Section Four - 4.3 JECFA-Rev_final_DTP

7/29/2019 Section Four - 4.3 JECFA-Rev_final_DTP

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FAO/WHO CODEX TRAINING PACKAGE

SECTION FOURSCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR

CODEX WORK

Module 4.3

JECFA


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FAO/WHO Codex Training PackageModule 4.3 Codex Training Package June20042

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


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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.


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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 ofspecifications for the identity and purity of food additives and

the assessment of residue levels of veterinary drugs in food.


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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.


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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


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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.


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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.


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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 advicewhen a no-observed-effect level

cannot be identified


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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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Results of JECFA evaluations

A summary is published within a few weeks of the meeting,

giving the main conclusions, including details of the ADIsand 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 theWHO 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 asan 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

Section Four - 4.3 JECFA-Rev_final_DTP

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