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The procedural manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission helps national delegations and international organizations participate effectively in the work of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The manual sets out the basic rules of procedure, procedures for the elaboration of Codex standards and related texts, and basic definitions and guidelines for the operation of Codex committees. It also lists the subsidiary bodies to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, along with their current status. Regular amendments to the Codex Alimentarius Commission Procedural Manual enhance clarity, strengthen procedural guidance and harmonize language.

In the thirty-first edition, following adoption at the Forty-eighth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, updates were made to the "Procedures for the elaboration of Codex standards and related texts" to reflect revised definitions and delineate procedure; the "Guidelines for subsidiary bodies" were updated based on a review of procedures; modifications to the language in the "Criteria and procedural guidelines for Codex committees and ad hoc intergovernmental task forces working by correspondence" clarified meaning and procedures; the "Risk analysis principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues" were updated to clarify language, ensure consistency, and to address superseded content; the "Table of committees, document references and terms of reference" was updated to reflect the reactivation of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP) and the handover of host country responsibility from the United States of America to the Republic of Korea of the Codex Committee for Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV); a new heading was added to "Principles concerning the participation of international non-governmental organizations in the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission" to clarify that the clause in paragraph 24 applies to all INGOs with observer status with Codex, irrespective of their status with FAO or WHO; several sections were to correct superseded text throughout the manual; and finally, editorial corrections and refinements were made, such as to further harmonize terminology, to improve readability.

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