Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is known as “the silent pandemic.” It is already a leading cause of death worldwide. If AMR is not tackled head on, it will continue to threaten many lives in the coming years. Consequently, AMR is a major focus of attention for FAO as food production contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistant organisms. Given the threat of foodborne AMR, FAO has undertaken the Action to support implementation of Codex AMR Texts (ACT) project with funding from the [...]

The Codex Alimentarius Commission Chairperson, Steve Wearne, was “surprised and honoured” to be awarded a certificate marking his election as a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFST), following his delivery of the distinguished lecture at the IAFSTinduction ceremony of the 22nd World Congress of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). In the lecture, Wearne gave his personal thoughts on the need for Codex to take an integrated approach to the work of food [...]

New Delhi, India, 21 September 2024 India recently hosted a Regional Conclave on “Enhancing Regional Collaboration and Harmonization in Standard Setting” as part of this year’s Global Food Regulators Summit (GFRS24). The summit saw food regulators from around 70 countries exchange perspectives on ways to strengthen food safety systems and regulatory frameworks across the food value chain. The event included panel discussions on critical aspects such as food safety, risk assessment, analytical competence, and capacity-building initiatives, which impact the food safety [...]

The forty-fourth meeting of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) will take place 2–6 October in Dresden, Germany. We spoke to Martine Püster and Carolin Bendadani, who will co-chair CCNFSDU44 on behalf of Germany, to find out more about their expectations for the meeting and the committee. Martine, Carolin, thanks for your time. Martine let’s start with you. This is the second time you will chair CCNFSDU. What do you recall of the experience of [...]

India has hosted the second annual Global Food Regulators Summit in New Delhi, bringing together global experts on a vast array of subjects, with the aim of “exchanging information on food product regulatory and safety requirements, with an emphasis on fostering cooperation between nations in the realm of food safety standards.” The event was organized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), together with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. With participants from 70 countries, the summit [...]

The 27th session of the Codex Committee for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) has concluded with the adoption of the report, after a week of detailed discussion on an array of issues. In closing, the Chairperson, Tom Black, thanked the interpretation team for their “incredible work,” and the translation team that worked late to produce the draft report in multiple languages. The tech teams were also thanked for making sure CCFICS27 was “a super inclusive meeting,” with [...]

The 4th Global Conference on Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance (GCFA) will take place September 24–25 2024, in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. Hosted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) since 2021, the conference aims to raise awareness about foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to call for concrete action. The FAO-implemented and Republic of Korea-funded Action to support implementation of Codex AMR Texts (ACT) project, will be presented at this year's conference, which is a demonstration of Korea's efforts to [...]

The FAO-implemented and Republic of Korea-funded Action to support implementation of Codex AMR texts - or ACT - project is being implemented in six countries. One of the project countries is Nepal, where the significant poultry sector, which contributes four percent to the country’s gross domestic product, is thought to be one of the main drivers of foodborne antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as a result of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Expenditure on antimicrobials is rapidly increasing in the sector, [...]

The Government of Suriname hosted the Conference of the Caribbean Food Safety Task Force 10–12 September 2024, where more than one hundred participants from across the food chain in the region, including policymakers, international technical experts, Codex Contact Points, members of the Caribbean Food Safety Task Force, and representatives from the food industry, gathered in the country’s capital, Paramaribo. The focus of the meeting was "Food Safety in a Changing Climate: Safe Food, Healthy People, Stronger Communities". This event was jointly [...]

The 27th meeting of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS27) has opened in Cairns, Australia, With remote participation possible for all plenary sessions. “It is my great pleasure and honour to be the new Chairperson of CCFICS and to have the task of guiding the Committee through its 27th meeting,” said the newly appointed Chairperson, Tom Black, Australia, who introduced the speakers that opened the meeting. Welcome remarks were given by Gavin Singleton, Yirrganydji Traditional [...]