The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry jointly hosted an event in New Delhi on 27 October 2023 to celebrate the achievements of Codex over the last 60 years and the role it has played in the development of international standards.

The event also provided an occasion to trace India’s own journey in Codex from early years to the current time as the host government for the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH). Its achievements include its position as Regional Coordinator for the Asia region and Sanjay Dave’s as the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) Chairperson, from his election in 2011 to his last session in 2014.

In the event’s inaugural address, Mr Sudhansh Pant, FSSAI Chairperson, underscored the imperative for a science-driven framework and underscored the importance of active involvement from developing nations. He emphasized the necessity to adapt to the continuous emergence of new challenges and technologies. Mr Pant highlighted that collaboration and sustained engagement in Codex activities are crucial on the frontlines of ensuring food safety. Mr G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO of FSSAI delivered the keynote address and delved into the critical issue of heavy metals contaminating the soil and, thereby, our food supply. He stressed that these challenges make it "imperative for the scientific community to see that real standards are established, and safe food is delivered to the public."

The opening session was followed by a pre-recorded speech from former CAC Chairperson, Dr Awilo Ochieng Pernet. Then, there was discussion by a panel of six eminent experts on “Codex in the next decade”, which was moderated by the Codex Vice-Chairperson, Mr Raj Rajasekar. The panel recognized the important contribution of Codex to advancing food safety, health protection and fair practices in trade through its standards and the enormous progress that Codex has made through growth in membership and coverage of standards that now form the essential backbone of many national food regulatory systems.

The panelists supported the strategic interest in getting a better handle on the impact of Codex standards and the efforts that have gone into promoting codex related capacity building and enhanced participation of developing countries. The panel then moved on to discuss Codex’s role in the future, particularly in the context of global challenges around climate change, environmental pressures and the sustainable development goals. The panelists saw a clear role for Codex in addressing these challenges, which is consistent with its statute and purpose and noted that this was already happening across a number of committees.

The discussion on meeting modalities, challenges and opportunities arising from the pandemic came in for much discussion: the panelists recognized some of the complexities of managing hybrid sessions even while acknowledging the opportunities for a greater number of Members to participate in Codex sessions. The general consensus was that how technology is used in the conduct of Codex meetings should be approached carefully and deliberately, taking into account both the advantages as well as the technical and other constraints including some of the unique challenges faced by chairpersons in managing sessions using multiple formats, the additional pressures on chairpersons, and the real value of physical meetings. The final segment of the panel discussion focused on the shape and content of future Codex standards. There was a clear recognition of the complexities of modern food systems and emergence of new foods. There was an acceptance that while traditional commodity standards will continue to have relevance, standards of the future need to take account of technological advances, changing consumer tastes and preferences, and the emergence of more complex and composite products that do not fit neatly into traditional product descriptions.

The valuable contribution of the Codex Trust Fund was recognized in strengthening capacity for participation in Codex meetings

Overall, the panelists recognized that these are changing times for Codex and its outputs need to be reflective of these changes. The panel discussion provided much food for thought as Codex moves to develop its new Strategic Plan for the 2026–2031 period.

In the afternoon session, the opening remarks were made by Dr Gyanendra Gongal, Senior Public Health Officer, WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia, followed by a presentation by Mr Matt Kovac, CEO of Food Industry Asia, Singapore. Thereafter, there was a panel discussion that focused on the all-important issue of capacity building for better participation in Codex, which was moderated by Mr Sanjay Dave. The valuable contribution of the Codex Trust Fund was recognized in strengthening capacity for participation in Codex meetings and strengthening national Codex structures and processes. The panel included experts from FSSAI, FAO, a scientific institution, an educational institution and representatives of the food industry. The issue of strengthening national capacity for risk assessment was highlighted along with the need to address the continuing problems associated with data generation for both national and international risk assessment. The panel recognized the significant role that India has played in contributing to strengthening national codex structures through group projects in developing countries. The panel also recognized the need for enhancing the risk assessment function in India through a collaboration between the different scientific institutions and for securing high level recognition and support for Codex work. The need to co-host a couple of Codex sessions in India, as well engagement of universities for introducing formal educational programmes on food safety, including Codex, was recognized.

Overall, the event was a resounding success and provided an excellent opportunity to not merely mark the achievements of Codex but also share perspectives on future priorities, challenges and the importance of collaboration for better Codex standards.

The event finished on a sweet note with the cutting of the customary Codex 60 cake to mark this milestone year.

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