On 29 and 30 April 2021, Uzbekistan held the first meeting of the National Commission on Codex Alimentarius, since 2005, when it first joined Codex. The meeting was held in a hybrid, online format, with the participation of representatives of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, the State Veterinary Committee and development of animal husbandry, State Plant Quarantine Inspection and “Uzstandard” Agency. The meeting agreed that for Uzbekistan to effectively protect the health of consumers from unsafe food [...]

“No long-haul flights, no jet lag and a chance for team participation are some of the advantages of virtual meetings,” said Pisan Pongsapitch, Thailand one of over 350 delegates currently present at the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) hosted by The Netherlands from 3 to 7 May 2021. The virtual environment means a greater opportunity for more interested delegates to participate, who would otherwise not be able to take part in a physical meeting due to travel restrictions or [...]

At the end of April, the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) hosted three webinars as part of preparations for World Food Safety Day, which will take place on 7 June this year. The webinars served as an introduction to and overview of the 2021 campaign, with a presentation by Chile’s agency for food safety and quality (ACHIPIA) about the events they will hold this year. Members had an opportunity to talk about their experiences from last year’s celebrations and start [...]

The Director General for Agriculture and Food Quality of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in The Netherlands, Ms Marije Beens opened the 14th session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCC14) which is taking place virtually – with approximately 400 delegates in attendance at the first session on 3 May 2021. Acknowledging the challenges ahead of the committee in carrying out its discussions online, Director General Beens drew parallels with the current COVID pandemic in underlining [...]

The 3D printer that recently finished the first entirely printed, legally habitable house in Europe does not need to eat, does not need to sleep, it doesn’t need to rest. The house sits in Eindhoven less than 100km from Utrecht where the hosts of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF), The Netherlands will be running this first virtual session of the committee. Unlike the tireless 3D printer, from 3 to 7 May 2021, participants will certainly need their down [...]

By Hakim Baligeya Mufumbiro Uganda National Bureau of Standards Coordinator for the Codex African Region Partner States in the East African Community (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda) participated in an online training on Codex Electronic Working Platform and Online Commenting System from 28 to 30 April 2021 as one of the capacity building activities to enhance the skill and knowledge of stakeholders in the region in order to better engage and participate in the Codex activities. Considering the [...]

Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly opened a High-level Interactive Dialogue on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) on Thursday 29 April 2021 in New York. “We ignore AMR at our peril,” he said recalling how the overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in humans, animals and agriculture has driven up resistance in the micro-organisms these medicines are meant to fight. Lack of regulation, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animals, over-the-counter and internet sales have given [...]

The first ever virtual session of a Codex commodity committee saw record participation with more than 60 countries taking part over the six days from 20 to 29 April 2021. The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) will be sending four draft standards, oregano, ginger, cloves and basil, for final adoption by the Commission. The committee is hosted by India. Chairperson Dr.M.R.Sudharshan explained the importance of adopting these standards. “It means a lot to the producing countries, particularly from [...]

On Thursday 15 April 2021, at the Hotel Ivotel, Abidjan-Plateau, Côte d'Ivoire launched a Capacity Building Project for the National Codex Alimentarius Committee, a project funded by the Codex Trust Fund 2. Chaired by Mr. KOUASSI Kouamé Bernard, Technical Advisor to the Minister of State, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the opening ceremony recorded the physical presence of Mrs. N'GORAN Patricia, SUN Focal Point and Technical Advisor to the Presidency of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Dr ZOMBRE, Daogo Sosthene, [...]

Kenya is in high gear in preparation for the World Food Safety Day celebrations as the national WFSD2021 planning committee meets for the third time. In the discussions, the line-up of activities include: Pre-event activities, such as digital and social media campaigns, print media campaigns as well as TV and radio awareness programmes. During the event activities, which will include live virtual forums, newspaper supplement, live Twitter chats and live streaming on various social media platforms to discuss various food safety concerns. Post-event [...]