The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU) will meet in Berlin, Germany on 26-30 November 2018. A new team has been appointed by the host government, Germany, and the session will be chaired by Anja Brönstrup (top left), who has a background in nutrition. Prior to joining the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in 2016, Anja worked for national and international scientific authorities, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Hilke Thordsen is the [...]

This week Brisbane, Australia, is playing host to the 24th session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), discussing the latest technical aspects of international guidance to protect consumers and ensure fair practices in the international food trade. The meeting got under way on Monday with an aboriginal smoke-signal ceremony, a traditional Queensland custom granting permission to travelers seeking to cross its boundaries—a reminder that people have sought reciprocal understandings to protect their [...]

Ahead of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) meeting that opens next week in Brisbane, Australia, new Chair Fran Freeman spoke to Codex. Q. Many in the Codex world may not know you as you lead the upcoming CCFICS session for the first time. Can you tell us something about you? Having spent most of my career working on domestic and international issues affecting Australian agriculture, I am acutely aware how important it is for international [...]

The FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) is currently underway at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin, Germany. Dr Roland Solecki, Head of the Department of Pesticides Safety of the Federal Institute hosting the event, highlighted the importance of JMPR’s work in supporting the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) with scientific advice. He also noted its valuable contribution to enhancing collaboration between national and international organizations to assess the risk of pesticide residues in foods. This is [...]

At a meeting attended by over 650 delegates from 121 Member countries and 84 observer organizations, more than 30 standards were adopted and will now be published in the Codex Alimentarius or “food code”. In his closing remarks on Friday Guilherme da Costa from Brazil, the chairperson of the Commission thanked delegates for the flexible and constructive approach to what is often “a delicate negotiation process but one that has global effects on food safety and fair practices in trade.” Some of [...]

Famous chef demonstrates the WHO Five Keys to Food Safety Heinz Beck, a well known three-star Michelin chef, gave Codex Members and Observers a glimpse of his approach to creating fine, safe cuisine. Cooking up a symphony of ‘vegetables of the heart’, Beck emphasized the importance of food hygiene and applying Codex standards in the kitchen. FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo introduced Beck, highlighting the principles to which he adheres: circular economy, zero food waste, tasty and healthy food, which help [...]

The International Food Safety Authorities Network presented at CAC41 side session Increasing globalization of food trade heightens the risk of contaminated food spreading quickly around the globe. Through the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), WHO assists Member States in managing food safety risks, ensuring rapid sharing of information during food safety emergencies to stop the spread of contaminated food from one country to another. INFOSAN also facilitates the exchange of experiences and tested solutions to protect the health of consumers.  At a [...]

A side session explores the benefits of the WTO ePing system When trading products, governments establish requirements to accomplish policy objectives including the protection of human, animal and plant health, or protection of the environment. The World Trade Organization (WTO) SPS and TBT Agreements aim to ensure that these requirements do not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade. Under the WTO, Members are required to notify other Members before adopting new measures if these are likely to affect international trade and provide an opportunity [...]

A side event about the FAO/WHO Scientific Advice Programmes Delegates gained a better understanding of how FAO and WHO provide scientific support for the development of Codex standards during a CAC41 side event. Panellists described how the requests for scientific advice for food safety and nutrition are managed, how the experts are selected and the way the topics are chosen for the risk assessments. The panel, comprised of FAO and WHO officers, also explained the links between the FAO/WHO Scientific Advice Programmes and the [...]

The Codex Alimentarius Commission ready to adopt new standards in its 41st session ‘Transformational opportunities’ was the overarching theme of the opening ceremony of the Codex Alimentarius Commission today. As the body responsible for all matters regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, led by Chairperson Guilherme da Costa, geared up to adopt new standards this week, they were reminded that Codex standards are central to the global agenda for sustainable development.  “One of the greatest challenges the world [...]