The 18th Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) concluded in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting, co-hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Thailand, saw significant progress on several key items aimed at protecting consumer health and facilitating fair practices in the food trade worldwide. Among the prominent outcomes was the adoption of new Maximum Levels (MLs) for spices, and lead in dried culinary herbs and the revision for the Code of practice for the prevention and reduction [...]

The 18th session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) has opened in Bangkok, Thailand, where the Committee’s host, the Kingdom of the Netherlands will co-host proceedings with Thailand. Anongnat Chakaew, Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, opened the meeting and expressed pride that Thailand is co-hosting “this significant meeting in collaboration with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.” Outlining the long history shared by the countries, she continued: “Co-hosting this meeting is another important step that reaffirms our [...]

The Eighteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF18) will take place 23–27 June 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. We spoke to Sally Hoffer, from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, who will chair CCCF18 on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to find out more about the agenda of the Committee, its highlights and her expectations for this session. Sally, thank you once again for your time. This is going to be the fifth time [...]

The 17th session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) was declared officially open in Panama City, 15 April, following speeches from His Excellency the President of the Republic of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen and other distinguished guests. The opening ceremony paved the way for what promises to be an intensive week of discussions around a variety of current CCCF texts and future work for the Committee. His Excellency the President expressed appreciation that Panama was chosen to co-host [...]

The Seventeenth Session of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF17) will take place 15–19 April 2024 in Panama City, Panama. As the meeting approaches, we spoke to Sally Hoffer, from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, who will chair CCCF17 on behalf of The Netherlands, to find out more about the agenda of the Committee, co-hosting a Codex meeting and her expectations for this session.   Sally, thanks for your time. This is the fourth time for [...]

“In light of today’s global political and environmental problems, the work of the Codex Alimentarius members on ensuring the safety of food is more relevant than ever,” said Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, speaking via video message at the opening of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF) being held in Utrecht from 18 to 21 April 2023. Video message: Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, for the Kingdom [...]

The challenges and opportunities posed by the emerging issues in agrifood systems identified by FAO’s foresight programme were outlined at a side event of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food in Utrecht on Tuesday 18 April. The role Codex might play in providing guidance on new foods and new food production systems was discussed by a panel that included Vittorio Fattori, FAO Food Safety Officer, Daniela Battaglia, FAO Animal Production Officer and Ong How Chee from the Singapore Food Agency, [...]

Delegates gathered in Utrecht, Netherlands (Kingdom of the) on Monday 17 April 2023 to take part in working groups on a range of technical topics that will be on the agenda in the full plenary of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF16) which begins on Tuesday 18 April. Ahead of the session, the Codex Secretariat spoke to Brazil who led work on establishing maximum levels (MLs) for lead in certain food categories, beyond those already covered by the General [...]

Over 400 delegates gathered online for the opening of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) which is taking place from 9 to 24 May 2022, hosted by The Netherlands from Utrecht. The committee regulates substances that have not been intentionally added to food by setting maximum levels to avoid levels of contamination that would make the food unsafe or affect its quality.  Speaking from the virtual studio, the Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Steve Wearne, United Kingdom, said [...]

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 [...]