“In light of today’s global political and environmental problems, the work of the Codex Alimentarius members on ensuring the safety of food is more relevant than ever,” said Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, speaking via video message at the opening of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) being held in Utrecht from 18 to 21 April 2023.

Video message: Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, for the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Kuipers said the involvement of health ministries was crucial to ensure that public health values and objectives received due consideration and were properly reflected within the Codex Alimentarius. He likened the cooperation in the Kingdom of the Netherlands between ministries to that of FAO and WHO. “This kind of cooperation at international level … helps provide continued assurance of the safety and quality of food products worldwide,” he said.

Victor Sannes, Director of the Department of Nutrition, Health Protection and Prevention, introduced Kuipers’s video message and welcomed delegates to the first in-presence meeting of CCCF in four years. “I urge you all to make the most of the opportunity for in-person discussions this week, to present your views and make progress towards solid consensus on the various agenda topics for the Commission later this year,” he said.

Sally Hoffer, Chairperson of the Committee, said the work done at CCCF was one of the cornerstones to ensure safe and sufficient food for people all over the world. “I do hope that in the next couple of days we will have fruitful discussions in such a way we can push this important work forward.”

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Photo credit ©FAO/Codex

(l to r) Markus Lipp, FAO; Victor Sannes; Sally Hoffer, Tom Heilandt (Codex Secretary); Kim Peterson, WHO. Utrecht, 18 April 2023.