General Principles of the Codex Alimentarius

Purpose of the Codex Alimentarius

1. The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of internationally adopted food standards presented in a uniform manner. These food standards aim at protecting consumers’ health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. The Codex Alimentarius also includes provisions of an advisory nature in the form of codes of practice, guidelines and other recommended measures intended to assist in achieving the purposes of the Codex Alimentarius. The publication of the Codex Alimentarius is intended to guide and promote the elaboration and establishment of definitions and requirements for foods to assist in their harmonization and in doing so to facilitate international trade.

Scope of the Codex Alimentarius

2. The Codex Alimentarius includes standards for all the principle foods, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, for distribution to the consumer. Materials for further processing into foods should be included to the extent necessary to achieve the purposes of the Codex Alimentarius as defined. The Codex Alimentarius includes provisions in respect of food hygiene, food additives, pesticide residues, contaminants, labelling and presentation, methods of analysis and sampling. It also includes provisions of an advisory nature in the form of codes of practice, guidelines and other recommended measures.

Nature of Codex Standards

3. Codex standards contain requirements for food aimed at ensuring for the consumer a sound, wholesome food product free from adulteration, correctly labelled and presented. A Codex standard for any food or foods should be drawn up in accordance with the Format for Codex Commodity Standards and contain, as appropriate, the criteria listed therein.

Acceptance of Codex Commodity Standards

4.A. A Codex standard may be accepted by a country in accordance with its established legal and administrative procedures in respect of distribution of the product concerned, whether imported or home produced, within its territorial jurisdiction in the following ways:

(i) Full acceptance

(a) Full acceptance means that the country concerned will ensure that a product to which the standard applies will be permitted to be distributed freely, in accordance with (c) below, within its territorial jurisdiction under the name and description laid down in the standard, provided that it complies with all the relevant requirements of the standard.

(b) The country will also ensure that products not complying with the standard will not be permitted to be distributed under the name and description laid down in the standard.

(c) The distribution of any sound products conforming with the standard will not be hindered by any legal or administrative provisions in the country concerned relating to the health of the consumer or to other food standard matters except for considerations of human, plant or animal health which are not specifically dealt with in the standard.

Acceptance with specified deviations means that the country concerned gives acceptance, as defined in paragraph 4.A(i), to the standard with the exception of such deviations as are specified in detail in its declaration of acceptance; it being understood that a product complying with the standard as qualified by these deviations will be permitted to be distributed freely within the territorial jurisdiction of the country concerned. The country concerned will further include in its declaration of acceptance a statement of the reasons for these deviations, and also indicate:

(a) whether products fully conforming to the standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction in accordance with paragraph 4.A(i);

(b) whether it expects to be able to give full acceptance to the standard and, if so, when.

A declaration of free distribution means that the country concerned undertakes that products conforming with a Codex commodity standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction insofar as matters covered by the Codex commodity standard are concerned.

B. A country which considers that it cannot accept the standard in any of the ways mentioned above should indicate:

(i) whether products conforming to the standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction;

(ii) in what ways its present or proposed requirements differ from the standard, and, if possible the reasons for these differences.

(ii) Where, in an importing country, a product claimed to be in compliance with a Codex standard is found not to be in compliance with that standard, whether in respect of the label accompanying the product or otherwise, the importing country should inform the competent authorities in the exporting country of all the relevant facts and in particular the details of the origin of the product in question (name and address of the exporter), if it is thought that a person in the exporting country is responsible for such non-compliance.

Acceptance of Codex General Standards

5.A. A Codex general standard may be accepted by a country in accordance with its established legal and administrative procedures in respect of the distribution of products to which the general standard applies, whether imported or home-produced, within its territorial jurisdiction in the following ways:

(i) Full acceptance

Full acceptance of a general standard means that the country concerned will ensure, within its territorial jurisdiction, that a product to which the general standard applies will comply with all the relevant requirements of the general standard except as otherwise provided in a Codex commodity standard. It also means that the distribution of any sound products conforming with the standard will not be hindered by any legal or administrative provisions in the country concerned, which relate to the health of the consumer or to other food standard matters and which are covered by the requirements of the general standard.

(ii) Acceptance with specified deviations

Acceptance with specified deviations means that the country concerned gives acceptance, as defined in paragraph 5.A(i), to the general standard with the exception of such deviations as are specified in detail in its declaration of acceptance. The country concerned will further include in its declaration of acceptance a statement of the reasons for these deviations, and also indicate whether it expects to be able to give full acceptance to the general standard and, if so, when.

(iii) Free distribution

A declaration of free distribution means that the country concerned undertakes that products conforming with the relevant requirements of a Codex general standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction insofar as matters covered by the Codex general standard are concerned.

B. A country which considers that it cannot accept the general standard in any of the ways mentioned above should indicate in what ways its present or proposed requirements differ from the general standard, and if possible, the reasons for these differences.

C. (i) A country which accepts a general standard according to one of the provisions of paragraph 5.A is responsible for the uniform and impartial application of the provisions of the standard as accepted, in respect of all home produced and imported products distributed within its territorial jurisdiction. In addition, the country should be prepared to offer advice and guidance to exporters and processors of products for export to promote understanding of and compliance with the requirements of importing countries which have accepted a general standard according to one of the provisions of paragraph 5.A.

(ii) Where, in an importing country, a product claimed to be in compliance with a general standard is found not to be in compliance with that standard, whether in respect of the label accompanying the product or otherwise, the importing country should inform the competent authorities in the exporting country of all the relevant facts and in particular the details of the origin of the product in question (name and address of the exporter), if it is thought that a person in the exporting country is responsible for such non-compliance.

Acceptance of Codex Maximum Limits for Residues of Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs in Food

6.A. A Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food may be accepted by a country in accordance with its established legal and administrative procedures in respect of the distribution within its territorial jurisdiction of (a) home-produced and imported food or (b) imported food only, to which the Codex maximum limit applies in the ways set forth below. In addition, where a Codex maximum limit applies to a group of foods not individually named, a country accepting such Codex maximum limit in respect of other than the group of foods, shall specify the foods in respect of which the Codex maximum limit is accepted.

(i) Full acceptance

Full acceptance of a Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food means that the country concerned will ensure, within its territorial jurisdiction, that a food, whether home-produced or imported, to which the Codex maximum limit applies, will comply with that limit. It also means that the distribution of a food conforming with the Codex maximum limit will not be hindered by any legal or administrative provisions in the country concerned which relate to matters covered by the Codex maximum limit.

(ii) Free distribution

A declaration of free distribution means that the country concerned undertakes that products conforming with the Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction insofar as matters covered by the Codex maximum limit are concerned.

B. A country which considers that it cannot accept the Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in foods in any of the ways mentioned above should indicate in what ways its present or proposed requirements differ from the Codex maximum limit and, if possible, the reasons for these differences.

C. A country which accepts a Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food according to one of the provisions of paragraph 6.A should be prepared to offer advice and guidance to exporters and processors of food for export to promote understanding of and compliance with the requirements of importing countries which have accepted a Codex maximum limit according to one of the provisions of paragraph 6.A.

D. Where, in an importing country, a food claimed to be in compliance with a Codex maximum limit is found not to be in compliance with the Codex maximum limit, the importing country should inform the competent authorities in the exporting country of all the relevant facts and, in particular, the details of the origin of the food in question (name and address of the exporter), if it is thought that a person in the exporting country is responsible for such non-compliance.

Withdrawal or Amendment of Acceptance

7. The withdrawal or amendment of acceptance of a Codex standard or a Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food by a country shall be notified in writing to the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s Secretariat who will inform all Member States and Associate Members of FAO and WHO of the notification and its date of receipt. The country concerned should provide the information required under paragraphs 4.A(iii), 5.A(iii), 4.B, 5.B or 6.B above, whichever is appropriate. It should also give as long a notice of the withdrawal or amendment as is practicable.

Revision of Codex Standards

8. The Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies are committed to revision as necessary of Codex standards and related texts to ensure that they are consistent with and reflect current scientific knowledge and other relevant information. When required, a standard or related text shall be revised or removed using the same procedures as followed for the elaboration of a new standard. Each member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is responsible for identifying, and presenting to the appropriate committee, any new scientific and other relevant information which may warrant revision of any existing Codex standards or related texts.