Malaysian Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, opened the 27th session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO), which is being hosted virtually from Kuala Lumpur, underlining the importance of the work of the committee. With total production of fats and oils increasing by over 40 percent in the last 10 years, reaching estimated volumes of 215 million tonnes for the 17 major edible fats and oils in 2020, “the role of CCFO remains pertinent … demand for fats and [...]

Hakim Mufumbiro, Uganda Coordonnateur CCAFRICA Au total ce sont 14 Etats membres de la Communauté Economique des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bénin, Burkina Faso, Cap-Vert, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambie, Ghana, Guinée-Bissau, Libéria, Mali, Niger, Nigéria, Sénégal, Serra-Léone et Togo) qui ont pris part à la formation en ligne sur la Plateforme de Groupe de Travail Electronique et le Système de Commentaire en ligne du Codex, l’une des activités de renforcement de capacités visant à améliorer les connaissances et les compétences des [...]

Speaking at the opening the celebrations of World Food Day 2021, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu recognized all those around the world who continue to work against the odds to ensure everyone has food to eat, and called for the transformation of agri-food systems to make them more efficient, more resilient, more transparent and more sustainable. World Food Day highlights the role countries can play to ensure that all people everywhere have access to enough affordable, nutritious and safe food and and [...]

A virtual event hosted live from the roof of FAO in Rome and the adjacent Caracalla Roman Baths kicked off the first World Food Forum (WFF) with high level messages, poetry and music from around the globe. WFF runs from 1 to 5 October 2020 and is a youth-led movement and network to transform our food systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular “zero hunger”. WFF brings together youth to drive awareness, foster engagement, and mobilize youth-led [...]

On 23 September 2021 the Strategic Plan of the National Codex Alimentarius Program was signed by the members of the National Codex Committee – CONACODEX – in the presence of the President of the National Quality Council, Maria Luisa Hayem Brevé, Dr. Carlos Gabriel Alvarenga, Vice Minister of Health Management and Development, Dr. Giovanni Escalante representing PAHO / WHO in El Salvador, and Lic. Raúl Peralta, Regional Director of Food Safety, of the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA), [...]

by Codex office Bhutan A three-day advocacy workshop on the theme “"Achieving Leadership in the Codex Process"” took place from 20 to 22 September 2021 at Drubchhu Resort, Lobesa, Punakha in Bhutan. Around 40 participants from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, State Owned Enterprises, World Health Organization and World Food Programme country office attended the workshop. [...]

In officially opening the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) on 23 September 2021, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said: “Food is life, food is hope. Changing food systems is not only possible but necessary, for our planet, for people, for prosperity.” Everyone must take action to transform the way the world produces, consumes, and thinks about food. “Food Systems can and must play a leading role in realizing the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda,” he said. Although it did [...]

The Codex Committee on Food Additives has adopted its final report confirming consensus reached on recommendations that include over 500 food additive provisions already in the Codex step procedure and 90 proposed provisions that will all now proceed for consideration by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in November 2021. The committee, hosted by China, met virtually from 1 to 10 September 2021 and emboldened by the support from the Executive Committee maintained its word that the business of debating and agreeing on [...]

The Codex Secretariat has learned of the sad death of Dr. Claude John Shara Mosha, Tanzania, who served as the first ever Codex Alimentarius Chairperson from an African country from 2006 to 2008. Hakim Mufumbiro, the current Regional Coordinator for the Codex African region said: “Dr Mosha will be remembered for his astute leadership, dedication, hard work, negotiation prowess, unwavering commitment and deep passion for Codex and food safety as well as his wisdom and extremely joyful and imaginative nature.” John Oppong-Otoo [...]

At midnight on 7 September 2021 the deadline passed for Codex Members to express their agreement that the Codex Alimentarius Commission could hold its forty-fourth session virtually and proceed with elections for the appointment of new officers. With 135 of the 126 preferences required, countries have once again endorsed the move to meet virtually to address priority matters. Voting will be conducted by appointment, through a physical secret ballot in Geneva, following the modality adopted by the recent FAO Conference for [...]