Welcoming delegates to the opening of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), taking place virtually from 19 November to 1 December 2021, Julia Klöckner, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Germany, said food and health policy must respond to the need to fight hunger as well as combat overweight and obesity at international level.

CCNFSDU plays a central role in this and “health protection and the removal of trade barriers are more important than ever in our globalized world,” she said.

Steve Wearne, United Kingdom, Chairperson-elect of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, recognized the will among many delegations to move issues on the CCNFSDU agenda, such as follow up formula or ready to use therapeutic foods, forward or even bring them to a successful conclusion. “I applaud this appetite for advancement of consensus driven and science-based standards and texts and the willingness you have shown in the past to compromise where necessary,” he said.

Codex Secretary, Tom Heilandt reminded delegates that Codex has many rules but also great freedom of choice where it is important to exercise good judgement and to think of everyone in the standard development process. He called on delegates to use both procedure and wisdom in their deliberations and to show respect for previous decisions, focusing on key issues.

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Meeting documents available on the CCNFSDU42 meeting page.

Main photo © CCNFSDU Sec. Berlin Studio.: (left to right) Tobias Fischer, Chairperson Hilde Thordsen, Alina Steinert.