The value of Thai food exports increased by nearly 25 percent in the three years to 2018 and some Thai food companies are reporting recent sales increases of between 20 and 30 percent. This is all because the Thai government has been vigorously promoting the Hygiene Analysis and Critical Control Points system (HACCP) in food establishments. HACCP involves identifying where food safety hazards can arise and adopting measures to mitigate them. A new case study published by Codex demonstrates the impact [...]

International Women’s Day 2022 calls for a world “free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated.” The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CFH52) will adopt its final report on Wednesday 9 March 2022. The food safety standards featured at this session include guidance on management of biological foodborne outbreaks; guidelines for the control of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in a range of foods; an approach for the [...]

El 7 de marzo se anunció el tema del Día Mundial de la Inocuidad de los Alimentos de este año, que se celebrará el 7 de junio de 2022. La guía para el Día Mundial de la Inocuidad de los Alimentos brinda una explicación más amplia sobre el tema "Alimentos inocuos, mejor salud" e indica en qué consiste este día y las formas de participar. La campaña de 2022 se centrará en las diferentes maneras en que unos alimentos más inocuos [...]

The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene has finished work on a new guideline on microbiological foodborne outbreaks which provides countries with a structured approach to preparedness and management for when an outbreak takes place. The contamination of food may occur at any stage, from primary production through to the consumer, causing illness and in some chronic cases serious health effects or death. An outbreak may be swiftly identified at a particular event or source but may also be much harder to [...]

Over 400 delegates joined online for the opening session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH52) which runs from 28 February to 9 March 2022, hosted by the United States of America from Washington DC. In opening remarks, Steve Wearne, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, applauded the committee’s “appetite for advancement of consensus-driven and science-based standards and texts, and the willingness to compromise where necessary in the interests of Codex and the people everywhere that our work will protect.” Codex [...]

On Tuesday 15 February 2022, Diego Varela, Vice-Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, visited NotCo, Chile, to learn at firsthand how plant-based products are created. NotCo was established in 2015 and aims to make plant based food look, smell, taste and function like animal based ones. The company uses artificial intelligence to decide how to combine plants to replicate the flavour and texture of animal products whilst maintaining their taste, feel and function. Diego Varela (left) talks to NotCo staff during [...]

At a meeting in Brussels on 21 February 2022, the European Union's Ministers of Agriculture confirmed the EU's commitment to the work of Codex, and underlined the need for sustainability considerations to be given greater prominence in the setting of food safety standards for international trade. In the conclusions approved at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Ministers recognised the central role of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in facilitating the transition to sustainable food systems and reaffirmed the EU's determination [...]

A timely new compendium of Codex texts to support countries in the fight against foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was published on Thursday 17 February 2022 at a launch event of a new FAO project, sponsored by the Republic of Korea, that will support implementation of Codex guidance in this field. Countries have different approaches and interests when it comes to use of antimicrobials for animal and plant health and the potential for AMR carry-over or transmission into foods. The overarching international [...]

by Nolene Naicker There were two main principles that guided me when I left school: I wanted to make a positive change in the world and wanted to work with people – something I am passionate about. I have family members who suffer with diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. I wanted to do something that could make living with these challenges much easier. `Dietetics` - the science of using the right food to treat illnesses - seemed like the way to go. My [...]

An informal meeting held online on Wednesday 2 February 2022 began to explore how a Codex Executive sub-committee will approach their task to provide operational guidance on the statements of  principle in the Procedural Manual concerning the role of science in the Codex decision-making process and the extent to which other factors are taken into account. The statements being considered uphold science while recognizing the relevance of so-called “other factors” when setting standards in Codex. Examples of those factors include constraints, [...]