The 54th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) opened on Monday to start a week of discussions around completion, revisions and progress of several Codex texts. CCFH is hosted by the Government of the United States of America and the Committee is meeting for the first time in Nairobi, Kenya, with Kenya’s Professor George Akoo Abong co-chairing alongside Dr Evelyne Mbandi, who heads up a CCFH session for the first time.

The high-level opening ceremony heard from Dr Emilio Esteban, Under Secretary for Food Safety of the United States of America, the Honourable Mithika Linturi, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development of Kenya, the Honourable Rebecca Miano, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry of Kenya, the Honourable Nakhumicha S. Wafula, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health and Steve Wearne, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

On behalf of the United States of America, Dr Emilio Esteban, Under Secretary for Food Safety and former CCFH Chairperson, underlined the importance of Codex work. “The importance of Codex I cannot put into words,” he commented, saying that he believes Codex to be the most important food safety body in the world because “everyone in the world is entitled to the same level of food safety as the wealthiest countries of the world.”

Both the Honourable Mithika Linturi and the Honourable Rebecca Miano echoed these sentiments as they underlined the crucial role of Codex texts in the ongoing food safety work of Kenya, Africa and across the world. “Without food safety, the Sustainable Development Goals will not be met,” Linturi said. “There is therefore a need for sustained investment in regulatory frameworks, laboratory capabilities, and monitoring systems. Codex standards must continue to be the bedrock of food safety in a changing world, supporting our collective efforts to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030.”

Meanwhile Miano highlighted the importance to Kenya of co-hosting CCFH: “Co-hosting this session with the United States of America serves as a vivid demonstration, dedication, and declaration of our commitment to global food safety. This collaboration magnifies the crucial role of strong international partnerships in elevating the standards of food consumed not only within our own borders but across the globe.”

In her speech, the Honourable Nakhumicha S. Wafula also celebrated the international partnerships being fostered by this co-hosting collaboration. “Together, let us build a future where safe and nutritious food is accessible to all, and where the health and well-being of our communities are safeguarded through robust food hygiene standards,”she said.

The cabinet secretaries spoke of Kenya’s role in the development of Codex guidelines on food control hygiene measures in traditional markets, “reaffirming our commitment to advancing food safety initiatives,” as Linturi said. “These guidelines are poised to transform food handling practices in traditional markets across the world, establishing unprecedented standards for hygiene and safety,” commented Miano.

In his opening remarks, Steve Wearne thanked the United States of America and Kenya for their long-standing support for Codex work and recognized and acknowledged their commitment to and investment in the Committee. “CCFH meetings,” he went on to say, “are characterized by warm collaboration, mutual respect and efficiency.”

Together, let us build a future where safe and nutritious food is accessible to all, and where the health and well-being of our communities are safeguarded through robust food hygiene standards

The work on guidelines on food control hygiene measures in traditional markets will be discussed as part of a full agenda that will also see discussion on proposed draft annexes to the Guidelines for the Control of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Raw Beef, Fresh Leafy Vegetables, Raw Milk and Raw Milk Cheeses, and Sprouts (CXG 99-2023) and the Guidelines for the Safe Use and Reuse of Water in Food Production and Processing (CXG 100-2023). In addition, proposed draft revisions will be discussed for the Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Pathogenic Vibrio Species in Seafood (CXG 73-2010) and the Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Viruses in Food (CXG 79-2012). Discussion papers for revisions to the Guidelines for the Control of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Chicken Meat (CXG 78-2011) and the Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Foods (CXG 61-2007) are also on the agenda, which also includes discussion on the alignment of Codex texts developed by CCFH with the revised General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969).

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CCFH54 webpage