The Codex Alimentarius Commission, jointly created by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO), is the most important international body in the field of food standards. Since 1963, Codex has developed hundreds of internationally recognized standards, guidelines and codes of practice. It has defined thousands of permitted levels of additives, contaminants and chemical residues in food. The end goal: ensure food is safe for everyone, everywhere.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) held its first meeting in 1963. Although the CAC has not met every year in between, 2023 will represent 60 years of activity.

CAC45 plenary, Rome, November 2022 © FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Why we are celebrating a 60th anniversary (Codex@60)

The 44th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC44), held in November 2021, agreed that Codex@60 in 2023 would be a “wonderful occasion” to raise awareness about food safety and quality also in connection with the 5th celebration of World Food Safety Day (WFSD). CAC45 encouraged all Codex Members and Observers to use the opportunity of the Codex 60th Anniversary to plan and implement activities to build awareness of Codex and to engage high level political support for Codex work.

The 82nd Session of Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which took place in June 2022, further noted the guidance of FAO and WHO in holding a yearlong celebration of Codex@60 and the committee envisaged the anniversary as an opportunity to promote: the essential role Codex still plays impacting consumer health and fair practices in the food trade; the people of Codex, and the future of Codex.

Activities in the Codex Secretariat

For the Codex Secretariat the aim of Codex@60 is to mark the achievements of 60 years of standard setting with an event at CAC46 whilst at the same time relaunching the Codex website and transforming the "food code" of standards, guidelines and codes of practice and the Procedural Manual with a new format and layout and a digital object identifier to track downloads and citations.

Events throughout the Codex world

Codex Members, Observers and all those wishing to mark the 60th anniversary are being encouraged to share their events with the Codex Secretariat for publication on the website and in the Codex@60 special edition of the CAC annual magazine.

The anniversary is an opportunity to showcase the key benefits of Codex standards, though awareness raising events, case studies on impact and other success stories. But is also a chance to reflect on the future of Codex as part of the current global agenda and how it can contribute to the transformation of food systems.

Send your contributions to [email protected].

WEBCAST OF THE CODEX 60TH ANNIVERSARY

Please watch the Webcast of the 60th Anniversary Event - Live from Geneva

News about Codex@60

Codex60 / Launch of standard for labelling of non-retail containers of foods

In 2022 the Codex Secretariat began work on reviewing the formatting and layout of Codex texts to ensure consistency, to meet FAO and international publishing standards and to enhance readability. A digital object identifier (DOI) has also been added to standards as they are published, providing a unique reference that can support tracking and citation of each text. The project is part of the Codex Secretariat’s contribution to the celebration [...]

17 May 2023

Codex60 / presentation of two newly published guidelines at CCFICS

In 2022 the Codex Secretariat began work on reviewing the formatting and layout of Codex texts to ensure consistency, to meet FAO and international publishing standards and to enhance readability. A digital object identifier has also been added to standards as they are published, providing a unique reference that can support tracking and citation of each text. The project is part of the Codex Secretariat’s contribution to the celebration of [...]

06 May 2023

CCFICS / Key role in transition to sustainable agriculture says Minister

Murray Watt, Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Minister for Emergency Management, speaking via video message, welcomed delegates gathering in Hobart, Tasmania, and online, for the opening of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) taking place from 1-5 May 2023. Watt said that achieving sustainable productivity growth in agriculture was increasingly critical to meet global food security concerns arising from the world's [...]

01 May 2023

Steve Wearne / global challenges require rules on trade fit for the future

Speaking on Wednesday 26 Aprile, 2023, at the 22nd annual Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Conference, in Atlanta, Georgia, the United States of America, Codex Chairperson Steve Wearne said: “Our systems for standards and trade have their foundation in the creation of Codex 60 years ago and the World Trade Organization more than a quarter of a century ago. The global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, soil, water and [...]

26 April 2023

Contaminants Committee recognizes contribution of Yukiko Yamada to food safety

As the sixteenth session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) drew to close in Utrecht, the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Thursday 20 April 2023, Japan took the floor to inform the Committee that this would be Yukiko Yamada’s last meeting. Yukiko began her Codex career initially in the Codex Secretariat in FAO in 1993 and over the last 30 years has served the Codex Alimentarius Commission, her [...]

21 April 2023

Codex60 / Launch of new format for code of practice on lead at contaminants committee

In 2022 the Codex Secretariat began work on reviewing the formatting and layout of Codex texts to ensure consistency, to meet FAO and international publishing standards and to enhance readability. A digital object identifier has also been added to standards as they are published, providing a unique reference that can support tracking and citation of each text. The project is part of the Codex Secretariat’s contribution to the celebration of [...]

19 April 2023

Contaminants Committee celebrates 60 years of Codex

Each Codex Committee meeting in 2023 is being invited to mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Following events earlier this year in Fiji, the United States of America, Germany and China, on Monday 17 April 2023, the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) welcomed delegates attending the session to a reception at the meeting venue in Utrecht, Netherlands (Kingdom of the ). Sally Hoffer, Chairperson, [...]

18 April 2023

Over 11 200 Codex standards to be harmonized into Bangladeshi food safety legislation

In a high-level event on Saturday 25 March 2023, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) announced the successful drafting of 11 200 food standards harmonized with Codex. These are expected to be gazette-notified before the end of the year. The announcement was made by chief guest, Bangladesh’s Cabinet Secretary, Md Mahbub Hossain, in an event that also heard remarks from special guests, Md Ismiel Hossain ndc, Secretary, Ministry of Food, [...]

04 April 2023

Codex@60 / Tom Heilandt speaks to CCFA delegates at celebration in Hong Kong

At an event held in Hong Kong, SAR, China to mark the Codex 60th anniversary celebrations during the Codex Committee on Food Additives meeting, Tom Heilandt, Codex Secretary spoke of the achievements that have given the world “a comprehensive system to ensure the safety and quality of the food we eat”. Read an extract of his remarks: Looking back to an amazing 60 years: Codex’ international science-based food standards, guidelines, and codes [...]

04 April 2023

Updated twenty-eighth edition now available online

The Codex Secretariat has published the 28th edition of the Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual on its website. This release not only incorporates the recent technical additions agreed by the Commission but presents the content in a new format and design in line with the Codex 60th anniversary overall rebranding of Codex texts, as well as with FAO and industry publishing standards. “The 28th edition of the Procedural Manual, with its new [...]

03 April 2023

1 2 3 4 5 6

Key Information

Codex standards, guidelines and codes of practice deal with everything that can have an impact on the safety or quality of our food
All Codex food safety work is based on the scientific advice provided by independent expert bodies under the auspices of FAO and WHO
Codex food safety standards are reference texts in the World Trade Organization (WTO) SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement
The Codex Alimentarius has become a global reference for trade between countries and has also in many cases led to improvements in domestic production
Food safety is very much the responsibility of all parties along the value chain, from producer to consumer
Codex continually reviews its standards to ensure the best possible protection for consumers without unnecessarily restricting trade

Women leaders in Codex

For Codex@60 we researched all the women who have chaired Codex committees since 1963.

Resources

All visual digital assets for Codex@60 are available here.