The Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC) brings together strategists and technical experts from Codex Member Countries who are meeting this week at World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Kazuaki Miyagishima, Director of the Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses in WHO, speaking on behalf of Naoko Yamamoto, Assistant Director-General, Head of the newly created Universal Health Coverage/Healthier Populations Division, welcoming delegates, said “Codex standards and guidelines have critical roles to play in ensuring people have healthy [...]

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has recently launched a new project, the OIE Observatory, to strengthen the implementation of OIE International Standards by Member Countries. The OIE Observatory is an ambitious project still at the concept level and with a multi-phased approach. OIE is currently collaborating with The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to develop the design of the Observatory. The project has a Reference Group, in which the Codex Secretariat participates. At the OIE 87th [...]

Interview with Kathy Twardek, the new chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling, ahead of the 45th session which gets underway in Ottawa, Canada on 13 May 2019. Kathy, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. To start, tell us where you work? I have been working for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) since it was established in 1997, and for a few years before that in various departments whose focus was on consumer affairs and food inspection. Why [...]

At the WTO International Forum on Food Safety and Trade held in Geneva, Switzerland, 23-24 April 2019, delegates learnt how food safety regulatory systems need to constantly adapt to challenges and how Codex needs to address emerging and new challenges in a timely and efficient manner, while keeping existing standards up to date. Speaking in the thematic session “Promoting harmonized food safety regulation in a period of change and innovation”, Reri Indriani, Deputy Chairperson in the National Agency for Drug and [...]

Bordeaux, France 16-17 March 2019 Chairing a Codex meeting requires a particular skill set. The experts chosen by host governments of committees need to be able to manage, lead, plan, negotiate and communicate effectively, all this in the intense environment of an international meeting attended by delegates from the 188 Codex Member countries and 229 observer organisations. The Codex Secretariat organises regular training courses for chairs and the 2019 session was particular timely as the current cycle of meetings will see eight [...]

Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) Delegates from nearly 60 countries are meeting in Bordeaux, France from 11 to 15 March 2019 to discuss the procedural and general matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. “The effectiveness of Codex as a whole depends on how this committee covers these crucial issues”, said Sandrine Gaudin, Adviser for European Affairs, Prime Minister’s Private Office, France. The CCGP is a powerful, cross-cutting tool and “it must be a laboratory of innovation serving the entire working [...]

Health and agriculture officials, food safety authorities, scientific experts, representatives of consumers and food producers associations as well as other organizations including the private sector will convene in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Geneva, Switzerland early 2019 to identify key actions and strategies to address current and future challenges to food safety. “The Future of Food Safety – Transforming knowledge into action for people, economies and the environment” is the overall topic of the events, co-organized by FAO, WHO, WTO and the [...]

The Ad hoc Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TFAMR) started its sixth week-long meeting today in Busan, Republic of Korea. With more than 250 Codex Members and Observers in attendance, the meeting will make progress on revising the Codex Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance as well as developing the Guidelines on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance. "The problem seems simple”, said Dr Yong Ho Park, the TFAMR Chair, underscoring the rapid increase of microorganisms [...]

Experts met in FAO on 19 – 23 November 2018 to discuss ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) and develop scientific advice for the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food. CFP is one of the most common foodborne illnesses related to seafood consumption. While CFP has been known about for centuries, its true incidence remains unclear. In 2000 it was estimated that 10 000 – 50 000 people per year suffer from this illness. Markus Lipp, Senior Food Safety Officer, and FAO Secretary [...]

The Codex Alimentarius Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) opened 26 November in Berlin, Germany. Speaking at the opening session before a record number of 420 delegates from Member countries and observer organizations, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, reminded the committee of its dedication to those with special nutritional needs and therefore in need of special care. Fuchtel told delegates that achieving “a well-balanced nutritional diet for a growing world [...]