FAO and WHO will launch their Food Control Assessment Tool which assists countries in assessing the effectiveness of their food control system, on Tuesday 16 November 2021 with an online event. The tool was published in 2019 and is based on the Codex Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control Systems (CAC/GL 82-2013). During the launch, participants will learn more about the tool, its application and the potential outcomes of an assessment.  National food control systems play a pivotal role in protecting the [...]

The 44th Codex Alimentarius Commission taking place virtually for the second year in succession has successfully adopted a range of international standards on topics as broad as antimicrobial resistance, cadmium contamination in chocolate and third-party assurance. Highlights of standards adopted at CAC44 As day six got underway from the Rome studio, with over 450 delegates participating on a Saturday, discussions moved from standards already set to the future of food and an innovative area labelled “new foods and production systems” (NFPS). FAO [...]

Allan Azegele from Kenya, Raj Rajasekar, New Zealand and Diego Varela, Chile have been elected to serve as the new Vice-Chairpersons of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, The second day of elections at the 44th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission once again highlighted how rapid take up of technological innovation – hastened by the conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic – has made Codex both more agile and more entertaining. Over 600 delegates online were able to watch on the big [...]

There are four candidates standing to be one of three new Vice-Chairpersons of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in elections which will take place by secret ballot in Geneva on Thursday 11 November 2021. The Codex membership agreed to proceed with elections even though the forty-fourth Commission is meeting virtually and a procedure has been put in place to ensure that Codex Members vote through an official physically present in their Geneva Mission or by appointing a proxy. About the candidates (pictured left [...]

Steve Wearne, Director, Global Affairs with the Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom, has been elected to serve as the 20th Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission following historical in-person voting in Geneva during a virtual session of the 44th Commission. Past Officers of the Commission and Members of the Executive Committee (1963-2021) With 131 votes cast, Steve Wearne received 91 preferences with Vice-Chairpersons Purwiyatno Hariyadi, Indonesia and Mariam Eid, Lebanon receiving  22 and 16 votes respectively. “We have a lot of [...]

Mariam Eid, Lebanon; Purwiyatno Hariyadi, Indonesia and Steve Wearne, United Kingdom – the serving Vice-Chairpersons – have all put their names forward to be on the ballot paper for elections to be the next Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission which will take place by secret ballot in Geneva on Tuesday 9 November 2021. The Codex membership agreed to proceed with elections even though the forty-fourth Commission is meeting virtually and a procedure has been put in place to ensure that [...]

“Codex benefits almost everyone around the world, even though most people will never hear of it,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, greeting over 600 online delegates at the opening of the forty-fourth session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is being held virtually from 8 to 18 November 2021. Tedros went on to underline the critical role Codex standards play in improving the safety and quality of food, protecting and promoting consumer health and nutrition, and protecting fair [...]

CAC44 kicks off on Monday 8 November 2021. While the session is mainly virtual, one agenda item, Elections, will have a physical element – voting will take place through an in-person secret ballot in Geneva. This year the incumbent Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons have all reached the end of their terms. “We must extend a huge thanks to our outgoing Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons” says Tom Heilandt, Codex Secretary. “With the COVID pandemic we had to suspend elections last year so they have [...]

Welcoming participants to the 81st session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Naoko Yamamoto, Assistant Director-General WHO, said the past year has shown the critical place and role of food safety and healthy diets in the development agenda, as well as the important results that can be achieved together and in partnership. “Regarding Codex, you know very well the critical role of its standards and guidelines in ensuring safety and quality of food commodities to improve consumer [...]

Speaking at the opening the celebrations of World Food Day 2021, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu recognized all those around the world who continue to work against the odds to ensure everyone has food to eat, and called for the transformation of agri-food systems to make them more efficient, more resilient, more transparent and more sustainable. World Food Day highlights the role countries can play to ensure that all people everywhere have access to enough affordable, nutritious and safe food and and [...]