Promoting international harmonisation of food standards. The committee deferred to discuss the above to agenda 4. Codex develops international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice for an international food code that contributes to the safety, quality. The codex is based in rome and funded jointly by the fao and the who. Codex alimentarius the international food standards. The codex is based in rome and funded jointly by the fao and the who in the early 1960s, the food and agriculture organization fao of the united nations and the world health organization who recognized the importance of developing.
Codex office is publishing this notice to announce that arrangements for the public meetings for the codex alimentarius commission. The international institute for sustainable development iisd is an. Codex is all of these, but t understano d the role of the codex in food legislation and trade, a clear understanding of the meaning of the words used is required. The codex alimentarius commission cac is a food standards programme that was founded by fao and who in 1963. This blog follows the activities of codex alimenarius, which was created in 1963 by two united nations organizations, the food and agriculture organization and the world health organization. Codex alimentarius consumer protection food quality food. The codex alimentarius commission codex is the international food standards setting body recognised by the world trade agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary sps and technical barriers to trade tbt as being the reference point for food standards applied in international trade with the objectives of protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. Creating standards that protect consumers, ensure fair practices in the sale of food, and facilitate trade is a process that involves specialists in numerous food. In its first 20 years of activity, the commission compiled hundreds of.
It also gives the membership of the codex alimentarius commission. Meeting of the committee on food import and export certification and inspection systems. Commodity standards are defined in detail in codex procedural manual, 20. There are thousands of standards in the codex alimentarius, ranging from general ones, which apply to all foods, to food or productspecific ones. As published for the toronto food policy council july 2003 codex alimentarius and the international politics of food irradiation andrianna natsoulas, international food organizer critical mass, energy and environment program public citizen codex alimentarius,1 literally translated from latin, means food code. Codex alimentarius is the international food code providing sciencebased food standards for use by governments and industry as references for national legislation, trade, and dispute settlement the direct and indirect impact of codex alimentarius on international trade in dairy products is significant and is illustrated by the. Joint faowho codex alimentarius commission languange. Functions of codex develops harmonised international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice for consumers health and fair trade practices promotes coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non. Codex develops international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice for an international food code that contributes to the safety, quality and fairness of food trade. The texts are developed and regularly updated by the codex alimentarius commission. Codex work contributes to the safety, quality, and fairness of the international food trade and helps to ensure that food is safe and can be traded. These delegates to codex committees pdf, 8 kb are primarily employed by. The european community and the adoption of international. List of food additives, codex alimentarius the following is a list of food additives as organized by the codex alimentarius committee.
Consumers can trust the safety and quality of the food products they buy and importers can trust that the food they ordered will be in accordance with their specifications. International food standards faowho codex alimentarius. Codex alimentarius commission international commission on. Codex alimentarius download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi.
Its role is to establish a broad range of international food safety and quality. Use of microbiological criteria in international food. International food standards 2009 codex alimentarius. Codex alimentarius the food code institute for food. Who is founded, with responsibilities covering human health and, in particular, a mandate to establish food standards. The codex alimentarius commission cac is the joint food and agricultural organization fao and world health organization who international food standards setting body of the united nations. The committee deferred to discuss the above to agenda 4 acceptances. Codex alimentarius commission, joint commission of the united nations food and agriculture organization fao and world health organization who established in 1963 to develop an international code of food quality standards. The codex alimentarius commission codex is the international food standards setting body recognised by the world trade agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary sps and technical barriers to trade tbt as being the reference point for food standards applied in international trade with the objectives of protecting the health of consumers and. Codex international food standards department of agriculture. There is a lot at stake for protecting consumers health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. Established by the united nations food and agriculture organization fao and the world health organization who in 1963, the codex alimentarius, or food code, is the preeminent international food standards setting body that protects the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade through the establishment of voluntary international standards, guidelines, and codes. The codex alimentarius is a collection of international standards for all the principal foods, whether processed, semiprocessed or raw, including provisions regarding food hygiene.
This publication explains how international food safety standards are set through the joint food and agriculture organization of the united nations and world health organization faowho food standards programme the codex alimentarius commission and how these standards are applied in the context of the world. Codex alimentarius commission codex international egg. Its name is derived from the codex alimentarius austriacus. This course provides a thorough understanding of the organization of codex alimentarius, why codex matters, the key documents, the nature and operation of the various committees, the standards, the interaction who, wto, and the importance of codex alimentarius in world trade and global food law. Codex alimentarius commission food and agriculture. Codex alimentarius commission procedure manual, twentythird. In 2003, the codex alimentarius commission, a body established by the fao and the world health organization in 1963 to develop harmonised international food standards, published two landmark documents in the field of food irradiation. Codex alimentarius the codex alimentarius is a collection of international food safety standards that have been adopted by the codex alimentarius commission the codex. The codex alimentarius commission cac was established by the food and agriculture organization of the united nations fao and the world health organization who to develop international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice. The codex alimentarius is a collection of international food safety standards that have been adopted by the codex alimentarius commission the codex. The codex alimentarius latin, meaning food law or code is the result of the commissions work. The codex alimentarius latin for book of food is a collection of internationally recognised guidelines, standards, and codes of practice and other recommendations relating to foods, food production, and food safety.
Codex alimentarius commission food standards australia. An introduction to codex and basic principles of standards. Type any criteria in the search box to filter the data e. The codex alimentarius latin for food code is a collection of international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice whose main purpose is to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade. The commission is a joint intergovernmental body of the food and agriculture organization of the united nations fao and who with 188 member countries and.
The codex alimentarius, a result of the commissions work, is a collection of internationally adopted food standards, guidelines, codes of practice and other recommendations and is the major. The commission, also known as cac, is the central part of the joint faowho food standards programme and was established by fao and who to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food. Codex alimentarius codex is a word frequently used in the food industry, by consumers and by food regulators t producto denot a,e a process, and people. The procedural manual of the codex alimentarius commission describes the. Governments and international organizations wishing to submit comments on the above text should do so in writing to the secretariat, codex alimentarius commission, joint faowho food standards programme, fao, viale delle terme di caracalla, 00153 rome, italy email. There are two international standards on potatoes established by the unece and by the oecd. Established by the united nations food and agriculture organization fao and. Today, there are 185 member governments including canada. Setting food safety standards for international trade. Codex alimentarius food and agriculture organization. The codex alimentarius commission and the faowho food. Cacrcp 11969 page 4 of 31 document and hazard analysis and critical control point haccp system and guidelines for its application annex.
Codex is a memberdriven organization with 187 member countries and one member organization, the eu. As of october 2012, codex alimentarius commission has defined commodity standards for 212 food items and local standards for food items. Matters of interest arising from the 15th session of the codex alimentarius commission acceptance of codex standards and codex maximum limits for pesticide residues 11. Codex alimentarius and the international politics of food. Agreed standards are voluntary and implementation by member countries. The commission, also known as cac, is the central part of the joint faowho food standards programme and was established by fao and who to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade. The commission is a joint intergovernmental body of the food and agriculture organization of the united nations fao and who with 188 member countries and one member organization the european union. The codex alimentarius is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other recommendations relating to foods, food production, and food safety. Codex alimentarius an overview sciencedirect topics. Click on any column to order the list of standards. Fao is founded, with responsibilities covering nutrition and associated international food standards. The european union and the eu countries are actively involved in the activities of the following international organisations setting standards in the area of food and feed. Procedural manual codex alimentarius commission issn 10208070 c o d e x a l i m e n t a r i u s 23 joint faowho food standards programme 2015 codex alimentarius commission procedural manual twentythird edition faowho twentythird edition. The commission also promotes coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
Food and drug administration center for food safety and applied nutrition office of food additive safety fcc stakeholders forum may 9, 2019. The codex alimentarius commissioncacis an international food standards body established jointly by the food and agriculture organization fao and the world health organization whoin may 1963 with the objective of protecting consumers health and ensuring fair practices in food trade. Use the yellow arrow to order the data ascending or descending. Codex alimentarius commission procedure manual, twenty. International food standards 2009 codex alimentarius joint. In the early 1960s, the food and agriculture organization fao of the united nations and the. The codex alimentarius food code is the single, most important global reference point for consumers, food producers and processors, national food control agencies and the international food trade. These discussions were based on concerns related to increasing international food trade following the second world war. Codex standards in the who southeast asia region food related outbreaks in the increasingly complex global food chain could involve multiple countries across continents since sourcing of raw materials and manufacturing processes transcend national boundaries.
The food and agriculture organization fao and world health organization who created the codex alimentarius commission in 1963 to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the joint faowho food standards programme. Codex alimentarius commission food standards australia new. Request pdf the european community and the adoption of international food standards within the codex alimentarius this article examines the way the european community defends its interests in. The programme seeks to protect the health of the consumers, to ensure fair trade practices in the food trade and to promote. Hulebak usda, food safety and inspection service chair, codex committee on food hygiene vice chair, codex alimentarius commission icmsfraciafp symposium washington dc october 31, 2005 codex alimentarius commission to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade. General standards include those on hygiene, labelling, pesticide and veterinary medicine residues, import and export inspection and certification systems, methods of analysis and sampling, food. The codex alimentarius serves as the basis for many national food standards and related regulations. January 2019 the codex alimentarius commission codex is the international food standards setting body established by the united nations food and agriculture organization and the world health organization. In its first 20 years of activity, the commission compiled hundreds of definitions of foodstuffs and additives, restrictions on food composition including limits on. This volume contains all the codex standards and the code of practice.
For any questions please contact the codex secretariat. International food standards faowho codex alimentarius who. Established by the united nations food and agriculture organization fao and the world health organization who in 1963, the codex alimentarius, or food code, is the preeminent international food standardssetting body that protects the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade through the establishment of voluntary international standards, guidelines, and codes. Codex alimentarius the food code institute for food laws. Food labelling is the primary means of communication between the producer and seller of food on one hand, and the purchaser and consumer of the other. Codex develops food standards, guidelines and codes of practice in order to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair food trade practices and promote coordination of food standards undertaken by. Download a standard by clicking on the green symbol in the available languages indicated. The codex alimentarius is a collection of international standards for all the principal foods, whether processed, semiprocessed or raw, including provisions regarding food hygiene, nutritional quality, food additives, pesticide residues and labelling issues.
The codex alimentarius commission codex is the international food standards setting body established by the united nations food and agriculture organization and the world health organization. Joint faowho food standards programme codex alimentarius commission thirtyeighth session cicg, geneva, switzerland 6 11 july 2015 report of the forty seventh session of the codex committee on food additives xian, china 23 27 march 2015 note. Members of fao and who which are interested in international food standards. It is the annual report of the activities of the joint faowho food standards programme, codex alimentarius. Codex alimentarius commission international commission. The codex alimentarius international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice contribute to the safety, quality and fairness of this international food trade. The role of the codex alimentarius in determining international standards for pesticides and food 2 internationally, and can adversely affect trade and consumer confidence. The codex alimentarius, or food code is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the codex alimentarius commission. The codex alimentarius standards and guidelines on food labelling published in various volumes of the codex alimentarius are collected and published in a separate publication. Idf was later to be an important catalyst in the conception of the codex alimentarius commission. Its texts are developed and maintained by the codex alimentarius commission, a body that was. International food trade is a 200 billion dollar a year industry, with billions of tonnes of food produced, marketed and transported. The us codex office announced a public meeting to discuss agenda items coming before the 17th session of the codex alimentarius committee cac on food import and export inspection and certification systems ccfics, to be held in cebu, philippines nov.