Colombia and the Plurinational State of Bolivia are stepping up efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the world’s most pressing health threats, by strengthening laboratory surveillance in the food and agriculture sectors. With support from the FAO-led Actions to support the implementation of Codex texts on AMR (ACT) project, both countries participated in an international External Quality Assessment (EQA) exercise in 2025. The programme was organized by Mexico’s National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA), whose Unit [...]

As the 28th session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF28) approaches, the FAO JECFA Toolbox for Veterinary Drug Residues Risk Assessment marks its first anniversary. This resource can support the work of CCRVDF and the global network of stakeholders interested in the area of residues of veterinary drugs. Join us in celebrating the first milestone of this online tool!  Structured into six sections with practical tips, real-world case studies and links to further reading, the Toolbox provides a stepwise overview of the JECFA risk assessment process for veterinary drug residues in animal-derived foods, detailing essential data requirements and and key concepts. It also explains how these assessments inform the derivation of maximum residue limits (MRLs), which JECFA recommends to CCRVDF to safeguard public health and promote international fair [...]

In order to advance the work of the Codex Committee on Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), two inter-sessional working group meetings (IWGs) were held back-to-back from 17-19 March in Oslo, Norway. The sessions were hosted by the Norwegian government in collaboration with the Government of New Zealand. The working group on Establishment listing guidance was chaired by Norway, whereas the IWG on consolidation of Codex guidelines related to equivalence was chaired by New Zealand. In her opening remarks, the [...]

The 45th session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) has concluded in Budapest, Hungary. Following adoption of the meeting report, Chairperson Attila Nagy thanked all those involved in the smooth running of the week-long meeting and, in line with a CCMAS tradition, he provided the recipe for this year’s soup: Shoyu Ramen. CCMAS45 addressed a typical agenda this week, as well as hearing about and discussing plans for a new online database of the methods included [...]

The World Bank’s Knowledge Exchange Series of webinars focused in on the Codex Alimentarius in its session on Thursday 12 March, with discussion on how Codex standards and related texts are adopted and used within national contexts in South Asia. As moderator, Farbod Youssefi-Vash of the World Bank, explained, the aim in the discussion was to debate how to move away from thinking of Codex texts “as one-size-fits-all rulemaking, to incentivising compliance”. The four guests addressed a range of topics, which [...]

The 45th session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) has opened in Budapest Hungary for a week of deliberations on topics relating to a range of commodities and issues. Opening the meeting, the President of Hungary’s national food chain safety office (Nebih), Dr Imre Nemes DVM, underlined the importance and significance for Hungary of hosting this highly technical committee, describing the role as “a responsibility for scientific soundness, transparency and international cooperation.” He continued: “the work [...]

The World Food Safety Day 2026 campaign has launched with details of this year’s theme:  “From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere”. Led by the World Health Organization (WHO), this year’s campaign is dedicated to highlighting the burden of foodborne diseases and the science-based solutions that can prevent them. Central to the 2026 theme is the upcoming release of updated WHO estimates of the foodborne disease burden, which will be published in June in a key findings report accompanied by [...]

Attila Nagy has been Chairperson the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) for almost a decade, and has previously served as Vice-chairperson of the committee. He is a passionate advocate for this work and is at the forefront of innovations such as databasing this vital work. We caught up with him to find out about his preparations for the 45th session of the committee, which will take place 9–13 March 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. Attila thanks for your [...]

With the support of the European Union-funded Market Access Upgrade Programme Phase II (MARKUP II), which is implemented through the International Trade Centre (ITC), the East African Community (EAC) partner states under the technical committee (TC) on food additives has met in Juba, South Sudan, to develop regional standards for gum arabic. Uganda, as the host of the TC secretariat, guides the process of food additives standards development. The meeting was hosted 23-27 February 2026 by South Sudan to commence the [...]

Standards are "the hidden infrastructure of modern economies" according to the World Bank’s World Development Report 2025, which focuses on standards for development. In a corroboration of the Codex maxim that standards are the invisible thread that links up the food supply chain, the report considers Codex standards alongside many other types of standards. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was host, Monday 2 March, to an event led, in collaboration with the Codex Secretariat, by the World Bank team involved [...]