Codex Receives Work Proposal to Establish Risk Analysis Framework for Diet-Related Diseases
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has submitted a work proposal to the Codex Alimentarius Commission that aims to establish a science-based framework for evaluating how foods may contribute to diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Because the proposal is submitted by an observer organization and not a national body, the proposal needs to be sponsored by a country before Codex will consider taking on the work.
The proposal transcends the “ultra-processed foods” (UPFs) definition debate, which has become an increasingly hot topic as the public and policymakers search for ways to reduce diet-related chronic diseases and ascertain how certain foods may contribute to disease risk. The Codex Committee on Food Labeling recently declined a proposal to initiate work on UPFs, given that there is currently no clear scientific consensus on the definition of UPF. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently undertaking work on guidelines development for UPFs. IFT's work proposal explicitly does not seek to establish a new food classificaton system or classify foods as inherently "good" or "bad."
“Although defining UPFs would be useful, it would not capture the full range of factors that should be considered when evaluating the potential risks of certain foods,” explained Rosemary Walzem, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University and IFT’s Codex team leader for the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU). Instead, “IFT’s proposal would be a way that Codex could practically develop a framework to identify which foods are promoting chronic disease risk from those that are not, independent of just saying they were made in a factory as opposed to on your kitchen stove.”
The proposal would build upon Codex’s existing risk analysis approaches for other food-related concerns, such as microbiological and chemical safety. CCNFSDU has already set a precedent of using these methods for nutritional analyses related to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as the role of specific nutrients like sodium and saturated fats in diet-dependent chronic diseases.
IFT’s work proposal would expand Codex risk analysis expertise to already-defined food categories, considering more than the individual nutrient content of foods to assess their risk of promoting diet-related chronic disease within the context of a dietary pattern of intake. The approach would not replace the existing structure, but, with some adaptation, would give countries another science-based tool that complements their own systems.
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