An FAO-led meeting took place in Baku, Azerbaijan on 14 and 15 September under the title of “Advancing Food Standards and Codex Participation in Europe and Central Asia”. The two-day event was co-hosted by Azerbaijan’s Food Safety Agency (AFSA), which, in this 60th anniversary year of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is celebrating its own 5th anniversary. The event was attended by more than 60 participants, including the heads of relevant central executive authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, representatives of [...]

Codex and FAO officers took part in a training programme organised by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of the Republic of Korea (ROK) focused on Codex work and its impact on food safety and fair trade. The training programme on 14 September featured five speakers from the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO) and the Secretariat of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Soyeon An, MFDS Deputy Director of the Food Safety Policy Bureau, was among the 50 [...]

The FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Near East (CCNE) will be sending for adoption to Step 5 the regional standard for maamoul. Maamoul is a traditional Middle Eastern baked product, enjoyed by millions in the region and of high relevance for CCNE members: “Having a Codex standard for maamoul is fundamental for the region as it would directly contribute not only to consumer health, but also to promote the trade of this product internationally” - said Khalid AlZharani Chairperson of [...]

Members of the National Codex Committee (NCC) of Nigeria are undergoing capacity development training on the scientific basis of Codex and food safety risk analysis. The training programme, which is funded by the Codex Trust Fund, will improve the technical capacities of NCC members and their knowledge on food safety risk assessment, the risk management framework, risk management activities and risk communication. The training will also improve Nigeria’s capacities to participate effectively in Codex and implement the revised NCC procedural manual. At [...]

Staff of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) joined the global celebrations for the 60th Anniversary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), dressing up accordingly for the occasion. CRN, a stalwart supporter and regular attendee of CAC as well as of other Codex committees, raised a glass of orange juice – a perfect match with the outfits – in recognition of Codex work over the past six decades. wishing for many more years providing food standards, guidelines and codes of [...]

The eleventh session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Near East (CCNE) commenced today, marking an important milestone in regional collaboration on food safety and quality standards. The meeting, chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is taking place on 18 – 22 September 2023 in Rome, at the FAO headquarters with representatives from 17 countries joining in person and virtually. “I urge everyone to exchange scientific expertise and promote the use of Codex Alimentarius Commission standards as a basis for [...]

The Latin America and Caribbean Region (CCLAC), with the support of the Codex Secretariat and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), held a virtual workshop con Codex and its tools, with interpretation in Spanish, English and French, on 31 August and 5 September 2023. More than 200 delegates participated each day. The topics covered during the webinar included the foundations of Codex, its importance in contributing to ensuring food safety and fair practices in food trade. The Codex process [...]

by Mohamed Aden Hersi, Codex Contact Point (CCP) for Somalia and Hakim Mufumbiro, Regional Coordinator, CCAFRICA Wednesday 23 August 2023 marked a significant milestone for Somalia when the country’s 1st National Codex Committee (NCC) meeting was held, following two days of intensive capacity building sessions involving national stakeholders. The sessions, held on 21 and 22 August in Mogadishu, Somalia, provided training on Codex work management and were attended by 27 different state and non-state stakeholders who are members of the NCC. Somalia [...]

Anne Beutling and Vanessa Beier, Germany, Regional Coordinator for CCEURO   As part of the Codex Trust Fund (CTF) support provided to Turkmenistan, Members of the National Codex Committee of Turkmenistan took part in a three-day study trip to Germany, which currently acts as the Regional Coordinator for Europe. The all-female delegation, representing the core members of the Turkmen National Codex Committee, consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry, the Centre of Public Health and Nutrition, the Ministry [...]

On 7–8 September 2023, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in the framework of the FAO/WHO Codex Trust Fund (CTF) project on strengthening national capacity for sustainable activities Codex Alimentarius, a workshop was held for national food experts and food business operators on Codex Alimentarius and the formulation of national positions in Uzbekistan. Representatives of bodies involved in food safety - the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, the Committee for Veterinary Medicine [...]