JOINT FAO/WHO FOOD STANDARDS PROGRAMME

CODEX COMMITTEE ON FOOD HYGIENE

Thirty-sixth Session
Washington DC, United States of America, 29 March – 3 April 2004

Washington Convention Center, Room 207, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW., Washington, DC 20001, USA,
beginning at 10.00 hrs. on Monday 29 March through Saturday 3 April 2004

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

Agenda Item	Subject Matter	Doc. Reference
	Opening of the Session
1.	Adoption of the Agenda	CX/FH 04/1
2.	Matters Referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and/or Other Codex Committees to the Food Hygiene Committee	CX/FH 04/2
3.	Endorsement of Hygiene Provisions in the Codex Standards and Codes of Practice: a) Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products: Section 2.2 and 2.6 of Definitions, Section 6 - Aquaculture and Section 10 – Processing of Quick-Frozen Coated Fish Products b) Draft Standard for Salted Atlantic Herring and Salted Sprat	CL 2003/39-FH ALINORM 04/27/18, Appendix V ALINORM 04/27/18, Appendix II;
	*- Comments in response to the CL 2003/39 – FH*	CX/FH 04/3
4.	Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products at Step 7	CL 2003/27-FH; ALINORM 03/13A, Appendix III
	*- Comments at Step 6*	CX/FH 04/4 CX/FH 04/4-Add.1
5.	Discussion Papers on the Management of the Work of the Committee:
a)	Proposed Draft Process by which the Committee on Food Hygiene Could Undertake its Work in Microbiological Risk Assessment/Risk Management Discussion Paper on Risk Management	CX/FH 04/5
	*- Comments*	CX/FH 04/5-Add. 1
b)	Discussion Paper on the Development of Process, Procedures and Criteria to Establish Priorities for the Work of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene	CX/FH 04/5-Add. 2
c)	Discussion Paper on the Development of Options for a Cross-Committee Interaction Process	CX/FH 04/5-Add. 3
6.	Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Management at Step 4	CX/FH 04/6
	*- Comments at Step 3*	CX/FH 04/6-Add.1
7.	*Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the [Management] of Listeria monocytogenes* in Foods at Step 4**	CX/FH 04/7
	*- Comments at Step 3*	CX/FH 04/7-Add.1
8.	Proposed Draft Revision of the Code of Hygienic Practice for Egg Products (CAC/RCP 15-1976) at Step 4	CX/FH 04/8
	*- Comments at Step 3*	CX/FH 04/8-Add.1
9.	Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Validation of Food Hygiene Control Measures at Step 4	CX/FH 04/9
	*- Comments at Step 3*	CX/FH 04/9-Add.1
10.	*Reports of the ad hoc* FAO/WHO Expert Consultations on Risk Assessment of Microbiological Hazards in Food and Related Matters:**	CX/FH 04/10
(a)	*Discussion Paper on Risk Management Strategies for Campylobacter* spp. in Poultry**	CX/FH 04/10-Add.1
(b)	*Risk Profile for Enterohemorragic E. coli* Including the Identification of the Commodities of Concern, Including Sprouts, Ground Beef and Pork**	CX/FH 04/10-Add.2
(c)	*Discussion Paper on Risk Management Strategies for Salmonella* spp.in Poultry**	CX/FH 04/10-Add.3
11.	Discussion Paper on the Proposed Draft Revision of the Recommended International Code of Hygienic Practice for Foods for Infants and Children	CX/FH 04/11
(a)	Risk Profile for E. sakazakii	CX/FH 04/12 CX/FH 04/12-Add.1
12.	Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Hygienic Reuse of Processing Water in Food Plants	CX/FH 01/9
	*- Comments at Step 3*	CX/FH 01/9-Add. 1
13.	Discussion Paper on Proposed Draft Guidelines for Evaluating Objectionable Matter in Food	CX/FH 01/14
14.	Other Business and Future Work
15.	Date and Place of the Next Session
16.	Adoption of the Report

N.B.: The hard copies of documents except for Agenda Item 1 will be distributed from the US Codex Secretariat. For enquiry please contact Mr Ali Syed, fax: 1 202 720-3157, email: syed.ali@usda.gov
Working documents as prepared will be uploaded onto the Codex website. They can be downloaded and printed by accessing the following URL: http://www.codexalimentarius.net

Delegates are kindly requested to bring with them to the meeting all documents which have been distributed as the number of additional copies which can be made available at the meeting is limited.

NOTES ON THE PROVISIONAL AGENDA

Opening of the Session: The Session will be opened by the Host Government.

Agenda Item 1. Adoption of the Agenda (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 04/1). In accordance with Rule V.1 of the Rules of Procedure, the first item on the Provisional Agenda shall be the adoption of the Agenda.

Agenda Item 2. Matters Referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and/or Other Codex Committees to the Food Hygiene Committee (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 04/2). The document is based on the information prepared by the Codex Secretariat. The Committee is invited to consider matters referred to it by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and/or other Committees.

Agenda Item 3. Endorsement of Hygiene Provisions in the Codex Standards and Codes of Practice: a) Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products: Section 2.2 and 2.6 of Definitions, Section 6 - Aquaculture and Section 10 – Processing of Quick - Frozen Coated Fish Products and b) Draft Standard for Salted Atlantic Herring and Salted Sprats (Doc. Ref.: CL 2003/39-FH and Appendices II and V of ALINORM 04/27/18). The Committee is invited to consider and endorse/amend hygiene provisions of the above texts elaborated by the 26^th Session of the CCFFP. Comments are incorporated into document CX/FH 04/3.

Agenda Item 4. Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Milk and Milk Products (Doc. Ref.: CL 2003/27-FH and ALINORM 03/13A, Appendix III). The current text of the document is the outcome of discussions held during the 35^th Session of the Committee. Government comments are summarized in the document CX/FH 04/4.

Agenda Item 5. Discussion Papers on the Management of the Work of the Committee: The Committee is invited:

to consider the working procedures between the ad hoc Expert Consultations and the CCFH with the understanding that the agreed procedure could be published in the Codex Alimentarius, Procedural Manual. Comments in response to CX/FH 04/5 will be reproduced in CX/FH 04/5-Add. 1;

to consider other papers prepared by the delegations of New Zealand and Australia in order to improve the work of the Committee.

Agenda Item 6. Proposed Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Management (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 04/6). The current text is the result of improvements made in the light of discussion of the 35^th Session of the CCFH and the Working Group meeting led by France. CX/FH 04/6-Add.1 reproduces comments received in response to the document CX/FH 04/6.

Agenda Item 7. Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the [Management] of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 04/7). The Committee is invited to consider the above Proposed Guidelines as pelaborated by Germany with assistance of their drafting partners. Government comments are summarized in CX/FH 04/7-Add.1.
At the last session it was noted that there was no consensus on the parallel development of both the Guidelinesand document on specific microbiological criteria for Listeria in foods. The Committee concluded that the development of the above document could be considered at a future meeting. The Committee is therefore invited to discuss on how to proceed with the development of the document on specific microbiological criteria for Listeria in foods.

Agenda Item 8. Proposed Draft Revision of the Code of Hygienic Practice for Egg Products (CAC/RCP 15-1976) (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 04/8). The Committee is invited to consider the proposed draft revision at Step 4 being prepared by Australia. Comments are presented in CX/FH 04/8-Add.1.

Agenda Item 9. Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Validation of Food Hygiene Control Measures (Doc.Ref. CX/FH 04/9). The Committee is invited to consider the proposed draft Guidelines as elaborated by the uUS with their drafting partners at Step 4. Government comments are included in CX/FH 04/9-Add.1.

Agenda Item 10. Reports of the ad hoc FAO/WHO Expert Consultations on Risk Assessment of Microbiological Hazards in Food and related Matters (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 04/10). This Agenda item consists of subitemssub items related to various matters of microbiological risk assessment. The Committee is invited:

three pathogen commodity combinationsto consider discussion papers on Risk Management Strategies for Salmonella spp.in Poultry, on Risk Management Strategies for Campylobacter spp. in Poultry, the Risk Profile for Enterohemorragic E. coli Including the Identification of the Commodities of Concern, Including Sprouts, Ground Beef and Pork;working procedures between the ad hoc Expert Consultation and CCFH

to consider and agree on the next priorities for future risk assessment.

Agenda Item 11. Discussion Paper on the Proposed Draft Revision of the Recommended International Code of Hygienic Practice for Foods for Infants and Children (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 04/11). The document will be prepared by Canada with assisstanceassistance of their drafting partners. The Committee is also invited to consider the Risk Profile for E. sakazakii (document CX/FH 04/12).

Agenda Item 12. Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Hygienic Reuse of Processing Wateron the Implementation of HACCP in Small and/or Less Developed Businesses (Doc. Ref. CX/FH 01/9). The consideration of this item has been temporary suspended at the 33rd Session of the Committee until the 36th Sesssion. The Committee is therefore invited to consider how to proceed with the development of the document. Comments are reproduced in CX/FH 01/9-Add.1.

Agenda Item 13. Discussion Paper on the Proposed Draft Guidelines Evaluating Objectionable Matter in Food (Doc. Ref.: CX/FH 01/14). The consideration of this item has been temporary suspended at the 33^rd session of the Committee until the 36^th session. The Committee is therefore invited to consider how to proceed with the development of the document.

Agenda Item 14. Other Business and Future Work. In accordance with Rule V.5 of the Rules of Procedure, any Member of the Commission may propose the inclusion of specific items of an urgent matter. The Committee may propose to undertake new work which shall be in compliance with the Medium Term Objectives and subject to approval by the Commission or its Executive Committee.

Agenda Item 15. Date and Place of the Next Session. The Committee will be advised of the tentative dates and the venue of the next meeting.

Agenda Item 16. Adoption of the Report. In accordance with Rule VIII of the Rules of Procedure, the Committee shall adopt the report of its 36th Session based on a draft provided by the Secretariat.