benzoate (an insecticide) in fillet (muscle plus skin in natural proportions) and muscle of salmon and trout to fillet (muscle plus skin in natural proportions) of all finfish
  • The criteria to extrapolate 10 μg/kg of diflubenzuron (an insecticide) in muscle plus skin in natural proportions of salmon to all finfish could not be met and extrapolation was not recommended.

Food Fraud – Guideline for the Control and Prevention of Food Fraud
In September 2024, the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) developed draft guidelines for the prevention and control of food fraud and agreed to forward the draft guidelines to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption at Step 5. An electronic working group will be established to consider all outstanding issues. Food fraud incidents can present a risk to public health and can result in economic loss for consumers and other stakeholders, disruption in trade, reputational damage, and unfair economic advantages.

Further information on the proposal is available by contacting the SafeFish Secretariat at info@safefish.com.au.

Labelling Provisions for Non-Retail Containers
In 2021, Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted the General Standard for the Labelling of Non-retail Containers of Foods (CXS 346-2021). Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products were requested to review the labelling provisions for non-retail containers in the existing 24 fish and fishery product standards in order to harmonise standards.

Listeria monocytogenes – Revision of Guidelines
In December 2022 the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) agreed to consider the possible revision of the Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods (CXG 61-2007). This follows an JEMRA Expert Meeting on microbiological risk assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in foods that was held 24-28 October 2022. Summary report available here. JEMRA has also recently released a meeting report from 2020 that considers Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods: attribution, characterization and monitoring (report available here).

Methods of Analysis and Sampling
In May 2024 Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling completed a review of methods of analysis for fish and fishery products in Codex documents. All methods in the fish and fishery product standards will be moved into the Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CXS 234-1999). CCMAS agreed to request CCFFP to clarify the intended use of the provisions for amino acid nitrogen in the Standard for Fish Sauce (CXS 302-2011).

Methylmercury – Maximum levels and associated sampling plans
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) have adopted maximum levels (MLs) for methylmercury in Tuna (1.2 mg/kg), Alfonsino (1.5 mg/kg), Marlin (1.7 mg/kg), Shark (1.6 mg/kg), Orange Roughy (0.8 mg/kg) and Pink Cusk-Eel (1.0mg/kg). Maximum levels were set based on the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) principle. No consensus could be reached on setting an appropriate ML for methylmercury in Swordfish. Codex has agreed to discontinue the development of MLs for methylmercury in all other fish species due to low levels of methylmercury or insufficient data.

Throughout the development of this work, SafeFish assisted in the upload of some methylmercury and total mercury data from Australia to the GEMS/Food database, and prepared formal technical submissions providing comments on the discussion paper produced by the EWGs to Codex Australia in December 2019, February 2020, September 2020 and March 2021. SafeFish continued to advocate that prior to any MLs being established the contaminant needs to be present in amounts that are significant for total exposure and that sampling plans, if developed, should be practical and feasible whilst ensuring food safety using a risk-benefit based approach.

In 2024 CCCF agreed to forward the sampling plans for methylmercury to CCMAS for endorsement and to CAC for adoption. It was noted that if the sampling plans were not practical then CCCF could come back with a revision/amendment.

Pathogenic Vibrio species in seafood – Revision of Guidelines
In December 2022, the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) agreed to establish an EWG, subject to approval of the Commission, to revise the guidelines to control pathogenic Vibrio species in seafood. Key issues relevant to the control of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus which could be taken into consideration in the new work as follows:

  • updated microbiological monitoring methods including molecular-based approaches;
  • latest scientific data, information on new pathogenic strains and their geographical spread and clinical incidence;
  • detection and characterization of Vibrio species;
  • remote sensing-based techniques to measure variables such as temperature and salinity, climate change; and
  • practical interventions that can be used to reduce vibriosis risks associated with the consumption of seafood (e.g. pre-harvest (relaying), at harvest (such as reduced cooling times) and post-harvest treatments (high-pressure processing, freezing and pasteurization, etc).

In March 2024, CCFH54 considered the proposed revised guidelines and agreed to forward the draft revisions to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for adoption at Step 5. CCFH will revisit the text once Annex II on Fish and Fishery Products of the Guidelines for the Safe Use and Reuse of Water in Food Production and Processing (CXG 100-2023) is completed. More information on the agreed revisions is available by contacting the SafeFish Secretariat at info@safefish.com.au.

Safe Use and Reuse of Water in Food Production – New Guidelines under development
In December 2022, the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) agreed to forward the draft guidelines for the general section and an annex on fresh produce to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) for adoption. CCFH also agreed to establish an EWG to further develop the annex on fishery products.

In March 2023 the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) released its report for determining appropriate and fit-for-purpose microbiological criteria for water sourcing, use and reuse in fish and fishery products from primary production to retail. A copy of the report is available here.

Viruses in Foods – Revision of Guidelines
In December 2022, the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) agreed to request JEMRA for scientific advice on the following five areas concerning viruses in foods, with a priority on items 1, 3, and 4.

  1. An up-to-date review of the foodborne viruses and relevant food commodities of highest public health concern.
  2. A review of the scientific evidence on prevention and intervention measures and the efficacy of interventions in the food continuum.
  3. A review of the analytical methods for relevant enteric viruses in food commodities.
  4. A review of scientific evidence on the potential utility of viral indicators or other indicators of contamination.
  5. A review of the various risk assessment models with a view towards constructing more applicable models for wide use among member countries, including a simplified risk calculator.

JEMRA held an expert meeting in September 2023 to review food attribution, analytical methods and indicators of viruses in foods. A summary from the meeting is available here.

JEMRA held an expert meeting in February 2024 to review prevention and intervention measures. A summary from the meeting is available here.

In March 2024 the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene agreed to revise and update the Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Viruses in Food. More information on the scope of the proposed revisions is available by contacting SafeFish Secretariat at info@safefish.com.au.

Issues under discussion at other International standard setting forums

Chemical water safety (FAO/WHO)
FAO and WHO have started a project to provide scientific advice on chemical water safety (including emerging contaminants). Use of good quality water at different stages of the agrifood system is crucial for food safety.

Climate change: Current and anticipated food safety issues (FAO)
In April 2020 FAO released a report titled “Climate change: Unpacking the burden on food safety”.
The purpose of the report was to identify and attempt to quantify some current and anticipated food safety issues that are associated with climate change. The food safety hazards considered in the publication are foodborne pathogens and parasites, harmful algal blooms, pesticides, mycotoxins and heavy metals with emphasis on methylmercury. There is also a section on the benefits of forward-looking approaches such as horizon scanning and foresight, that include microplastics and novel food production systems.

Microplastics – Assessing human exposure and implications for human health (FAO/WHO)
In 2022 the FAO released a report titled “Microplastics in Food Commodities: A Food Safety Review on Human Exposure Through Dietary Sources”. The report outlines the existing literature on the occurrence of microplastics and their associated contaminants in foods. It estimates the dietary exposure of consumers to these materials, highlights some knowledge gaps with respect to their relevance to public health, and offers some recommendations for future work on microplastic particles to support food safety governance.

In August 2022 the WHO released a report titled “Dietary and inhalation exposure to nano- and microplastic particles and potential implications for human health”. The report considered the exposure from the environment, including exposure via food, water and air. The WHO assessed the risks to human health from exposure to microplastic particles from the environment, and identified research needs and defined the scope of future work needed on microplastic particles to address current uncertainties.

In September 2023 the FAO released a report titled “The impact of microplastics on the gut microbiome and health – A food safety perspective”. The report noted that the number of available studies evaluating the impacts of microplastics on the gut microbiota is limited and recommended further research is required to understand if and how microplastic exposure or co-exposure with other chemicals affects the host and the gut microbiome.

Risks and benefits of fish consumption – Update (FAO/WHO)
In October 2023 the FAO and WHO convened an expert meeting to update the 2010 report on the risks and benefits of fish consumption. The expert consultation considered new scientific evidence which focused on:

  • Evidence of health benefits from fish consumption;
  • Toxic effects of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs;
  • Toxic effects of methylmercury;
  • The role of selenium regarding the health effects of methylmercury;
  • Occurrence data for methylmercury, dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in fisheries and aquaculture products.

A Summary Report is available here and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on the Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption report was published in October 2024.

The updated report concluded that consuming fish provides energy, protein and a range of other nutrients important for health, and that there are benefits related to fish consumption during all life stages (pregnancy, childhood and adulthood). General population studies show that the benefits and individual effects of fish consumption vary depending on overall diet, the characteristics of consumers, and the fish that is consumed. Risk–benefit assessments at regional, national or even subnational levels are needed to refine fish consumption recommendations considering local consumption habits, fish contamination levels and nutrient content, nutritional status of the population of interest, cultural habits and demographics.

The report also recommended nations develop and evaluate risk analysis strategies (risk assessment, risk management and risk communication) that maximise the benefits and minimise the risks from consuming fish.

Seaweed safety (FAO/WHO)
In 2022 FAO and WHO released a report identifying food safety hazards (microbiological, chemical and physical) linked to the consumption of seaweed and aquatic plants. A copy of the report containing current status and future perspectives is available here and it is an output from an Expert Meeting held 28-29 October 2021.