The safety of our food is a global concern, and ensuring that the food we consume is safe requires international cooperation and expert knowledge. At the forefront of this effort is the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), a cornerstone of Joint Food safety initiatives worldwide. Administered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), JECFA serves as a critical expert body in the realm of food safety. Since its inception in 1956, JECFA has been dedicated to evaluating the safety of various substances found in our food supply, initially focusing on food additives and expanding its scope to include contaminants, naturally occurring toxicants, and residues of veterinary drugs.
What JECFA Does: Evaluating Food Safety Risks
JECFA’s work is extensive and vital to maintaining global food safety standards. To date, this expert committee has rigorously assessed over 2,600 food additives, around 50 contaminants and naturally occurring toxicants, and approximately 75 veterinary drugs. Beyond simply evaluating these substances, JECFA also plays a crucial role in developing the very principles that underpin the safety assessment of chemicals in food. These principles are meticulously crafted to align with the most current understanding of risk assessment, incorporating advancements in toxicology and other relevant scientific fields. This includes epidemiology, biotechnology, exposure assessment, and food chemistry, including the complex area of analytical chemistry and the setting of maximum residue limits for veterinary drugs.
JECFA typically convenes twice annually, with each session focusing on specific areas. Meetings are structured to address either (i) food additives, contaminants, and naturally occurring toxicants or (ii) residues of veterinary drugs in food. The composition of the expert committee is dynamic, drawing upon a diverse pool of specialists whose expertise matches the specific agenda of each meeting. This ensures that the most qualified scientists are involved in each evaluation, reinforcing the credibility and reliability of JECFA’s assessments.
JECFA’s Purpose: Guiding Global Food Standards and Practices
The fundamental purpose of JECFA is to act as an independent scientific authority, providing risk assessments and expert advice to FAO, WHO, and their member countries. This advice also extends to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), a body that sets international food standards. Requests for JECFA’s scientific guidance are largely channeled through CAC’s subsidiary bodies, supporting their work in developing international food standards and guidelines under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. Specifically, JECFA’s advice on food additives, contaminants, and naturally occurring toxicants is typically directed to the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) and the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF). Guidance on veterinary drug residues is provided to the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food (CCRVDF).
Access to dependable risk assessments of chemicals in food is essential for every nation. However, not all countries possess the resources and specialized expertise necessary to conduct these complex assessments independently for a wide range of chemicals. JECFA fills this critical gap by providing a trusted and impartial source of expert advice on an international scale. This is instrumental in establishing global food safety standards that protect the health of consumers everywhere and promote fair practices in international food trade. Many countries rely on JECFA’s evaluations when establishing their national food safety control programs. Furthermore, CCFA, CCCF, and CCRVDF utilize JECFA’s evaluations as the scientific basis for developing international standards.
The significance of the Codex Committees’ work has been amplified by the Uruguay Round agreement, which led to the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), succeeding the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. This agreement stipulates that scientific, risk-based standards established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission should be employed under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to ensure fair trade practices. Consequently, governments involved in trade disputes at the WTO are increasingly turning to Codex, and by extension to JECFA and other scientific bodies, for authoritative advice to support their national legislation and positions on food safety. This underscores JECFA’s vital role in the global landscape of joint food safety and international trade.
