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Date: From 14 to 17 March 2000

Venue: Makuhari-Messe International Conference Hall (Chiba City, Chiba)

Participants: 225 delegates from 33 countries and 24 organizations


Summary and Conclusions
  The First Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology reached following conclusions:

1. MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND/OR THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
     The Task Force:
   • Agreed to report to the Executive Committee for approval as new work at Step 1 the following work plan:
     • Elaboration of major texts, namely:
       1. A set of broad general principle for risk analysis of foods derived from biotechnology (precise title still to be determined);
       2. Specific guidance on the risk assessment of foods derived from biotechnology (precise title still to be determined).
     • Preparation of a list of available analytical methods including those for the detection or identification of foods or food ingredients derived from biotechnology; and
   • Decided to establish two open-ended Ad Hoc Working Groups, namely:
     • Ad Hoc Working Group, to be chaired by Japan, to develop texts mentioned in (i.) above (The Woking Group is planned to meet twice before the Second Session of the Task Force);
     • Ad Hoc Working Group, to be chaired by Germany, to compile a list of analytical methods mentioned in (ii.) above (The Working Group will hold a half-day meeting immediately prior to the Second Session of the Task Force).
     
     
2. OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION
     The Task Force welcomed the initiative of FAO and WHO to convene an expert consultation to support the scientific aspects of its work and agreed upon five specific questions for which scientific advice of the expert consultation would be sought for.

Report: The report on the First Session of the Task Force(PDF)

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Date: From 25 to 29 March 2001

Venue: Makuhari-Messe International Conference Hall (Chiba City, Chiba)

Participants: 225 delegates from 37 countries and 25 organizations


Summary and Conclusions
  The Second Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology reached the following conclusions:

1. MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
     The Task Force:
   • Agreed to advance the Proposed Draft Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology to Step 5 of the procedure for the consideration of the 24th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission;
   • Agreed to advance the Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants to Step 5 of the procedure for the consideration of the 24th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission;
   • Adopted a preliminary report for submission to the 24 th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission; and
   • Agreed, subject to the approval by the 24th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to initiate a new work at Step 1 on the elaboration of a guideline for conduct of food safety assessment of modified microorganisms in food.
   
   
2. OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION
     The Task Force:
   • Agreed to develop, for the Guideline document, a separate annex containing detailed procedures for the allergenicity assessment and also agreed to establish an open-ended Working Group to be chaired by the Government of Canada to this end;
   • Agreed to request comments on the papers on traceability provided by the Delegations of France and the United States by means of a circular letter for further discussion at its next session;
   • Agreed to document the present status of validation of the methods that had been reported by the member countries and recommended that a register or depository containing relevant information on methods for the detection or identification of foods or food ingredients derived from biotechnology (as well as the availability of reference materials) be established;
   • Recommended that a future joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation should consider safety assessment where an appropriate conventional counterpart was absent for example in the case of modified micro-organisms used in food production and processing; and
   • Welcomed the initiative of FAO and WHO to convene expert consultations to support the scientific aspects of its work in the area of foods derived from genetically modified microorganisms and fish.

Report: The report on the Second Session of the Task Force(PDF)

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Date: From 4 to 8 March 2002

Venue: Conference Center, Pacifico Yokohama (Yokohama City, Kanagawa)

Participants: 230 delegates from 36 countries and 24 organizations


Summary and Conclusions
  The Third Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology reached the following conclusions:

1. MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
     The Task Force:
   • Agreed to advance the Draft Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology to Step 8 of the procedure for the consideration of the 25th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission;
   • Agreed to advance the Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants to Step 8 of the procedure for the consideration of the 25 th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission; and
   • Agreed to advance the Draft Annex on the Assessment of Possible Allergenicity to Step 5 and recommended that the Commission also adopt the text at Step8 with omission of Steps 6 and 7.
     
   
   
2. MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CODEX EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
     The Task Force agreed to advance the Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Produced using Recombinant-DNA Microorganisms to Step 5.
   
   
3. OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION
     The Task Force:
   • Agreed to a compromise text on product tracing in order to reach a final conclusion on the text of the Draft Principles;
   • Agreed to have a fuller discussion on traceability at its next session in accordance with a consensus that such a discussion should not compromise the consensus that had already been achieved in the Draft General Principles and should not lead to specific recommendations or guidelines;
   • Agreed to forward the list of validated methods for the detection or identification of foods or food ingredients derived from biotechnology to the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling for its consideration;and
   • Noted that FAO and WHO will hold a Joint Expert Consultation on genetically modified animals, the out come of which would be reported to the Task Force.

Report: The report on the Third Session of the Task Force(PDF)

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Date: From 11 to 14 March 2003

Venue: Conference Center, Pacifico Yokohama (Yokohama City, Kanagawa)

Participants: 168 delegates from 34 countries and 19 organizations


Summary and Conclusions
  The Fourth Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology reached the following conclusions:

1. MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
     The Task Force agreed to advance the Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Produced using Recombinant-DNA Microorganisms to Step 8.
   
   
2. OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION
     The Task Force:
   • had an open discussion on traceability.
   • had an exchange of opinions on potential future work on the food safety assessment of foods derived from biotechnology.

Report: The report on the Fourth Session of the Task Force(PDF)

The documents adopted at the 26th session of the CAC

• Principles for the Risk Analysis of Foods Derived from Modern Biotechnology(PDF:57KB)
• Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants(PDF:85KB)
• Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Produced Using Recombinant-DNA Microorganisms(PDF:113KB)

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  The Fifth Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology was as follows.

Date: From 19 to 23 September 2005

Venue: Makuhari-Messe International Conference Hall (Chiba City, Chiba)

Participants: 204 delegates from 50 countries and 19 organizations


Summary and Conclusions
  The Fifth Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology reached following conclusions:

1. MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND/OR THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
     The Task Force Decided to establish:
   • a open-ended physical Working Group, to be co-chaired by Australia and Japan, to prepare a Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Animals and ;
     
     
   • a open-ended electronic Working Group, to be chaired by Canada, to develop draft documents of the Proposed Draft Annex to the Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants: Food Safety Assessment of Food Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants Modified for Nutritional and Health Benefits.
   
     These drafting works will be formally regarded as new work after their approval by the 29th session of the CAC which is scheduled to be held in July 2006.
   
   
2. OTHER MATTERS AND FUTURE WORK
     The Task Force:
   • Decided not to initiate new work on Plants with Stacked Genes, because there was a diversity of opinions among delegations in an exchange of views on this subject, ;
     
     
   • Decided not to initiate new work on Low Level Presence of Recombinant-DNA Plant Materials, since there still remained among delegations different views in the scope of the proposed work about on this subject, and the Delegation of United States indicated that they would wish to further study to decide whether to revisit this subject at a future session and ;
     
     
   • Agreed that:
     • India submit a discussion paper on Comparative Food Composition Analysis of Staple Foods, ;
     • Mexico submit a discussion paper on Sanitary Surveillance after Placing on the Market of Foods Derived from Biotchnology and ;
     • Kenya submit a discussion paper on Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Animals Exposed to Protection against Disease through Gene Therapy or Recombinant-DNA Vaccines, to the next session.

Report: The report on the Fifth Session of the Task Force(PDF:235KB)

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The summary and the conclusions of the Sixth Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology were as follows.

Date: From 27 November to 1 December 2006

Venue: Makuhari-Messe International Conference Hall (Chiba, Japan)

Participants: 182 delegates from 40 countries and 17 organizations


Conclusions

1. ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKING GOURPS
     The Task Force:
   • 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 chaired by Canada which would be held in early April 2007 in Ottawa. 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.
     
     
   • agreed to establish a physical working group, co-chaired by the United States, Germany and Thailand, to discuss the issue on food safety assessment of the low level presence of recombinant-DNA plant material in food and information-sharing mechanisms to facilitate the safety assessment in importing countries. This work will be formally regarded as new work after their approval by the 30th session of the Commission which is scheduled to be held in July 2007.
   
   
2. OTHER MATTERS
     The Task Force:
   • agreed to return the section on “Use of Antibiotic Resistance Marker Genes” 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. The questions regarding marker/reporter genes and non-heritable applications would be forwarded to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation for scientific advice.
     
     
   • decided not to initiate new work on Comparative Food Composition Analysis of Staple Foods, proposed by India, in consideration of the efforts made by other international organizations such as FAO and OECD.
     
     
   • decided not to initiate new work on Sanitary Surveillance after Placing on the Market of Foods Derived from Biotechnology, proposed by Mexico, because it has relevance to the work on the Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants Modified for Nutritional or Health Benefits.
     
     
   • decided not to initiate new work on Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Animals Exposed to Protection against Disease through Gene Therapy or Recombinant-DNA Vaccines, proposed by Kenya, and agreed to refer the issue to the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRDVF) for information and advice.
     
     

Report: The report of the Sixth Session of the Task Force(PDF:381KB)

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The summary and the conclusions of the Seventh Session of the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology were as follows.

Date: From 24 to 28 September 2007

Venue: Makuhari-Messe International Conference Hall (Chiba City, Japan)

Participants: 198 delegates from 52 members and 17 organizations


Conclusions

1. MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE COMMISSION
     The Task Force agreed to forward to the 31st session of the Commission for adoption at Step 5/8:
   • Proposed Draft Guideline for the Conduct of Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Animals;
     
     
   • Proposed Draft Annex: Food Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants Modified for Nutritional or Health Benefits; and
     
     
   • Proposed Draft Annex: Food Safety Assessment in Situations of Low-level Presence of Recombinant-DNA Plant Material in Food.
   
   
2. MATTERS REFERRED TO CODEX COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES
     Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU)
   • Recognizing that the proposed draft annex contained references to certain concepts related to nutrition, the Task Force agreed to invite the 29th Session of the CCNFSDU to review the document and provide comments if necessary. In this regard, the Task Force noted the priority this work should be given by the CCNFSDU, given the time constraints of the Task Force.
     
     

Report: The report of the Seventh Session of the Task Force(PDF:415KB)

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