The Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TFAMR) started its sixth week-long meeting today in Busan, Republic of Korea. With more than 250 Codex Members and Observers in attendance, the meeting will make progress on revising the Codex Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance as well as developing the Guidelines on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance. "The problem seems simple”, said Dr Yong Ho Park, the TFAMR Chair, underscoring the rapid increase of microorganisms [...]

Experts met in FAO on 19 – 23 November 2018 to discuss ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) and develop scientific advice for the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food. CFP is one of the most common foodborne illnesses related to seafood consumption. While CFP has been known about for centuries, its true incidence remains unclear. In 2000 it was estimated that 10 000 – 50 000 people per year suffer from this illness. Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer, and FAO Secretary [...]

The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) opened 26 November in Berlin, Germany. Speaking at the opening session before a record number of 420 delegates from Member countries and observer organizations, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, reminded the committee of its dedication to those with special nutritional needs and therefore in need of special care. Fuchtel told delegates that achieving “a well-balanced nutritional diet for a growing world [...]

The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) will meet in Berlin, Germany on 26-30 November 2018. A new team has been appointed by the host government, Germany, and the session will be chaired by Anja Brönstrup (top left), who has a background in nutrition. Prior to joining the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 2016, Anja worked for national and international scientific authorities, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Hilke Thordsen is the [...]

The Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly has adopted the resolution submitted by Costa Rica to declare June 7 World Food Safety Day (WFSD). For the Day to officially proclaimed the resolution must be passed by the United nations General Assembly, a which is expected to take place 20 December 2018. The former Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission Awilo Ochieng Pernet, Switzerland, put forward the original proposal for the declaration of a WFSD at the FERG Symposium in [...]

The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) is gathering for the 50th time. This year the meeting, chaired by the United States of America, is co-hosted by Panama, whose Vice Minister of Health, Eric Ulloa, set the tone for the week-long meeting. “Challenges are ahead,” he told the Committee, outlining the forward-looking agenda, which includes: revising one of the earliest Codex standards (the General Principles of Food Hygiene) and covering new topics, such as allergen management, microbiological foodborne outbreak management [...]

Codex Members of the Latin America and the Caribbean region met in Panama City on 11 November 2018 to discuss the draft Codex Strategic Plan (2020-2025). Organized by the regional coordinator, Chile, the meeting brought together 22 participants from 11 countries, who were attending the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. Constanza Vergara of Chile led the meeting on behalf of the Regional Coordinator. In light of the experience of the participants in Codex standard-setting and implementation, the meeting served as an [...]

Codex Members in the Europe region began a three-day meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan today to improve their skills and knowledge of the online tools used by the food standard-setting partnership and to discuss the regional priorities to propose including in the Codex Strategic Plan (2020-2025). Zhandarbek Bekshin of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, the country leading the Codex Coordinating Committee for Europe, opened the session with a call for establishing a joint position on food trade-related matters in the 51 [...]

At the next Codex Alimentarius Commission to be held in Geneva in July 2019, Codex Members are expected to adopt a strategic plan which will drive activities from 2020 to 2025 in parallel with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. At a two-day workshop held for the Asian region in Beijing, China and organized jointly by China and the Regional Coordinator India, 31 participants from 14 countries had an opportunity to discuss national and regional food safety and trade matters and to [...]

Twenty representatives from Codex Contact Points (CCP) in the North America and Southwest Pacific region met in Port Vila, Vanuatu on 28-30 October 2018 for a workshop on the online systems that are an essential part of contributing to Codex standard-setting. Participants also came together to discuss regional input to the Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and to continue work on two regional Codex standards, for noni juice and kava, both local beverages. The countries present were Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States [...]