Chilean Codex Committee members Cassandra Pacheco and Constanza Vergara led a training workshop in Lima, Peru, on July 31 and August 2, to strengthen the technical and scientific capacities of the members of the Peruvian Codex Committee to better engage in the risk management work of the Codex Alimentarius

The workshop was attended by 40 delegates, representing industry, academia, consumers and the national government. Part of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) twinning programme, the meeting focussed mainly on the work of the Codex Committees on Food Additives (CCFA), Contaminants in Foods (CCCF), Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) and Pesticide Residues (CCPR).

“Collaboration is one of the core values of the Codex partnership. The Codex Secretariat is delighted to see the Coordinator of CCLAC engaging with fellow Members to strengthen local knowledge on Codex, which will ultimately benefit food safety both locally and globally as well as international trade”

- Sarah Cahill, Senior Food Standards Officer, Codex Secretariat

Speakers from Chile, Costa Rica and Peru shared their experiences and knowledge with participants. The Codex Contact Point in Chile, Cassandra Pacheco, spoke about good practices in the Codex Alimentarius, Chile’s experience in managing Codex work. She also ran session on data input on the GEMS/Food Web Site, a platform of the Global Environment Monitoring System, Food Contamination Monitoring and Assessment Programme, which informs governments and the Codex Alimentarius Commission on levels and trends of contaminants in foods.

Constanza Vergara, ACHIPIA

 Constanza Vergara, also of the Chilean Agency for Food Safety and Quality, explained risk analysis, illustrating how risk assessments are conducted to establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for chemical contaminants in food and to assess microbiological hazards. She also addressed the areas of risk perception, risk management and risk communication.

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