The Codex Alimentarius Commission approved a standard for kava products for use as a beverage when mixed with water today. “The work started way back in 2004 in Apia, Samoa, and has taken 16 years to get here,” explained the representative of Vanuatu on behalf of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for North America and South West Pacific (CCNASWP), the region where the standard will be used. Kava is part of the culture and the economy of the Pacific Islands. The root of [...]

At today’s opening of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the release of a new report about World Food Safety Day 2020. “Under the theme ‘Food safety, everyone’s business’, the WHO-led event focused on building and maintaining safe food in marketplaces,” he said, referring to the UN Day while holding up a copy of the report for participants to see. The report, World Food Safety Day 2020 - Overview of an inspiring virtual celebration, offers a [...]

The Directors-General of FAO and WHO, the parent organizations of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, set the stage for five days of decision-making on food standards with a message about getting ‘better’. More than 800 registered delegates joined the first-ever virtual Commission, now in its 43rd session, held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  In congratulating the Commission for ‘jumping into the digital world’, FAO Director-General Dr QU Dongyu noted that science is the driving force for setting Codex food standards. “When [...]

At 12:00 CET on Thursday 24 September 2020, the Directors-General of FAO and WHO will welcome over 600 delegates to the first ever virtual session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission - CAC43. Following an overwhelmingly positive response from Member Countries, the two-thirds majority required to ensure the 43rd meeting could go ahead, have affirmed their belief that Codex international food safety standards have a vital role to play for consumers in every home. The standards, guidelines and codes of practice that [...]

Обычно накануне ежегодной сессии Комиссии Кодекса Алиментариус сотни делегатов отправляются в путь. Некоторым из них приходится обогнуть половину земного шара, чтобы в течение целой недели участвовать в пленарных заседаниях в Женеве или Риме. В этом году материально-техническая подготовка к 43-й сессии Комиссии Кодекса Алиментариус (CAC43), которая откроется 24 сентября 2020 года, будет заключаться не столько в оформлении виз и поисках потерянного багажа, сколько в обеспечении доступа к Wi-Fi и работоспособности веб-камеры. В работе сессии планируют принять участие свыше 600 членов и наблюдателей Кодекса, и перед Секретариатом [...]

In the two short years since the World Food Safety Day was created, we have already seen the engagement and momentum that this campaign can garner from all corners of the industry and around the world. Food safety truly is everyone’s business, and it is heartening to see WFSD participation from the private sector and public sector alike. At the end of the day, we are all consumers and can all join forces behind the vision of safe food for [...]

Состоявшийся в пятницу, 11 сентября 2020 года, вебинар, который был организован Секретариатом Кодекса, привлек большую аудиторию, в том числе представителей 86 стран и Европейского союза, а также 34 организации-наблюдателя. Общее количество участников превысило 300 человек. В своем вступительном слове председатель Комиссии Кодекса Алиментариус Гильерми да Коста (Бразилия) поблагодарил контактных лиц Кодекса, которым отводится ведущая роль в организации практической работы членов Кодекса. По его словам, «ни один аспект деятельности организации не обходится без их участия, а их работа — неотъемлемое условие существования Кодекса Алиментариус». Пандемию COVID-19 да Коста назвал «вызовом [...]

As Codex Members and Observers prepare to take part in the first ever virtual session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which starts on 24 September 2020, the Codex Secretariat has organized a training webinar to prepare delegates for the online meeting. This webinar will take place on Friday 11 September 2020, at 12.00 (CET). Delegates will hear from the Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Guilherme Da Costa and from Codex Secretary, Tom Heilandt, how it was possible to arrange for [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic will have an unprecedented impact on global and regional trade. According to the World Trade Organization, world merchandise trade in 2020 could fall by as much as 32 percent. New policy guidance, part of the FAO COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, describes how the current economic recession is raising serious concerns about hunger and malnutrition. It goes on to explain how ad-hoc trade restrictions, including food safety measures that may not be science based, have worsened the situation [...]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service is recognizing September as Food Safety education Month and encouraging consumers to follow good food safety practices to protect themselves and their families from foodborne illness. The guidance reminds consumers they should follow four simple steps for food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Read the USDA press release here. Learn more about the four steps at Foodsafety.gov.