Codex Observers
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Currently the Codex Alimentarius Commission has: 211 Codex Observers - 48 IGOs, 147 NGOs, 16 UN.
Observer News
How a Codex guideline will ensure UNICEF can deliver safe food
The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) is working on a text, developed following a request from UNICEF, which will provide guidance on technical and nutritional aspects of the production of Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods for children from the age of 6 to 59 months with severe acute malnutrition.
Children affected by this type of malnutrition, known as SAM, need safe, palatable foods with a high energy content and adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and [...]
22 August 2019
Coordinated research contributing to future standards through Codex mechanism
by Zhihua Ye, Joint FAO/IAEA Division-IAEA.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), through the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture (the “Joint FAO/IAEA Division”), support and implement activities related to the improvement of food safety and control systems. These activities are therefore closely related to the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and several of its committees, such as CCPR, CCCF, CCRVDF and CCMAS.
The Joint [...]
24 July 2019
Experts agree Codex can build trust in food sold online
International governmental and non-governmental organizations, taking advantage of the global interest generated by the International Food Safety Conference in Addis Ababa in February 2019, discussed the Future of Food and the role Codex can play when dealing with e-commerce, during an event held at the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva on 11 July 2019.
Panellists discussed the challenges facing regulatory bodies and Codex as shopping online redirects the path our groceries take from farm to fork, offering consumers ever greater choice [...]
12 July 2019
Observer organizations gain prominence on Codex website
A dedicated section on the Codex website, now highlights activities of Observer organizations. In addition to front-page news articles and features, information on how to apply for observer status and details of all current Observers is available.
Currently, there are 229 Codex Observers – of which 57 are intergovernmental organizations, 156 nongovernmental organizations and 16 UN agencies.
Food safety is a shared responsibility
“Food safety is a shared responsibility, so it is important that governments can interact directly with producers, industry, consumers, [...]
06 May 2019
Removing International Trade Challenges For Ripened Cheeses
Last week, at its 51st session in Jinan China, the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) adopted the changes needed to harmonise provisions in the 13 Codex Standards for ripened cheeses (Cheddar, Danbo, Gouda, Havarti, Edam, Samso, Emmental, Tilsiter, Saint Paulin, Provolone, Camembert, Brie and Coulommiers), removing an international trade challenge for exports of ripened cheeses.
This is an important decision that will have a positive impact on the dairy sector. One of the major challenges for manufacturers, importers and exporters [...]
04 April 2019
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Webinar addressing food safety in a nuclear emergency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is holding a webinar on “Food Safety in a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency” on 23 October 2018 at 11:00-14:30 UTC. The web-based discussion aims to help national experts be prepared in case of an emergency involving a significant release of radioactive material into the environment that makes water, local produce, milk from grazing animals and other foods unsafe for consumption.
The IAEA safety standards call for [...]
19 October 2018
Codex featured at the World Dairy Summit
Tom Heilandt, Codex Secretary, and Professor Yong Ho Park, Chairperson of the Codex Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance, highlighted Codex food standards as panellists in two different sessions of the 2018 International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit in Daejeon, Korea, this week.
“Food is more than just eating, but comfort,” Heilandt said in the keynote speech of the session on food safety. “We tend to take its safety for granted. Food is fragile. That’s why we need to work together to [...]
19 October 2018
ePing: a tool to discover changes in trading partners’ product requirements
Staying abreast of the evolving regulatory landscape affecting the food trade can be a challenge. Yet it is vital for both public and private sector stakeholders to find out in a timely manner when changes are on their way. This is where ePing can help. ePing is of potential interest to Codex Members and Observers -government agencies, standardizing bodies, producers, exporters, importers, service providers, international organizations, research institutes and NGOs.
World Trade Organization (WTO) member governments are required to notify other [...]
24 September 2018
Observer spotlight: Consumers International
Consumers International represents the voice of consumers in international policy-making forums and the global marketplace, including in the Codex Alimentarius Commission as an Observer organization. The vast partnership – with more than 200 organizations in more than 100 countries – strives to ‘drive change in the global marketplace on a scale that cannot be achieved at a national level alone, to ensure consumers are treated safely, fairly and honestly’. The Codex Secretariat recently spoke with Anna Glayzer, who is an [...]
11 September 2018
Observer spotlight: International Dairy Federation
The International Dairy Federation (IDF), a longstanding Codex Observer organization, now has more than 1 200 dairy experts dedicated to helping ‘nourish the world with safe and sustainable dairy’, a mission that aligns well with ‘protecting health and facilitating trade’. IDF has been contributing to the development of standards for the dairy sector since 1903. With member countries representing the entire dairy chain – from farmers and processors to research centers and academia – IDF has served as technical advisor [...]
27 July 2018
Observers in Codex
This video highlights the role observer organisations play in Codex.