Download SUMMARY REPORT OF THE WORK ON THE

SUMMARY REPORT OF THE WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF CODEX
BIOFORTIFICATION DEFINITION by eWG led by Zimbabwe and South
Africa.
The 38th session of the CODEX Alimentarius Commission requested Zimbabwe and South
Africa to lead an electronic working group that was to initiate work on the development of a
CODEX definition for Biofortification and to indicate where the definition will be used. One
member organization( the EU representing its member states), 23 member states including,
Agentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ghana, Greece, India, ,
Iran, , Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Switzerland,
Uruguay, USA and 9 Observer organizations including ICTA, Food and Drink Europe, FAO
Nutrition Advisory Group, SGAE, Harvest Plus, ICBA, IDF, Biotechnology Industry
Organisation and IAFCO requested to join the electronic working group(eWG).
Four draft definitions were sent out to eWG members for comments. In addition to their
comments, members were also requested to send their own proposed definitions. Comments
were received from one member organization, 11 member states and 3 Observer Organisations.
Based on comments received from the eWG members, 6 criteria were dentified.
1. All potential types of agricultural processes which include all potential organisms
(animal and animal feed, plant and plant, fungi, yeasts and fertilizers thereof) that may be
involved in biofortification to be included in the definition.
2. Definition to allow for all essential nutrients (micro- and macro-nutrients)
3. Definition must include increase/enhanced levels or absorption of nutrient(s) sufficiently
for intended purpose (bioavailability) ie whether it must include increased level of
absorption or refer to intended purpose or health benefits or improved nutritional quality
4. The definition must include measurable changes in increased or enhanced nutrient levels.
5. The definition must include decrease of any anti-nutritional elements
6. Definition must or must not specify method of production of foods
These criteria were used to come up with two proposed definitions for biofortification and 1
proposed definition for biofortified foods to be presented to CCNFDSU for discussion and
comments at step 3..
1. Biofortification is the process by which the essential nutrient quality of food including
essential amino acids and fatty acids, is improved through the use of agricultural
methodologies, as well as reducing anti-nutritional factors with the aim of making the
nutrients bio-available to the body after ingestion, in order to provide a health benefit.
2. Biofortification is the process by which the essential nutrient quality of food including
essential amino acids and fatty acids, is improved through the use of agricultural
methodologies, with the aim of making the nutrients bio-available to the body after
ingestion, in order to provide a health benefit.
3. Biofortified foods. Biofortified foods are foods or food products which consist of or
contain one or more ingredients from biofortified food sources contributing a
nutritionally significant amount of the nutrient(s) to the final food. (There will be need to
come up standards for biofortified foods)
It was proposed that the definition will be used as follows: The definition can be used in
dictionaries. The definition can be used as guidance by researchers, regulatory
authorities, food manufacturers, packers, traders, consumers, risk assessors(e.g scientific
bodies)
The definition can be used in development of new breeds, labeling of foods, development
of food regulations, acts and policies, in reports of risk assessments, marketing of
products, and already existing codex texts such as ‘Principles of addition of
micronutrients to foods” or by subsidiary bodies of CODEX such as CCFL, CCGP etc.
The chairs also noted the following issues that may require further discussion at
CCNFSDU 37.
1. The definition may require discussion on the issue of anti-nutrients. Should they be
included or not. Members of the eWG differed on this issue.
2. Some members wanted bioavailability to be included in the definition while others
thought it should not since it is not easy to measure bioavailability at the level of national
food regulators..
3. Should ‘bioprocessing’ of food be included in the definition?