In 1976 a Coordinating Committee for Latin America, established by the 10th Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1974, held its first meeting in Rome with eight countries from the region in attendance. At its third session a proposal was made to change the name of the committee to its current form (Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean) as this better reflected the membership of the region. In 1984 at its 31st session, the Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the Commission, agreed to this change.
The region of Latin America and the Caribbean is an important actor in the production and trade of food at a global level. The region produces enough food to supply itself and to export, with both water and land resources to produce even more.
The region has enormous natural wealth, a flourishing agricultural industry and a family farming sector that is essential for its population. The promotion and strengthening of food safety must be continued at the level of all regions to guarantee the health of consumers and fair and equitable trade.
Uruguay, through the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, coordinates the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Latin American and Caribbean region. In this role, Uruguay promotes the inclusive and sustained participation of the countries of the region in the work of Codex, fostering technical dialogue, regional cooperation and consensus building.
In line with the objectives of the Codex Strategic Plans, including the periods 2020–2025 and 2026–2031, Uruguay actively collaborates to achieve regional goals. This is achieved through capacity building, promoting the use of Codex texts, providing technical support to member countries, and coordinating with international organisations. In addition, Uruguay promotes the addressing of emerging challenges in food safety and quality, promoting integrative approaches such as ‘One Health’ and more effective participation by developing countries in the Commission and its subsidiary bodies.
In reference to the 2026 World Food Safety Day and its theme, “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere”, an outreach event open to the community will be held on June 14 at the open-air market of the city of Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Through interactive exhibitions and practical demonstrations, this initiative will encourage the shared responsibility of consumers, food handlers, and local authorities in promoting safer food environments and adopting behavioural changes. This initiative seeks to translate scientific evidence [...]
This year the Codex Contact Point in Honduras celebrated with academia. Every university in Tegucigalpa that offers programmes in food quality, technology, and agriculture had a booth, each with information about the food production chain. They also offered interactive activities and games to help visitors learn in an easy and engaging way. It was called "The Food Safety Route."
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World Food Safety Day 2026
The Codex contact point in Cuba celebrated World Food Safety Day with a Technical Workshop organized and held in Cuba on 9 June. More than 60 experts and technicians from the food chain participated. There was additionally an event held on 10 June at the Ministry of Health in Cuba with around 40 people, including the Minister of the sector, officials from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Cuba, among others, where outstanding [...]
by the Codex Contact Point of Grenada
On 5 June 2026, the Grenada Bureau of Standards hosted a training session for members of the National Codex Committee and the GDBS team, facilitated by Giuseppe Di Chiera of the Codex Secretariat.
During the session, participants gained valuable insights into the operation and functions of Codex, as well as the various ways Grenada can actively participate in Codex activities and contribute to the development of international food standards.
“The training provided was insightful, valuable, and [...]
As part of the 2026 World Food Safety Day celebrations, the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP) La Laguna Experimental Field and the Torreón Institute of Technology are jointly organizing the “Microbiological Analysis of Whole Melon Fruit Course.”
This hands-on, in-person course, part of the FONCYT COAH-2025-C25-C084 Project, aims to strengthen technical skills in food microbiology, focusing on whole melon fruit. It will be taught by Dr. Luis Maconetzín Isidro Requejo, a researcher at the INIFAP La Laguna [...]
As part of World Food Safety Day 2026 celebrations, the Danper company organized the “Food Safety Expo” to share knowledge and reflect on the challenges and opportunities that food safety offers when it comes to ensuring consumer health. This event brought together representatives from the public sector, universities, institutions such as the Peruvian Association of Engineers and COMPIAL (Permanent Multisectoral Commission on Food Safety), as well as several suppliers in the food industry.
The event also included the official launch of [...]
To mark World Food Safety Day, whose theme this year was “From Burden to Solutions: Safe Food for All,” we held an academic and awareness-raising workshop with students from the Food and Beverage Hygiene and Safety course. The aim was to promote greater awareness of the importance of food safety throughout the entire food chain.
As part of the activities, the students presented five fast-sketches or short skits that addressed common food safety risks:
• From Gray to Green: the dangers associated [...]
To celebrate World Food Safety Day, Grupo Jumex dedicated a day to raising awareness about the importance of ensuring safe food production. This year, they held an Expo with 17 booths, addressing key topics such as traceability, equipment cleaning and disinfection, pesticide control, prevention of cross-contact with allergens, contamination by foreign bodies, the impact of new products, and weighing defects, among others.
The event included the participation of the company's seven production and packaging plants, as well as support areas (regulations, [...]
As part of World Food Safety Day 2026 and in support of this year’s theme, “From burden to solutions: safe food everywhere,” the NGO, CIBICA (Ibero-American Community for Food Safety and Quality) is organizing a series of outreach initiatives designed to highlight how science, evidence and local action contribute to safer food systems.
CIBICA is a non-profit organization focused on food safety, quality, and public health across the Ibero-American region.
One of the main activities is a special edition of the INNO GIRL educational [...]
To mark World Food Safety Day 2026, Ecuador organized two public awareness activities in Quito on 5 June 2026.
An Information Fair on Food Safety brought together public institutions, academia and agrifood sector stakeholders to promote the importance of safe food throughout the food chain.
A “dance therapy” session, held under the slogan “From burden to solutions: safe food everywhere”, encouraged participants to learn about food safety while promoting healthy lifestyles.
The two events attracted approximately 250 participants, highlighting Ecuador’s commitment to raising awareness about the importance of food [...]
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