The 14th session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF14) has recommended for adoption to the Codex Alimentarius Commission new maximum levels (MLs) for cadmium in chocolate. Codex MLs ensure food does not contain contaminants at levels which could threaten human health. The levels set for cadmium are 0.3mg/kg for the category of chocolate containing up to 30 percent cocoa total solids and 0.7mg/kg for the 30 to 50 percent category. Ecuador led the work on developing the new [...]

There are few statistics on the burden of foodborne disease in Bangladesh, according to the FAO-implemented programme, “Improving food safety in Bangladesh.” But what we do know is that unsafe food is a widespread and pervasive issue in the country, with diarrhoeal diseases, enteric fever and hepatitis presenting as the most prevalent foodborne diseases. So, the UN’s designation of a World Food Safety Day, to be celebrated annually on 7 June, was a clear signal to Bangladeshi food safety activists [...]

Au Burkina Faso, une équipe chargée d’organiser des activités pour la Journée internationale de la sécurité sanitaire des aliments (JISSA) s’est réunie à Ouagadougou, le 7 mai 2021, afin de définir un plan d’organisation de l’événement du 7 juin et les messages clés à diffuser au niveau national. Quelques-unes des préoccupations majeures en matière de sécurité sanitaire des aliments dans le pays sont l’utilisation abusive de pesticides dans les fruits, légumes et céréales et l’emploi de médicaments vétérinaires. Les ventes d’aliments [...]

Lantomalala Raharinosy Point de Contact du Codex de Madagascar  Malgré le contexte de la pandémie du covid 19 et les restrictions y afférentes, le Comité National du Codex Alimentarius de Madagascar a organisé deux jours de réunions (en partie virtuelles et en partie en présentiel) du 6 au 7 mai 2021 qui lui ont permis de rédiger son manuel de procédure et établir son plan triennal 2021-2023 sur la base du plan stratégique du Codex. Ces deux documents nous aideront certainement à [...]

Turkmenistan is among the recipient countries of the Codex Trust Fund. The country started the implementation of its project in January 2021 and in early April 2021, the key stakeholders working with Codex related issues gathered for an inception meeting and planning session. The inception meeting was followed up with a hands-on training on mechanisms and procedures for communication with Codex. The training was held on 29 April 2021 and attended by 16 participants representing State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service [...]

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 [...]