by Grenada Bureau of Standards The Grenada National Codex Contact Point based in the Grenada Bureau of Standards hosted a training session for National Codex Committee Members and other Codex Stakeholders. The session, held virtually on Wednesday 21 September 2022 was entitled “How to Review Codex Draft Standards”.It was facilitated by Codex Vice-Chairperson Diego Varela, Chile with forty-nine persons in attendance.  The participants came from the National Codex Committee, government ministries, private sector and consumer organizations.  Also participating were seven Contact Points [...]

The FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA22) is taking place virtually from 12 to 21 October 2022. Welcoming delegates via video message, Lei Haichao , Vice Minister of the National Health Commission of China underlined the host government’s commitment to actively implementing their role as Regional Coordinator and to promote technology, partnership and exchanges among Members. “Codex is studying future working modalities as well as new kinds of the food and new production systems,” he said emphasizing China's engagement with [...]

Although this session will be held virtually, Chairperson Jing TIAN, China, encourages all Member Countries in the region attending the meeting, “to actively participate and to discuss issues of mutual interest, confirm the regional priorities and activities under the framework of the Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and promote the harmonization of regional standards”. The proposals for these standards include soybean products fermented with Bacillus species. Natto, Cheonggukjang and Thua Nao will be covered by the standard and the basic ingredients for [...]

Young professionals from the different agencies of the Government of the Republic of Korea attended the tenth edition of the training course “Understanding Codex” in Osong, hosted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on 29 September 2022. “We highly appreciate your efforts in protecting consumer health and ensuring fair trade practices. The Ministry believes that the partnership with Codex is very important to achieve a common goal in terms of food safety,” said Oh-Sang Kwon, Vice Minister of Food [...]

A workshop on application of the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene was held in El Salvador from 27 to 29 September 2022, as part of the Codex Trust Fund Group Project for El Salvador and Guatemala. The workshop was facilitated thanks to the support of the PAHO/WHO Pan American Centre for Foot and Mouth Disease, which allowed food sanitary surveillance officials, food producers, academia and consumers from El Salvador and Guatemala, to strengthen their technical capacities for the control, production [...]

by Mr. Celestin Ntahomvukiye Codex Contact Point Burundi Five East African Community Partner States Burundi, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda are currently implementing a Codex Trust Fund (CTF) group project with the aim of strengthening national Codex Structures. One of the identified activities is to establish a twinning programme between partner states with well-functioning structures and those with their structures still under development. Burundi was allocated to Kenya for this mentorship program. The Codex Contact Point (CCP) from Kenya in liaison [...]

The sixth session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs will send standards for Saffron, Nutmeg and Chilli peppers and paprika for final adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in November 2022. A spokesperson for the Indian delegation said of the work on chili peppers: “There is high hope now for harmonized national standards across the globe for this very valuable and ubiquitous spice.” Chairperson Dr M.R. Sudharsan, India, said the achievements of the meeting were a source of pride [...]

Codex standards and the AMR Codex Texts (ACT) project were presented at the Second MFDS Global Conference on Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which took place in Seoul, Korea on 27-28 September 2022. The event was organized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), the Republic of Korea, with speakers from the FAO ACT project team. Codex Secretary Tom Heilandt commended the Republic of Korea on their commitment to advance Codex Standards. Following their generous support of the Codex Task Force on [...]

A webinar for the Latin American and the Caribbean region “Guide and orientation for new Codex Alimentarius participants“ took place on 14-15 September 2022 and was attended by almost 500 participants.  It was part of the AMR Codex Texts (ACT) project to raise awareness of the use of Codex texts. The next webinar is scheduled for December. Rommel Betancourt, General Coordinator for Food Safety at The Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency of Ecuador and Regional Coordinator of the FAO/WHO [...]

To strengthen capacity for better and more effective participation in Codex work for selected Asian countries, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), organized a virtual regional workshop on “Enhancing Effective Participation in Codex Activities” from 20 to 22 September 2022. The workshop is part of a wider five-year programme sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) which enhances Capacity in Codex for Effective Participation and Contribution of Selected Countries in Asia. A [...]