The role of science in Codex standards.

The key principle in the development of Codex standards is to ensure that the decision-making process is based on sound science. The approval for the use of food additives and other chemicals in foods should be made only when adequate scientific data is available. The same principle applies to the development of maximum tolerable (or residue) levels for contaminants in foods. Using the General Standards for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods as an example, the following criteria are considered, when developing recommendations and standards: Toxicological information; Analytical data; Intake data; Fair trade considerations; Technological considerations; and Risk assessment and risk management considerations. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has repeatedly emphasized the use of risk analysis approach, in particular the use of risk assessment in conducting the safety evaluation of food additives agricultural and veterinary chemicals and environmental and industrial contaminants in foods. In this respect, the well known efforts of the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the FAD/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) provide the much needed information and recommendations for the risk assessment of specific chemicals. The risk assessment approach is also used in the safety evaluation of foods derived from modern biotechnology as well as in the quantitative assessment of microbiological risks in foods.