The US Pharmacopeia (USP), the official standards-setting authority
for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, as well as dietary
supplements and other healthcare products manufactured and sold in the
United States, published a new edition of the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) in March.1
This codex, which was first published in 1966, sets standards for the
identity, quality, and purity of food ingredients, including colorings,
flavorings, nutrients, preservatives, and processing aids.
The new version of the FCC is the sixth edition of the codex and the
first published under the direction of USP. Previous editions were
published by the Institute of Medicine. The codex features more than
1,000 monograph standards and tests for food ingredients, including
empirical and structural formulas, assays, physicochemical
characteristics, impurity limits, packaging and storage information,
and more.2 It is intended for use by manufacturers of food, food chemicals, and food ingredients.
“With the increasing globalization of the food supply, the
availability of pure and safe foods is more important than ever,” said
Darrell Abernethy, MD, PhD, USP chief science officer in a USP press
release.1 “This latest edition of the Food Chemical Codex
will help assure that food ingredients are meeting high standards of
quality for public consumption, just as USP has done with
pharmaceutical products for close to 200 years.”
According to USP, a new edition will be published every 2 years,
with an annual supplement between editions. The codex will be revised
and updated based upon comments and feedback from industry experts, as
well as scientific, technical, governmental, and trade organizations.
All interested parties are encouraged to submit proposed revisions and
comments through the online FCC Forum at www.usp.org/fcc/forum.
The FCC is available through print and online subscriptions.2
A print subscription, which costs $495, entitles the subscriber to the
main edition of FCC as well as the supplement. An online subscription,
which costs $595, provides the same quality content found in the print
edition with extensive search capabilities. The online subscription
covers a 2-year period. More information about the FCC, including order
forms, is available at: www.usp.org/fcc.
—Courtney Cavaliere
References
1US Pharmacopeia releases new edition of the Food Chemical Codex [press release]. Rockville, MD: US Pharmacopeia; March 4, 2008.
2Food Chemicals Codex Product Information. US Pharmacopeia Web site. Available at: www.usp.org/fcc. Accessed March 21, 2008. |