The 18th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, held in 1989, agreed to establish a new Coordinating Committee for North America and the South West Pacific, bringing together, in the words of the New Zealand delegation "far flung countries ... which have many common interests".
CCNASWP is a remarkably diverse region combining fully mature economies such as the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand with 10 small island states. The largest of these is Papua New Guinea (population over 7 million) and the smallest, the Cook Islands and Nauru with populations of around 10 000.
The regional coordinator is based within the Fijian Ministry of Agriculture.
Fiji looks forward to applying standards at the national level and supporting all countries in the region, especially the small island developing states, to establish a sound policy framework for food safety. These initiatives will support improvements in public health, ensure that imported food is safe and of the expected quality and develop increased access to international markets.
The regional coordinator will continue supporting work on regional standards and seeks to strengthen participation of the region in Codex in general. This can be achieved by continuing to develop capacity at the national level by enhancing the role of national coordinators and contact points for increased and effective participation in Codex
Twenty representatives from Codex Contact Points (CCP) in the North America and Southwest Pacific region met in Port Vila, Vanuatu on 28-30 October 2018 for a workshop on the online systems that are an essential part of contributing to Codex standard-setting. Participants also came together to discuss regional input to the Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025 and to continue work on two regional Codex standards, for noni juice and kava, both local beverages.
The countries present were Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States [...]
How can we change but remain the same?
Dr Emilio Esteban is Executive Associate for Laboratory Services in the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, and chairs the Codex Committe on Food Hygiene currently meeting in Chicago USA.
As I sit today, living the 49th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, I find myself amazed that after 50 plus years of discussion, the objective remains the same, yet, things have changed. On May 1964, nine members [...]
The 10th International Feed Regulators Meeting (IFRM) organized by IFIF in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) brought together a record number of feed industry representatives and government officials from 35 countries to discuss key issues including Feed Safety Risk Management Strategies and the role of animal nutrition and feeding to minimise antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The meeting was also informed on the activities of the FAO led Multi-stakeholder Partnership for Capacity Development for Feed [...]
Los Angeles USA - 48th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene
The Codex Secretariat is commited and dedicated to serving the Codex community
Chair Codex Alimentarius Commission
In the speech that she delivered at the Official Welcome Reception organised by the United States Codex Office on the occasion of the 48th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, the Codex Alimentarius Chairperson Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pernet paid tribute to members of the Codex Secretariat for their commitment and dedication to delivering [...]
The food hygiene committee CCFH has been meeting since 1964 and is responsible for drafting basic provisions on food hygiene applicable to all food.
People have the right to expect the food they eat to be safe and suitable for consumption. Foodborne illness and foodborne injury are at best unpleasant; at worst, they can be fatal.
Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene
Los Angeles - Q&A with Chair Dr Emilio Esteban
As the 48th session of the committee begins in Los Angeles, Dr Emilio Esteban, Executive [...]
The RCCs provide an incredibly important opportunity for dynamic discussion on major and emerging food safety and quality issues facing the region.
There are six Codex regions each represented by a joint FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC).They meet every two years. Each committee is responsible for defining the problems and needs of the region concerning food standards and food control. By working collectively at the regional level countries are able to highlight regulatory issues and problems arising from food control in [...]
The Codex Secretariat plays a key role in the running of over 20 international meetings per year.
As the 2016-2017 round of joint FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee meetings begins with the North America and South West Pacific Region in Vanuatu, two members of the Secretariat have travelled to Port Vila.
Dr Annamaria Bruno is a Senior Food Standards Officer in the Secretariat with responsibility for CCFA, CCRVDF, CCASIA, CCMMP, CCGP, CCLAC as well as being Alternate Officer for CCFH, CCNASWP, CCSCH, CCPR, CCFFP. [...]
Representatives of government departments and bodies and the food industry attended a training course organised by the Department of Trade Commerce and Industry (DTCI) in Port Moresby with the support of the European Union. The training aims to strengthen national capacities for food safety and controls, in line with the international requirements.
The training course took place from February 02 - 05, at the request of DTCI, and covered topics that are essential for risk and quality management of public laboratories [...]
https://youtu.be/CXGLtdyyYH0
The succcess of tourism in the Cook Islands has led to an increasing dependence on food imports. Harmonising national food safety standards with those of the Codex Alimentarius will enable the islands to better protect their communities and the tourist industry.
The ministries of health, agriculture and fisheries combine to cover all aspects of food safety and quality from the field to the table.
Watch the video.
