The University of Malta news service, Newspoint, will mark World Food Safety Day this year, by highlighting an ‘eye-opening’ project in which the university is a partner. The 3-year-old Project PROTECT, being led by University College, Dublin, is examining foodborne microbial responses to climate change. For its part, the University of Malta’s Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, led by Professor Vasilis Valdramidis, is looking at, for example, the growth of different microorganisms in response to changing atmospheric conditions and [...]

The Codex Committee on Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) begins its first virtual session on 17 May 2021. This committee provides the A to Z of international methods for the verification of 100s of provisions in Codex standards developed by commodity committees, from acidity in fats and oils to zinc in vinegar. Codex Procedural Manual Principles for the Establishment of Codex Methods of Analysis Codex Standard 234 Recommended Methods of Analysis and Sampling This committee also serves as a coordinating body for Codex with [...]

The Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology & Food Science at the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK) is organizing a competition on Food Safety in celebration of World Food Safety Day 2021. All active undergraduate and postgraduate students at TEPAK can participate in the competition either individually or in groups of up to three students. Students are encouraged to produce submissions in the form of a photo, poster, photomontage or photo-history aimed at: Highlighting right and wrong practices of food processing and preservation Presenting [...]

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 [...]

29–30 апреля 2021 г. в Узбекистане состоялось совещание Национальной комиссии по Кодексу Алиментариус — впервые с 2005 года, когда страна вошла в число участников Кодекса. Совещание проходило в гибридном формате при участии представителей Санитарно-эпидемиологической службы, Министерства здравоохранения, Министерства сельского хозяйства, Государственного комитета ветеринарии и развития животноводства, Государственной инспекции по карантину растений и агентства «Узстандарт». Участники совещания пришли к выводу, что стране необходимо расширить участие в работе Кодекса Алиментариус, чтобы обеспечить эффективную защиту здоровья потребителей от небезопасных продуктов питания и стимулировать импорт и экспорт продовольствия. Кроме [...]

Туркменистан является одним из бенефициаров Целевого фонда Кодекса. Страна приступила к реализации своего проекта в январе 2021 г., а в начале апреля 2021 г. ключевые заинтересованные стороны, занимающиеся связанными с Кодексом вопросами, собрались на организационное совещание и заседание по планированию. После завершения организационного совещания был проведен практикум по работе с механизмами и процедурами передачи информации Кодексу. В проходившем 29 апреля практикуме участвовали 16 представителей Государственной санитарно-эпидемиологической службы Туркменистана, Министерства здравоохранения и медицинской промышленности, Центра общественного здоровья и питания, Министерства торговли и внешнеэкономических связей, Министерства сельского хозяйства [...]

A team in Burkina Faso dedicated to organizing activities for World Food Safety Day, met in Ouagadougou on 7 May 2021 to set out a plan for the 7 June celebration and the key messages to disseminate nationally. Some of the major food safety concerns in the country include the misuse of pesticides in agriculture on fruits, vegetables and cereals and the use of veterinary drugs. Sales of street food without adequate food safety checks are also on the rise, as [...]

Lantomalala Raharinosy Codex Contact Point Madagascar Despite the context of the Covid 19 pandemic and related restrictions, the National Codex Alimentarius Committee of Madagascar held two days of meetings (partly virtual and partly face-to-face) from 6 to 7 May 2021 which made it possible to develop a procedural manual and establish a 2021-2023 three-year plan based on the Codex Strategic Plan. These two documents will certainly help us to facilitate the implementation of Codex activities and to improve the effective participation of [...]

“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 [...]