Outcomes of the 19th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF19)

19 – 23, October 2026, The 19th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF19) was held in Cairo, Egypt.

Delegates participated in the Committee’s work both in person and online (via Zoom and webcast). A wide range of issues was discussed during the session, and the work was intensive and productive. At the conclusion of the session, the following outcomes were reached.

The Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Cadmium Contamination in Foods was returned for further revision and will be considered at the next CCCF session.

The establishment of a maximum level (ML) for methylmercury in tuna will be considered in 2029 due to insufficient data on total mercury and methylmercury levels in different tuna species.

The JECFA data request on total aflatoxin levels in cereal and cereal-based products will be considered next year to assess the available data.

The Committee forwarded the following documents to the 50th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC50, 2027) for adoption at Step 5/8:

• Code of Practice for the Reduction of Aflatoxin B1 in Raw Materials and Supplemental Feeds for Milk-Producing Animals.

• Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Tropane Alkaloids in Food and Feed.

• Code of Practice for Weed Control to Prevent and Reduce Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Contamination in Food and Feed.

The following project documents, including proposed revisions, were submitted to CAC50 (2027) for approval as new work:

• Code of Practice for the Reduction of Acrylamide in Foods.

• Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Ochratoxin A Contamination in Dried Fruits.

• Development of Guidelines for the Safe Use of Recycled Plastics in Food Packaging.