Interview with Kathy Twardek, the new chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling, ahead of the 45th session which gets underway in Ottawa, Canada on 13 May 2019. Kathy, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. To start, tell us where you work? I have been working for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) since it was established in 1997, and for a few years before that in various departments whose focus was on consumer affairs and food inspection. Why [...]

Penny K. Lukito, Head of the Food and Drug Authority of the Republic of Indonesia opened the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF), held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia 29 April to 3 May, 2019 and stated how proud Indonesia was to once again be trusted with co-hosting a Codex meeting. Indonesia and The Netherlands are co-hosting CCCF13 The meeting is being attended by approximately 250 participants from 60 countries and in greeting delegates Wieke Tas, Chairperson from the permanent hosts of the [...]

At the WTO International Forum on Food Safety and Trade held in Geneva, Switzerland, 23-24 April 2019, delegates learnt how food safety regulatory systems need to constantly adapt to challenges and how Codex needs to address emerging and new challenges in a timely and efficient manner, while keeping existing standards up to date. Speaking in the thematic session “Promoting harmonized food safety regulation in a period of change and innovation”, Reri Indriani, Deputy Chairperson in the National Agency for Drug and [...]

The Netherlands began hosting the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food in 2007 and in the 13 sessions since then, five have been co-hosted abroad. When business gets underway on 29 April 2019, Yogyakarta, Indonesia will be the sixth foreign location. Cooperation with Indonesia … has been a joy When a country co-hosts they make a world-wide contribution to food safety. “The Netherlands and Codex have a long history together and co-hosting for us is a means to bring Codex and everything [...]

A 12-year long impasse started to gradually unravel during the 51st session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA51) in March 2019, when Codex Members found a new compromise on how to mutually respect their regulatory differences while not preventing international harmonization. Among the standards that CCFA51 will send for adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in July 2019 are revised provisions for the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) that concern the use of sweeteners in some food categories. [...]

The Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) began its 51st session on Monday in Jinan, China. Food additives are added to food to fulfil important technical functions related to the safety and quality of the products, but need to be used prudently in line with scientific risk assessments and maximum levels in order not to become a problem themselves. The Committee will look at a huge number of draft food additive provisions to be adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in [...]

Bordeaux, France 16-17 March 2019 Chairing a Codex meeting requires a particular skill set. The experts chosen by host governments of committees need to be able to manage, lead, plan, negotiate and communicate effectively, all this in the intense environment of an international meeting attended by delegates from the 188 Codex Member countries and 229 observer organisations. The Codex Secretariat organises regular training courses for chairs and the 2019 session was particular timely as the current cycle of meetings will see eight [...]

Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) Delegates from nearly 60 countries are meeting in Bordeaux, France from 11 to 15 March 2019 to discuss the procedural and general matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. “The effectiveness of Codex as a whole depends on how this committee covers these crucial issues”, said Sandrine Gaudin, Adviser for European Affairs, Prime Minister’s Private Office, France. The CCGP is a powerful, cross-cutting tool and “it must be a laboratory of innovation serving the entire working [...]

Following 10 years’ service to the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils as chairperson and after nearly 40 years working on Codex in the Malaysian Ministry of Health, Noraini Dato’ Mohd Othman used her closing remarks at CCFO26 in Kuala Lumpur to announce her retirement. Noraini Dato’ Mohd Othman, Chairperson Noraini also served as the Vice Chair of Codex Alimentarius Commission for three terms from 2005 to 2008 and spoke of the privilege her service had brought. Chairing the Fats and Oils [...]

Members and Observers of the Codex Alimentarius Commission are meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malyasia from 25 February to 1 March 2019 at the 26th session of the Codex Fats and Oils Committee. Discussions taking place include the addition of palm oil to the Codex Standard for Named Vegetable Oils; a proposed revision of the Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils; discussions on walnut oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, pistachio oil, flaxseed oil and avocado oil, as well as [...]