Codex Alimentarius Commission,the UN food standards body,has unveiled new safety standards for food products,which includes the maximum level of melamine in liquid milk formula,in order to ensure food safety.
The Commission is responsible for establishing international food safety and quality standards,which can form the basis for national legislation,and offer food safety benchmarks for international food trade.
Under the new regulations,it has revised the maximum limit of melamine earlier,the level was 1mg/kg for powdered infant formula but now it has been brought down to 0.15mg/kg.
Melamine is illegally added to increase apparent protein content in food products including infant formula and milk powder.
Similarly,the maximum limit of aflatoxins in dried figs has been set to 10 mg/kg.Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins produced by molds that are toxic and carcinogenic,and they can be present at high levels in products such as dried fruits,nuts,spices and cereals if the produce is not stored properly.
According to the Commission,pre-cut melon slices have been linked to life-threatening Salmonella and Listeria outbreaks,as the exposed pulp of the fruit can become the breeding ground for bacteria.
To prevent this,it has recommended that pre-cut melons should be wrapped/packaged and refrigerated at the earliest and distributed at temperatures of 4°C or less.
The Commission noted that biological contamination of the water,used to grow molluscs,such as oysters and mussels can lead to food-borne viral diseases.
It has outlined that the seawater quality of growing areas should be maintained,and in case of a likelihood of viral contamination,the area should be shut down and the contaminated molluscs should be destroyed.
In addition,the UN body has recommended that food companies across the world should declare nutritional content on their products,in order to ensure that the consumers are better informed.
The new food standards were passed at the Commission's ongoing meeting in Rome,which is being attended by more than 600 delegates representing 184 countries as well as the European Union.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission is jointly run by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)and WHO.
