The Coordinating Committee for Asia was established at the 11th Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission held in Rome, Italy, in July 1976. Its first meeting was held in New Delhi (India) in January 1977.
The regional coordinator operates from within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.
Japan, as the regional coordinator for Asia, aims to pursue the following goals while upholding the Codex core values, i.e. inclusiveness, collaboration, consensus building, and transparency
- Foster collaboration and coordination within the region by facilitating the exchange of views, so that Asian members can be well-informed and effectively participate in the Commission and its subsidiary bodies; and,
- Promote open and constructive discussions at the Regional Coordinating Committee to identify the current, emerging, and critical issues concerning consumer health protection and ensuring fair practices in the food trade within the region, and to address these issues in a timely manner.
The Codex Trust Fund (CTF) is facing challenges that may mean it will have to be restructured, changed, re-thought. But this should not detract from the incredible impacts that it has been and still is responsible for. In line with the aims of the project to help countries build Codex capacities and structures and participate more effectively in Codex standards development, CTF projects have brought countries together, fostered confidence among national stakeholders, helped to enhance awareness, and promoted policy action. [...]
Building on the positive momentum following the 23rd Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA23), the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO RAP) under the regional project Enhancing Capacity in Codex for Effective Participation and Contribution of Selected Countries in Asia (GCP/RAS/278/JPN), in collaboration with the Codex Secretariat, virtually organized a Regional Workshop on the Codex Online Commenting System (OCS) on 22 October 2025.
The workshop brought together over 40 participants from 15 countries across Asia, including [...]
Guwahati, Assam, 17 October 2025
The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) agreed at its 8th session, held 13–17 October, to forward the standard for large cardamom for adoption. The success of this work, which was chaired by Bhutan and co-chaired by Nepal and India, was a significant milestone in regional collaboration under the Codex framework. The decision further underscored the success of this joint effort and the strengthening of collective technical capacity among the participating countries.
This achievement stands [...]
India hosted the third edition of the Global Food Regulators Summit (GFRS) 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, bringing together over 3500 delegates from 59 countries to advance international cooperation on food safety, nutrition, and regulatory convergence. Organized by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Summit reinforced India’s role as a hub for global and regional regulatory dialogue. Over the years, participation from countries across all regions has [...]
Siem Reap, Cambodia
A workshop is being held 16–17 October to discuss the Draft Prakas on Medicated Feeds. Fifty-four government officials are attending, from the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production (GDAHP), the Fisheries Administration (FiA), the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), veterinary regulators, feed inspectors, feed producers and academic institutions.
This event provides an opportunity for feed regulators and government officials to consult and validate the importance of regulating medicated feed as a key input for livestock production—including aquaculture—and for [...]
Nanning, China, 23 September 2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Codex Secretariat, hosted a lunchtime side event during the 23rd Session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA). The session, titled “FAO’s Efforts to Support the Implementation of Codex Standards”, brought together representatives from FAO headquarters, country office, and national authorities to exchange practical experiences and lessons learned in applying Codex standards to strengthen food safety systems.
The event was moderated by [...]
The importance of Codex texts was a thread that ran through all discussions at the third Global Food Regulators Summit (GFRS), hosted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and held 26–27 September in Delhi.
“It was an impressive summit,” said Hilde Kruse, Senior Food Standards Officer in the Codex Secretariat. “It was very well organized, innovative and with a most interesting, comprehensive and forward-looking programme.” The extensive programme included an array of prominent and emerging food safety [...]
The 23rd session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia has concluded in Nanning. The meeting afforded the opportunity to regional Members of discussing several issues relevant to the region, as well as to progress standards-setting work.
Wrapping up the meeting, Chairperson, Aya Orito Nozawa said “we are a family, and I hope we can continue to collaborate with each and keep in touch.” In a final intervention, the delegate from the Republic of Korea also focused on the close relationships [...]
The 23rd session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia has opened in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, hosted by Japan for the first time in their role as Regional Coordinator, and co-hosted by China.
Chairperson, Aya Orito Nozawa introduced the guests, who included Jianxin Tian, Deputy Director-General from Department of Food Safety standards, risk Surveillance and Assessment, National Health Commission, China, Jing Tian, Vice-Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Sridhar Dharmapuri from FAO Regional Office for Asia and the [...]
“Sustainable Development of Food Safety Beyond Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)” was the central theme of discussions at the 5th Global Conference on Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance (GCFA), held on 16–17 September in Seoul. The GCFA is the only international event dedicated exclusively to this topic and is hosted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea, which also supports the FAO-implemented, Action to Support Implementation of Codex AMR Texts (ACT) project.
Opening the conference, Minister Oh Yu-kyoung welcomed [...]
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For regional enquiries contact:
CCASIA Secretariat
International Standards Office, Food Safety Policy Division, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
1-2-1, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3 3502 8732
E-mail: [email protected]