WHO - Understanding the Codex Alimentarius

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UNDERSTANDING

THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS

Third ed ition



For further information on the activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission,

please contact:

Secretariat of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla00153 Rome, Italy

Telephone: (39) 06 57051

Fax: (39) 06 57053152/57054593

Telex: 625852 or 625853

E-mail (Internet): [email protected]

Web site: www.codexalimentarius.net

Codex publications may be obtained through the worldwide Sales Agents

of FAO or by writing to:

Sales and Marketing Group

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Viale delle Terme di Caracalla

00153 Rome, Italy

Fax: (39) 06 57053360

Email: [email protected]

Issued by the Secretariat of the

Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, FAO, Rome



WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Rome, 2006

UNDERSTANDING

THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS

Third ed ition



The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this informationproduct do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations or of the World Health Organizationconcerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of itsauthorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this informationproduct for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized withoutany prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fullyacknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or othercommercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders.Application for such permission should be addressed to:

Produced by the

Codex Secretariat

FAO

ISBN 978-92-5-105614-1

ChiefElectronic Publishing Policy and Support BranchInformation DivisionFAOViale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy

or by e-mail to:[email protected]

FAO/WHO 2006©



PREFACE

1thE CodEx AChiEvEmEnt

5

oRigins oF thE CodEx AlimEntARius

10WhAt is thE CodEx AlimEntARius?

13thE CodEx systEm: thE CodEx AlimEntARius Commission

And hoW it WoRks

21CodEx And sCiEnCE

25CodEx And ConsumERs

29CodEx And thE intERnAtionAl Food tRAdE

33moRE thAn CodEx: FAo, Who And WidER PARtnERshiPs

37CodEx And thE FutuRE

39

AbbREviAtions

ContEnts



The Codex Alimentarius, or the food code, has become the global referencepoint for consumers, food producers and processors, national food controlagencies and the international food trade. The code has had an enormousimpact on the thinking of food producers and processors as well as on theawareness of the end users – the consumers. Its inuence extends to everycontinent, and its contribution to the protection of public health and fairpractices in the food trade is immeasurable.

The Codex Alimentarius system presents a unique opportunity forall countries to join the international community in formulating andharmonizing food standards and ensuring their global implementation. Italso allows them a role in the development of codes governing hygienicprocessing practices and recommendations relating to compliance with thosestandards.

The signicance of the food code for consumer health protection wasunderscored in 1985 by the United Nations Resolution 39/248, wherebyguidelines were adopted for use in the elaboration and reinforcement of consumer protection policies. The guidelines advise that “When formulatingnational policies and plans with regard to food, Governments should takeinto account the need of all consumers for food security and should supportand, as far as possible, adopt standards from the … Codex Alimentarius or,in their absence, other generally accepted international food standards”.

The Codex Alimentarius has relevance to the international food trade. Withrespect to the ever-increasing global market, in particular, the advantages of having universally uniform food standards for the protection of consumersare self-evident. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Agreement on theApplication of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement)and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) bothencourage the international harmonization of food standards. Products of the Uruguay Round of multinational trade negotiations, these Agreementscite international standards, guidelines and recommendations as the

preferred measures for facilitating international trade in food. As such,Codex standards have become the benchmarks against which national foodmeasures and regulations are evaluated within the legal parameters of theWorld Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements.

This booklet was rst published in 1999 to foster a wider understandingof the evolving food code and of the activities carried out by the CodexAlimentarius Commission – the body responsible for compiling thestandards, codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations that constitutethe Codex Alimentarius. Since the rst publication there have been manychanges to the way in which the Codex works. A new edition of this popular booklet is therefore timely and necessary for understanding the Codex

Alimentarius in the twenty-rst century.

PREFACE



Since the rst steps were taken in 1961 to establish

a Codex Alimentarius, the Codex Alimentarius

Commission – the body charged with developing a

food code – has drawn world attention to the eld of

food quality and safety. Now, for almost 50 years, all

important aspects of food pertaining to the protectionof consumer health and fair practices in the food trade

have come under the Commission’s scrutiny.

A single internAtionAlreference point

The best traditions of the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United

Nations (FAO) and the World HealthOrganization (WHO) have encouragedfood-related scientic and technologicalresearch as well as discussion. In doing so,they have lifted the world community’sawareness of food safety and relatedissues to unprecedented heights. TheCodex Alimentarius Commission,established by the two Organizations inthe 1960s, has become the single most

Codex Alimentarius on the Internet:

www.codexalimentarius.net

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important international reference pointfor developments associated with food

standards.

greAter globAl And nAtionAlAwAreness

Throughout much of the world, anincreasing number of consumers andgovernments are becoming aware of food quality and safety issues and arerealizing the need to be selective about

the foods people eat. It is now commonfor consumers to demand that theirgovernments take legislative action toensure that only safe food of acceptablequality is sold and that the risk of food- borne health hazards is minimized. It isfair to say that, through its elaboration of Codex standards and its consideration of all related issues, the Codex AlimentariusCommission has helped signicantly to putfood as an entity on political agendas. Infact, governments are extremely consciousof the political consequences to be expectedshould they fail to heed consumers’concerns regarding the food they eat.

increAsed consumer protection

The Codex Alimentarius Commission has been supported in its work by the nowuniversally accepted maxim that peoplehave the right to expect their food to be

safe, of good quality and suitable forconsumption. Food-borne illnesses are at best unpleasant – at worst they can be fatal.But there are other consequences. Outbreaksof food-borne illness can damage trade andtourism and can lead to loss of earnings,unemployment and litigation. Poor-quality food can destroy the commercialcredibility of suppliers, both nationallyand internationally, while food spoilage iswasteful and costly and can adversely affect

trade and consumer condence.The positive effect of the Commission’swork has also been enhanced by thedeclarations produced by internationalconferences and meetings that have,

f

985

United Nations General Assembly

Guidelines for consumer protection

Stated that:

“When formulating national policies and plans with

regard to food, Governments should take into account

the need of all consumers for food security and should

support and, as far as possible, adopt standards from

the Food and Agriculture Organization’s ... and theWorld Health Organization’s Codex Alimentarius ...”.

99

FAO/WHO Conference on Food Standards,

Chemicals in Food and Food Trade

(in cooperation with GATT)

Agreed that:

...“The process of harmonizing national food

regulations to bring them into line with international

standards and recommendations was an urgent one,

which needed to be accelerated ...”

and that:

“Provisions essential for consumer protection (health,

safety of food, etc.) should be the focus of emphasis in

Codex standards ...”.

992

FAO/WHO International Conference

on Nutrition

Recognized that:

“Access to nutritionally adequate and safe food is a

right of each individual.”

and that:“Food regulations ... should fully take into account the

recommended international standards of the Codex

Alimentarius Commission.”

995

Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and

Phytosanitary Measures and Agreement on

Technical Barriers to Trade

Formally recognized:

International standards, guidelines and

recommendations, including the Codex Alimentarius,

as reference points for facilitating international trade

and resolving trade disputes in international law.

2

Understanding the Codex Alimentarius

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996

FAO World Food Summit

Committed itself to:

“Implement policies aimed at ... improving physical

and economic access by all, at all times, to sufcient,

nutritionally adequate and safe food and its effective

utilization.”

and to:

“Apply measures, in conformity with the Agreement

on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary

Measures and other relevant international agreements,

that ensure the quality and safety of food supply ... “.

2000

Fifty-Third World Health Assembly

Recognized:

“The importance of the standards, guidelines and

other recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius

Commission for protecting the health of consumers

and assuring fair trading practices ...”

and urged Member States to:

“Participate actively in activities in the emerging area

of food safety risk analysis.”

2002

World Food Summit: ve years later

Stated:

“We reafrm the important role of Codex Alimentarius

… to provide effective, science-based, internationally

accepted standards of food safety … as well as to

facilitate international food and agricultural trade.”

2004

Second FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety

Regulators

Afrmed:

“The Codex system provides an important opportunity

for countries to work together to develop international

standards in a representative manner. … Developing

countries would benet from greater use of basic

Codex texts when building their food control systems.”

themselves, been inuenced by theCommission’s activities. Over the past

20 years, national representatives tothe United Nations General Assembly,the FAO/WHO Conference on FoodStandards, Chemicals in Food and FoodTrade (held in cooperation with the GeneralAgreement on Tariffs and Trade [GATT]),the FAO/WHO International Conferenceon Nutrition, the FAO World Food Summitand the WHO World Health Assemblyhave either encouraged or committed theircountries to adopt measures ensuring the

safety and quality of foods. The Global Foraof Food Safety Regulators have noted thatthe Codex system provides an importantopportunity for countries to work togetherto develop international standards in arepresentative manner.

broAd community involvement

The role of the Codex AlimentariusCommission has evolved with thedevelopment of the Codex itself. Thetask of creating a food code is immenseand, because of continuing research andproduct development, virtually endless.The nalization of food standards and theircompilation into a code that is credibleand authoritative requires extensiveconsultation as well as the collection andevaluation of information, followed up byconrmation of nal results and sometimesobjective compromise to satisfy differing

sound, scientically based views.Creating standards that at once protect

consumers, ensure fair practices in the saleof food and facilitate trade is a processthat involves specialists in numerousfood-related scientic disciplines,together with consumers’ organizations,production and processing industries,food control administrators and traders.As more people become involved in theformulation of standards and as the Codex

Alimentarius – including related codesand recommendations – covers furtherground, so the Commission’s activities are becoming better known and its inuencestrengthened and widened.


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scientificAlly sound stAndArds

While the Codex Alimentarius as it standsis a remarkable achievement, it would bequite wrong to see it as the only productof the Codex Alimentarius Commission,although it is the most important.Resulting from the creation of the Codex,another major accomplishment has beento sensitize the global community to thedanger of food hazards as well as to theimportance of food quality and hence tothe need for food standards.

By providing an international focalpoint and forum for informed dialogueon issues relevant to food, the CodexAlimentarius Commission fulls acrucial role. In support of its work onfood standards and codes of practice,it generates reputable texts for themanagement of food safety and consumerprotection based on the work of the best-informed individuals and organizationsconcerned with food and related elds.Countries have responded by introducinglong-overdue food legislation and Codex- based standards and by establishing orstrengthening food control agencies tomonitor compliance with such regulations.

evAluAting the outcome

After 40 years of Codex operations, FAOand WHO decided to undertake a formalevaluation of the Codex programme in

2002. An independent evaluation teamconducted over 20 country visits andsought information from an open call forpublic comment on the Internet. A groupof independent experts representing allstakeholders was formed, and detailedquestionnaires were sent to all membergovernments and observer organizations.

The results were enlightening andmostly positive. The evaluation foundCodex food standards to be given very

high importance by members. Codexstandards were considered a vitalcomponent in promoting food controlsystems designed to protect consumerhealth, including issues related to

international trade and the SPS and TBTAgreements of WTO. The full report of

the evaluation can be found on the CodexWeb site.

As part of the evaluation, governmentswere asked in what ways Codex standardswere important for their countries. Low-and middle-income countries found themvery important in protecting the healthof their consumers by ensuring safefood, whether produced domesticallyor imported, and for trade facilitationdomestically and internationally. High-

income countries, with better-developeddomestic food legislation and controlsystems, placed more emphasis on theCodex for export facilitation and ensuringthe safety of food imports. Producerand consumer non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) also rated Codexstandards as very important in all theirfunctions.

Nevertheless, the evaluation foundthat there were four main areas forimprovement:

• greater speed in Codex and expertscientic advice;

• increased inclusiveness of developingmember countries in the Codexstandard development process,including risk assessment;

• greater usefulness of standardsto member countries in termsof relevance to their needs andtimeliness; and

• more effective capacity-building for

development of national food controlsystems.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission,FAO, WHO and their partners arecurrently implementing the ndings of theevaluation.

The evaluation conrmed that theCodex Alimentarius now has sucha well-established reputation as aninternational reference that it has become customary for health authorities,

government food control ofcials,manufacturers, scientists and consumeradvocates to ask rst of all: What doesthe Codex Alimentarius have to say? –a notable achievement indeed.

4


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The Codex Alimentarius is the product of a long

evolutionary process involving a wide cross-section of

the global community. Many people representing many

interests and disciplines have been involved in the

process, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that, as

long as the need perceived by those people remains, so

the Codex Alimentarius will remain.

Ancient times

Evidence from the earliest historicalwritings indicates that governingauthorities were already then concernedwith codifying rules to protect consumers

from dishonest practices in the sale of food. Assyrian tablets described themethod to be used in determining thecorrect weights and measures for foodgrains, and Egyptian scrolls prescribed thelabelling to be applied to certain foods.In ancient Athens, beer and wines wereinspected for purity and soundness, andthe Romans had a well-organized statefood control system to protect consumers

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fao / 8909 / J. Van acker





from fraud or bad produce. In Europeduring the Middle Ages, individual

countries passed laws concerning thequality and safety of eggs, sausages,cheese, beer, wine and bread. Some of these ancient statutes still exist today.

A scientific bAse

The second half of the nineteenth centurysaw the rst general food laws adoptedand basic food control systems put in

place to monitor compliance. During thesame period, food chemistry came to berecognized as a reputable discipline, and thedetermination of the “purity” of a food wasprimarily based on the chemical parametersof simple food composition. When harmfulindustrial chemicals were used to disguisethe true colour or nature of food, theconcept of “adulteration” was extended toinclude the use of hazardous chemicals infood. Science had begun providing toolswith which to disclose dishonest practices inthe sale of food and to distinguish betweensafe and unsafe edible products.

internAtiOnAl develOpments

In the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1897 and 1911, a collection of standards and product descriptions for

ro o h f m o hJo fAO/WHO ex co o

no, 1950 – an extract

“Food regulations in different countries are

often conicting and contradictory. Legislation

governing preservation, nomenclature and

acceptable food standards often varies widely

from country to country. New legislation

not based on scientic knowledge is oftenintroduced, and little account may be taken

of nutritional principles in formulating

regulations.”

mo h ooo oo aa

ANCIENT TIMES

• Attempts are made by early civilizations to

codify foods

EARLY 1800s

• Canning is invented

MID-1800s

• Bananas are rst shipped to Europe from the

tropics

1800s

• The rst general food laws are adopted and

enforcement agencies established

• Food chemistry gains credibility, and reliable

methods are developed to test for food

adulteration

LATE 1800s

• A new era of long-distance food

transportation is ushered in by the rst

international shipments of frozen meat from

Australia and New Zealand to the United

Kingdom

EARLY 1900s

• Food trade associations attempt to facilitate

world trade through the use of harmonized

standards

1903

• The International Dairy Federation (IDF)

develops international standards for milk

and milk products. (IDF was later to be an

important catalyst in the conception of the

Codex Alimentarius Commission)

1945

• FAO is founded, with responsibilities

covering nutrition and associated

international food standards

1948

• WHO is founded, with responsibilities

covering human health and, in


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a wide variety of foods was developedas the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus.Although lacking legal force, it was usedas a reference by the courts to determinestandards of identity for specic foods.

The present-day Codex Alimentariusdraws its name from the Austrian code.

trAde cOncerns

The different sets of standards arisingfrom the spontaneous and independentdevelopment of food laws and standards by different countries inevitably gave riseto trade barriers that were of increasing

concern to food traders in the earlytwentieth century. Trade associations thatwere formed as a reaction to such barrierspressured governments to harmonize theirvarious food standards so as to facilitate

particular, a mandate to establish food

standards

1949

• Argentina proposes a regional Latin

American food code, Código Latino-

americano de Alimentos

1950

• Joint FAO/WHO expert meetings begin on

nutrition, food additives and related areas

1953

• WHO’s highest governing body, the World

Health Assembly, states that the widening

use of chemicals in the food industry

presents a new public health problem that

needs attention

1954–1958

• Austria actively pursues the creation of a

regional food code, the Codex Alimentarius

Europaeus , or European Codex Alimentarius

1960

• The rst FAO Regional Conference

for Europe endorses the desirability of

international – as distinct from regional –

agreement on minimum food standards and

invites the Organization’s Director-General

to submit proposals for a joint FAO/WHO

programme on food standards to the FAO

Conference

1961

• The Council of the Codex Alimentarius

Europaeus adopts a resolution proposing

that its work on food standards be taken

over by FAO and WHO

1961

• With the support of WHO, the United

Nations Economic Commission for Europe

(UNECE), the Organisation for Economic

Co-operation and Development (OECD)

and the Council of the Codex AlimentariusEuropaeus, the FAO Conference establishes

the Codex Alimentarius and resolves to

create an international food standards

programme

1961

• The FAO Conference decides to establish

a Codex Alimentarius Commission and

requests an early endorsement by WHO of a

joint FAO/WHO food standards programme

1962

• The Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards

Conference requests that the CodexAlimentarius Commission implement

a joint FAO/WHO food standards

programme and create the Codex

Alimentarius

1963

• Recognizing the importance of WHO’s role

in all health aspects of food and considering

its mandate to establish food standards,

the World Health Assembly approves

establishment of the Joint FAO/WHO

Food Standards Programme and adopts

the Statutes of the Codex Alimentarius

Commission


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trade in safe foods of a dened quality.The International Dairy Federation (IDF),

founded in 1903, was one such association.Its work on standards for milk and milkproducts later provided a catalyst in theestablishment of the Codex AlimentariusCommission and in the setting of itsprocedures for elaborating standards.

When FAO and WHO were foundedin the late 1940s, there was heightenedinternational concern about the direction being taken in the eld of food regulation.Countries were acting independently and

there was little, if any, consultation amongthem with a view to harmonization. Thissituation is reected in the observations of international meetings of the time.

cOnsumers’ cOncerns

In the 1940s, rapid progress was madein food science and technology. With theadvent of more sensitive analytical tools,knowledge about the nature of food, itsquality and associated health hazards alsogrew quickly. There was intense interestin food microbiology, food chemistryand associated disciplines, and newdiscoveries were considered newsworthy.Articles about food at all levels ourished,

and consumers were bombarded withmessages in popular magazines, in the

tabloid press and on the radio. Some werecorrect, some incorrect – but all wereintended to absorb interest, and manywere overly sensational.

Despite the questionable quality of some of the information disseminated,however, the outcome was an increasein the public’s food consciousness and,consequently, knowledge about foodsafety gradually grew.

At the same time, as more and more

information about food and relatedmatters became available, there wasgreater apprehension on the part of consumers. Whereas, previously,consumers’ concerns had extended onlyas far as the “visibles”– underweightcontents, size variations, misleadinglabelling and poor quality – they nowembraced a fear of the “invisibles”,i.e. health hazards that could not be seen, smelled or tasted, such asmicro-organisms, pesticide residues,environmental contaminants and foodadditives. With the blossoming of well-organized and informed consumers’groups, both internationally andnationally, there was growing pressureon governments worldwide to protectcommunities from poor-quality andhazardous foods.

A desire fOr leAdersHip

Food regulators, traders, consumers andexperts were looking increasingly to FAOand WHO for leadership in unravellingthe skein of food regulations that wereimpeding trade and providing mostlyinadequate protection for consumers.In 1953, the governing body of WHO,the World Health Assembly, stated thatthe widening use of chemicals in foodpresented a new public health problem,

and it was proposed that the twoOrganizations should conduct relevantstudies. One such study identied the useof food additives as a critical factor.

th o o oo a

In 1955, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committeeon Nutrition recorded that:

“... the increasing, and sometimes insufciently

controlled, use of food additives has become a

matter of public and administrative concern.”

The Committee also noted that the means of

solving problems arising from the use of food

additives may differ from country to country

and stated that this fact:

“... must in itself occasion concern, since the

existence of widely differing control measuresmay well form an undesirable deterrent to

international trade.”

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As a result, FAO and WHO convenedthe rst joint FAO/WHO Conference on

Food Additives in 1955. That Conferenceled to the creation of the Joint FAO/WHOExpert Committee on Food Additives(JECFA), which, after more than 50years, still meets regularly. JECFA’swork continues to be of fundamentalimportance to the Codex Commission’sdeliberations on standards and guidelinesfor food additives, contaminants andresidues of veterinary drugs in foods. Ithas served as a model for many other FAO

and WHO expert bodies, and for similarscientic advisory bodies at the nationallevel or where countries have joinedtogether in regional economic groupings.

integrAting nOn-gOvernmentAlActivities

While FAO and WHO furthered theirinvolvement in food-related matters,a variety of committees set up byinternational NGOs also began workingin earnest on standards for foodcommodities. In time, the work of thoseNGO committees was either assumed by,or continued jointly with, the appropriateCodex Alimentarius CommodityCommittees and, in some cases, the non-governmental committees themselves became Codex committees.

internAtiOnAl cOnsultAtiOnAnd cOOperAtiOn

Two landmark years in the foundationof the Codex Alimentarius were 1960and 1961. In October 1960, the rstFAO Regional Conference for Europecrystallized a widely held view when itrecognized:

“[t]he desirability of international agreement

on minimum food standards and relatedquestions (including labelling requirements,

methods of analysis, etc.) ... as an important

means of protecting the consumer’s health,

of ensuring quality and of reducing

trade barriers, particularly in the rapidly

integrating market of Europe”.

The Conference also felt that:

“... coordination of the growing number of

food standards programmes undertaken by

many organizations presented a particular

problem”.

Within four months of the regionalconference, FAO entered into discussions

with WHO, the United Nations EconomicCommission for Europe (UNECE), theOrganisation for Economic Co-operationand Development (OECD) and theCouncil of the Codex AlimentariusEuropaeus with proposals that would leadto the establishment of an internationalfood standards programme.

In November 1961, the Eleventh Sessionof the FAO Conference passed a resolutionto set up the Codex AlimentariusCommission.

In May 1963, the Sixteenth World HealthAssembly approved the establishmentof the Joint FAO/WHO Food StandardsProgramme and adopted the Statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

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Simply stated, the Codex Alimentarius is a collection

of standards, codes of practice, guidelines and

other recommendations. Some of these texts are

very general, and some are very specifc. Some

deal with detailed requirements related to a food or

group of foods; others deal with the operation and

management of production processes or the operationof government regulatory systems for food safety and

consumer protection.

StandardS, codeS of practice,guidelineS and other

recommendationS

Codex standards usually relate to productcharacteristics and may deal with all

government-regulated characteristicsappropriate to the commodity, oronly one characteristic. Maximumresidue limits (MRLs) for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in foodsare examples of standards dealing withonly one characteristic. There are Codex

general standards for food additives andcontaminants and toxins in foods thatcontain both general and commodity-

fao / 19014 / R. faidutti



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10



specic provisions. The Codex GeneralStandard for the Labelling of Prepackaged

Foods covers all foods in this category.Because standards relate to productcharacteristics, they can be appliedwherever the products are traded.

Codex methods of analysis and sampling,including those for contaminants andresidues of pesticides and veterinarydrugs in foods, are also considered Codexstandards.

Codex codes of practice – including

codes of hygienic practice – dene theproduction, processing, manufacturing,transport and storage practices forindividual foods or groups of foods that areconsidered essential to ensure the safetyand suitability of food for consumption.For food hygiene, the basic text is theCodex General Principles of Food Hygiene,which introduces the use of the HazardAnalysis and Critical Control Point(HACCP) food safety management system.A code of practice on the control of theuse of veterinary drugs provides generalguidance in this area.

Codex guidelines fall into two categories:• principles that set out policy in certain

key areas; and• guidelines for the interpretation

of these principles or for theinterpretation of the provisions of theCodex general standards.

In the cases of food additives,

contaminants, food hygiene and meathygiene, the basic principles governingthe regulation of these matters are builtinto the relevant standards and codes of practice.

There are free-standing Codex principles covering:

• addition of essential nutrients to foods;• food import and export inspection

and certication;• establishment and application of

microbiological criteria for foods;• conduct of microbiological risk

assessment;• risk analysis of foods derived from

modern biotechnology.

Interpretative Codex guidelines includethose for food labelling, especially theregulation of claims made on the label.This group includes guidelines fornutrition and health claims; conditionsfor production, marketing and labellingof organic foods; and foods claimed to

be “halal”. There are several guidelinesthat interpret the provisions of theCodex Principles for Food Import andExport Inspection and Certication,and guidelines on the conduct of safetyassessments of foods from DNA-modiedplants and micro-organisms.

commodity StandardS

By far the largest number of specicstandards in the Codex Alimentarius isthe group called “commodity standards”.The major commodities included in theCodex are:

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This table gives the number of Codex stan-

dards, guidelines and codes of practice by sub-

ject matter as of July 2006 after the decisions

of the 29th Codex Alimentarius Commission

• Commodity standards –186

• Commodity related texts – 46

• Food Labelling – 9

• Food Hygiene – 5

• Food safety risk assessment – 3

•Sampling and analysis – 15•Inspection and certifcation procedures – 8

•Animal food production – 6

• Contaminants in foods (maximum levels,

detection and prevention) – 12

• Food additives provisions – 1 112, covering

292 food additives

• Food additives related texts – 7

• Maximum limits for pesticide residues –

2 930, covering 218 pesticides

• Maximum limits for veterinary drugs in

foods – 441, covering 49 veterinary drugs

•Regional Guidelines – 3

11


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for pesticide residues and for residuesof veterinary drugs in foods.

• Hygiene makes reference to relevantCodex Codes of Hygienic Practice forthe commodity concerned. In almostall cases it is required that the productshall be free from pathogenic micro-organisms or any toxins or otherpoisonous or deleterious substancesin amounts that represent a hazard tohealth.

• Weights and measures containsprovisions such as ll of the container

and the drained weight of thecommodity.

• Labelling includes provisions on thename of the food and any specialrequirements to ensure that theconsumer is not deceived or misledabout the nature of the food. Theseprovisions must be consistent withthe Codex General Standard for theLabelling of Prepackaged Foods.Requirements for the listing of ingredients and date-marking arespecied.

• Methods of analysis and sampling contains a list of the test methodsneeded to ensure that the commodityconforms to the requirements of the standard. References are madeto internationally recognized testmethods that meet the Commission’scriteria for accuracy, precision, etc.

• cereals, pulses (legumes) and derivedproducts including vegetable proteins

• fats and oils and related products• sh and shery products• fresh fruits and vegetables• processed and quick-frozen fruits and

vegetables• fruit juices• meat and meat products; soups and

broths• milk and milk products• sugars, cocoa products and chocolate

and other miscellaneous products

Commodity standards tend tofollow a xed format set out inthe Procedural Manual of the Codex

Alimentarius Commission. The formatconsists of the following categories of information:

• Scope includes the name of the foodto which the standard applies and, inmost cases, the purpose for which thecommodity will be used.

• Description includes a denition of theproduct or products covered with anindication, where appropriate, of theraw materials from which they arederived.

• Essential composition includesinformation on the composition andidentity characteristics of thecommodity, as well as anycompulsory and optional ingredients.

• Food additives contains the namesof the additives and the maximumamount permitted to be added to the

food. Food additives must be cleared by FAO and WHO for their safety,and the use of food additives must be consistent with the Codex GeneralStandard for Food Additives.

• Contaminants contains limits forcontaminants that may occur inthe product(s) covered by thestandard. These limits are basedon the scientic advice of FAO andWHO and must be consistent with

the Codex General Standard forContaminants and Toxins in Foods.Where appropriate, reference is alsomade to the Codex Maximum Limits

12


W s cx as?



objectives. Article 2 denes eligibility formembership of the Commission, which is

open to all Member Nations and AssociateMembers of FAO and WHO. In August2006, 99 percent of the world’s populationwere represented in the Commissionthrough 174 member countries andone Member Organization (EuropeanCommunity).

The Rules of Procedure of the CodexAlimentarius Commission describe andformalize working procedures appropriate

to an intergovernmental body. Theyprovide for:

• conditions of membership of theCommission;

• appointment of Commission ofcers,including the chairperson, three vice-chairpersons, regional coordinatorsand a secretary, and prescribe theirresponsibilities;

• establishment of an ExecutiveCommittee to meet betweenCommission sessions, to act on behalf of the Commission as its executiveorgan;

• frequency and operation of Commission sessions;

• nature of agendas for Commissionsessions;

• voting procedures;• observers;• preparation of Commission records

and reports;• establishment of subsidiary bodies;

• procedures to be adopted in theelaboration of standards;

• allocation of a budget and estimatesof expenditure; and

• languages used by the Commission.

Representation. The Commission istruly an international body. Since it wasformed, there have been chairpersons fromCanada, France, Germany, Hungary,Indonesia, Mexico, the Netherlands,

Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, theUnited Kingdom and the United Statesof America. Vice-chairpersons have been drawn from Australia, Canada,

statt f tC Ata C

ARTICLE 1

The Codex Alimetarius Commissio shall ... be

resposible for makig proposals to, ad shall

be cosulted by, the Directors-Geeral of the

Food ad Agriculture Orgaizatio (FAO) ad

the World Health Orgaizatio (WHO) o all

matters pertaiig to the implemetatio of the

Joit FAO/WHO Food Stadards Programme,the purpose of which is:

(a) protectig the health of cosumers ad

esurig fair practices i the food trade;

(b) promotig coordiatio of all food

stadards work udertake by iteratioal

govermetal ad o-govermetal

orgaizatios;

(c) determiig priorities ad iitiatig ad

guidig the preparatio of draft stadards

through ad with the aid of appropriate

orgaizatios;

(d)nalizingstandardselaboratedunder(c)

above ad, after acceptace by govermets,

publishig them i a Codex Alimetarius

either as regioal or worldwide stadards,

together with iteratioal stadards

alreadynalizedbyotherbodiesunder(b)

above, wherever this is practicable;

(e) amedig published stadards, after

appropriate survey i the light of

developmets.

The purposes or objectives embraced by

Article 1 resulted from a long process of fashioning and rening. Based on a deep insight

into and understanding of events that led to the

Commission’s establishment, they encapsulate

the intentions of the Commission’s founders.

Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Ghana,Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Kenya,Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand,Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Senegal,

the Sudan, Switzerland, Thailand, theUnited Kingdom, the United Republicof Tanzania and the United States of America.

14


T C t



foresight shown by the founders of theCommission.

The Commission’s operATions

Compilig the Codex AlimetariusAs stated in Article 1 of the Commission’sStatutes, one of the principal purposes of the Commission is the preparation of foodstandards and their publication in theCodex Alimentarius.

The legal base for the Commission’soperations and the procedures it isrequired to follow are published in theProcedural Manual of the Codex AlimentariusCommission. Like all other aspects of theCommission’s work, the procedures forpreparing standards are well dened, openand transparent. In essence they involve:

• The submission of a proposal for astandard to be developed by anational government or a subsidiarycommittee of the Commission. Thisis usually followed by a discussionpaper that outlines what the proposedstandard is expected to achieve, andthen a project proposal that indicatesthe time frame for the work and itsrelative priority.

• A decision by the Commission or theExecutive Committee that a standard bedeveloped as proposed. “Criteria forthe Establishment of Work Priorities”exist to assist the Commission

or Executive Committee in theirdecision-making and in selecting thesubsidiary body to be responsiblefor steering the standard throughits development. If necessary, anew subsidiary body – usually aspecialized task force – may becreated.

• The preparation of a proposeddraft standard is arranged by theCommission Secretariat and circulated

to member governments for comment.• Comments are considered by the

subsidiary body that has beenallocated responsibility for the

Regional representatives to theCommission have been provided by the

Governments of Argentina, Australia,Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada,Cuba, the former Czechoslovakia, Egypt,France, Germany, Ghana, India, Kenya,Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand,the Philippines, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Thailand, Tunisia, theformer Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,the United Kingdom and the United Statesof America.

The Commission normally meets

every two years, alternately at FAOheadquarters in Rome and at WHOheadquarters in Geneva, although onoccasion it may meet more frequentlyor in special or extraordinary sessions.Plenary sessions are attended by as manyas 600 people. Representation at sessionsis on a country basis. National delegationsare led by senior ofcials appointed bytheir governments. Delegations may,and often do, include representativesof industry, consumers’ organizationsand academic institutes. Countries thatare not yet members of the Commissionsometimes attend in an observer capacity.

A number of international governmentalorganizations and international NGOsalso attend in an observer capacity.Although they are “observers”, thetradition of the Codex AlimentariusCommission allows such organizations toput forward their points of view at everystage except in the nal decision, which

is the exclusive prerogative of membergovernments.

To facilitate continuous contact withmember countries, the Commission, incollaboration with national governments,has established country Codex ContactPoints, and many member countries haveNational Codex Committees to coordinateactivities nationally.

Interest in Codex Alimentarius activitieshas been growing steadily since the

Commission began, and the increasinginvolvement of developing countries in itswork has been a highlight of the progressmade, as well as a vindication of the

15


T C t



development of the proposeddraft standard, and this subsidiary

body may present the text to theCommission as a draft standard.The draft may also be referred tothe Codex Committees responsiblefor labelling, hygiene, additives,contaminants or methods of analysisfor endorsement of any special advicein these areas.

• Most standards take a number of years to develop. Once adopted bythe Commission, a Codex standard is

added to the Codex Alimentarius.

Revisig ad adaptig: keepig theCodex Alimetarius up to dateThe Commission and its subsidiary bodies are committed to keeping theCodex standards and related texts up todate to ensure that they are consistentwith current scientic knowledge andwith the needs of the member countries.Most countries now require less-prescriptive standards – especially forcommodities – than those developed inthe 1970s and 1980s. The Commissionkeeps abreast of these changes, and ithas been consolidating its many older,detailed standards into new, more

general standards. The benets of this approach are that it allows wider

coverage and allows for innovation inthe development of new food products.Of course, the scientic basis forconsumer protection is maintained andstrengthened by this process of reviewand renewal.

The procedure for revision orconsolidation follows that used for theinitial preparation of standards.

subsidiAry bodies

Under its Rules of Procedure, theCommission is empowered to establishtwo kinds of subsidiary body:

• Codex Committees, which preparedraft standards for submission to theCommission;

• Coordinating Committees, throughwhich regions or groups of countriescoordinate food standards activities inthe region, including the developmentof regional standards.

A feature of the committee system isthat, with few exceptions, each committeeis hosted by a member country, whichis chiey responsible for the cost of

*by General Committees

YES

O p t i on a l

Consultation with

governments and

interested parties and

Committee debate

Endorsement*

Mid-term review

Final standard,

guideline, etc.

COMMITTEES

AND TASK FORCESCOMMISSION

ELABORATION APPROVAL AND ADOPTION

Proceed?

THE CODEX STANDARDS PROCESS

COMMITTEE LEVEL

Discussion paper

Initial proposal

Project proposal

Criteria and priorities

Revised

orabandoned

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

GETTING STARTED CRITICAL REVIEW

NO

16


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the committee’s maintenance andadministration and for providing its

chairperson. The designation of hostcountries for the committees is a standingitem on the agenda for the Commission.

Geeral Subject CommitteesThese Committees are so called because their work has relevance for allCommodity Committees and, becausethis work applies across the boardto all commodity standards, GeneralSubject Committees are sometimes

referred to as “horizontal committees”.General Subject Committees developall-embracing concepts and principlesapplying to foods in general, specicfoods or groups of foods; endorse orreview relevant provisions in Codexcommodity standards; and, based on theadvice of expert scientic bodies, developmajor recommendations pertaining toconsumers’ health and safety.

The Committee on General Principlesadvises the Commission on such basicmatters as denitions, the Rules of Procedure, rules and working proceduresfor the establishment and operation of Codex Committees and Task Forces,relations with other organizations andthe general principles that underlie thepreparation of all Codex standards, codesof practice and other texts.

Six of the General Subject Committeeshave the responsibility of ensuring thatspecic provisions in Codex commodity

standards are in conformity with theCommission’s main general standardsand guidelines in their particular areas of competence. They are:

• Committee on Food Additives• Committee on Contaminants in Foods• Committee on Food Hygiene• Committee on Food Labelling• Committee on Methods of Analysis

and Sampling• Committee on Nutrition and Foods

for Special Dietary UsesThese Committees may also developstandards, maximum limits for additivesand contaminants, codes of practiceor other guidelines for either general

T C t c

Before a decisio is made to udertake the

developmet of a ew stadard or other text, a

project proposal is prepared ad discussed at

Committee level.

STEP 1

The project proposal is reviewed by the

Executive Committee ad compared agaist

the criteria ad priorities established by theCommissio.

STEPS 2, 3 AnD 4

A draft text is prepared (Step 2) ad circulated to

member coutries ad all iterested parties for

commet (Step 3). The draft ad the commets

are reviewed at Committee level (Step 4) ad, if

ecessary, a ew draft is prepared.

STEP 5

The Commissio reviews the progress

made ad agrees that the draft should go to

nalization.Afterthisstage,thedraftisalso

edorsed by the relevat Geeral Subject

Committees so that it is cosistet with Codex

geeral stadards.*

STEPS 6 AnD 7

The approved draft is set agai to govermets

ad iterested parties for commet ad

nalizedbytherelevantCommittee.Thedraftis submitted to the Commissio for adoptio.

STEP 8

Followinganalroundofcomments,the

Commissio adopts the draft as a formal Codex

text. The stadard, guidelie or other text is

the published by the Codex Secretariat.

* Sometimesthetextisconsideredtobereadyfornal

adoptio at this stage – ofte called Step 5/8.

17


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application or in specic cases where thedevelopment of a complete commodity

standard is not required. For example,the Committee on Food Hygiene hasdeveloped a Code of Hygienic Practicefor Spices and Dried Aromatic Plants,and the Committee on Food Additivesand Contaminants (divided into twocommittees in 2006) has developed aStandard for Maximum Levels of Leadin Foods. The Committees on FoodLabelling and on Nutrition and Foodsfor Special Dietary Uses have worked

together to prepare the Codex Guidelineson Nutrition Claims.

The Committee on Pesticide Residues andthe Committee on Residues of VeterinaryDrugs in Foods prepare MRLs for these twocategories of chemicals used in agriculturalproduction. The MRLs are based onscientic advice regarding the safety of theresidues that remain after the substancesare used in accordance with dened goodagricultural or veterinary practices.

The Committee on Food Import andExport Inspection and Certication Systemsdeals with the application of standardsto foods moving in international trade,in particular to the regulatory measuresapplied by governments to assure theirtrading partners that foods and theirproduction systems are correctly regulatedto protect consumers against food- borne hazards and deceptive marketingpractices. The guidelines developed by the Committee include advice on

how governments should respond toemergencies in the food safety system,including channels of communication to thepublic and to other governments by meansof the International Food Safety AuthoritiesNetwork (INFOSAN) emergencyinformation system operated by WHO.

Commodity CommitteesThe responsibility for developingstandards for specic foods or classes

of food lies with the CommodityCommittees. In order to distinguish themfrom the “horizontal committees” andrecognize their exclusive responsibilities,

they are often referred to as “verticalcommittees”. Commodity Committees

convene as necessary and go into recessor are abolished when the Commissiondecides their work has been completed.New Committees may be established onan ad hoc basis to cover specic needs forthe development of new standards. Thereare currently ve Commodity Committeesthat meet regularly:

• Committee on Fats and Oils• Committee on Fish and Fishery

Products

• Committee on Fresh Fruits andVegetables

• Committee on Milk and MilkProducts

• Committee on Processed Fruits andVegetables

The following Commodity Committeeswork through correspondence or are inrecess:

• Committee on Cereals, Pulses andLegumes

• Committee on Cocoa Products andChocolate

• Committee on Meat Hygiene• Committee on Natural Mineral

Waters• Committee on Sugars• Committee on Vegetable ProteinsHost countries convene meetings of

Codex subsidiary bodies at intervals of between one and two years, accordingto need. Attendance at some CodexCommittees is almost as large as that drawn

by a plenary session of the Commission.

Ad hoc Itergovermetal Task ForcesIn 1999, the Commission realized thatits rather inexible committee structurewas not able to cope with the demand forstandards and guidelines across an ever-widening range of subjects. It decidedto create a third type of subsidiary bodycalled a Codex ad hoc IntergovernmentalTask Force, which is a Codex Committee

with very limited terms of referenceestablished for a xed period of time.To date the Commission has established

the following ad hoc Intergovernmental

18


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Task Forces:• Task Force on Animal Feeding,

1999–2004• Task Force on Foods Derived from

Biotechnology, 1999–2003 and 2005–2009

• Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices, 1999–2005

• Task Force on the Handling andProcessing of Quick Frozen Foods,2006-

• Task Force on AntimicrobialResistance, 2006-

Coordiatig CommitteesCoordinating Committees play aninvaluable role in ensuring that thework of the Commission is responsiveto regional interests and to the concernsof developing countries. They normallymeet at two-year intervals, with a goodrepresentation from the countries of their respective regions. Meeting reportsare submitted to and discussed by theCommission. The country that chairsthe Coordinating Committee is also theRegional Coordinator for the regionconcerned.

These Committees have no standinghost countries. Meetings are hosted bycountries of a region on an ad hoc basisand in agreement with the Commission.There are six Coordinating Committees,one each for the following regions:

• Africa• Asia

• Europe• Latin America and the Caribbean• Near East• North America and the Southwest

Pacic

Codex AdminisTrATion

The Secretary of the Codex AlimentariusCommission is appointed jointly by the

Directors-General of FAO and WHOfollowing an open worldwide search forqualied candidates. The Secretary issupported by a small staff of professional

and technical ofcers. The Secretariat is based at FAO headquarters in Rome.

Commission and Executive Committeemeetings are administered and servicedentirely by the Rome-based staff.Preparation for these meetings is aformidable task that involves, amongmyriad other things, the compilation of agenda item papers and the responsibilityfor logistical arrangements. Thepreparation of Commission meetingreports is a demanding task in itself,as the report of each meeting must be

cleared by participants before its closing.Furthermore, many hours of intenseactivity are required to ensure that allnecessary follow-up is carried out aftereach meeting.

Many subsidiary committees are hosted,nancially maintained and serviced by member governments, while theCommission Secretariat coordinates theactivities and oversees the operationsof these committees. The Secretariatcollaborates with subsidiary committeestaff in host countries to decide timingand venues for meetings, issue invitationsto member countries, nalize agendas andpapers, arrange the recording of meetingproceedings as well as the preparationand distribution of meeting reports andensure that meeting decisions are actedon. There may be as many as 20 Codexcommittee meetings in any 12-monthperiod.

Applying Codex sTAndArds

The harmonization of food standards isgenerally viewed as contributing to theprotection of consumer health and to thefullest possible facilitation of internationaltrade. For this reason, the UruguayRound Agreements on the Applicationof Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measuresand on Technical Barriers to Trade (SPS

and TBT Agreements) both encouragethe international harmonization of foodstandards.

While the growing world interest in all

19


T C t



Codex activities clearly indicates globalacceptance of the Codex philosophy –

embracing harmonization, consumerprotection and facilitation of internationaltrade – in practice it is difcult for manycountries to accept Codex standardsin the statutory sense. Differing legalformats and administrative systems,varying political systems and sometimesthe inuence of national attitudes andconcepts of sovereign rights impede theprogress of harmonization and deter theacceptance of Codex standards.

Despite these difculties, however,the process of harmonization is

gaining impetus by virtue of the stronginternational desire to facilitate trade andthe desire of consumers around the worldto have access to safe and nutritious foods.An increasing number of countries arealigning their national food standards, orparts of them (especially those relatingto safety), with those of the CodexAlimentarius. This is particularly so inthe case of additives, contaminants andresidues, i.e. the invisibles.

20


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The rst Statement of Principle Concerning the Role

of Science in the Codex Decision-Making Process

and the Extent to Which Other Factors are Taken into

Account says, “The food standards, guidelines and

other recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius

shall be based on the principle of sound scientic

analysis …”.

Scientific principleS forStandardS-Setting

From the very beginning, the CodexAlimentarius has been a science-basedactivity. Experts and specialists in a widerange of disciplines have contributed to

every aspect of the code to ensure that itsstandards withstand the most rigorousscientic scrutiny. It is fair to say thatthe work of the Codex AlimentariusCommission, together with that of FAOand WHO in their supportive roles, hasprovided a focal point for food-relatedscientic research and investigation, andthe Commission itself has become animportant international medium for the

fao / 19802 / R. faIDUTTI



c s

21



exchange of scientic information aboutfood.

In 1995, the Commission adopted fourStatements of Principle Concerning theRole of Science in the Codex Decision-Making Process and the Extent to WhichOther Factors are Taken into Account.These principles were supplemented by Statements of Principle Relatingto the Role of Food Safety RiskAssessment (1997) and by Criteria forthe Consideration of the Other FactorsReferred to in the Second Statement of

Principle (2001).A comprehensive statement of Working

Principles for Risk Analysis in foodsafety and health was adopted by theCommission in 2003 and incorporatedinto the Procedural Manual of the Codex

Alimentarius Commission.

expert committeeSand conSultationS

The Codex Alimentarius has stimulatedactivity in the elds of food chemistry,food technology, food microbiology,mycology, and pesticide and veterinarydrug residues. Much work is carriedout in the form of collaborative studiesamong individual scientists, laboratories,institutes and universities and jointFAO/WHO expert committees andconsultations.

FAO and WHO expert meetings are

independent of the Commission (andthe Commission’s subsidiary bodies),although their output contributessignicantly to the scientic credibility of the Commission’s work. The principle of ensuring the independence of scienticadvice from practical realities of riskmanagement has been followed by Codexfrom the earliest days.

The main principles of developingscientic advice are:

•

Excellence: use of internationallyrecognized expertise, supported bythe creation of a platform for globalscientic discussions based on bestpractices in elaborating guidance;

r j fao/WHo s ss

1995

•Applicationofriskanalysistofood

standardsissues

1996

•Biotechnologyandfoodsafety

1997

•Applicationofriskmanagementtofood

safety

•Foodconsumptionandexposureassessment

ofchemicals

1998

•Roleofgovernmentagenciesinassessing

HACCP

•Applicationofriskcommunicationtofood

standardsandsafetymatters

2000

•Safetyaspectsofgeneticallymodiedfoods

ofplantorigin

2001

•Evaluationoftheallergenicityofgenetically

modiedfoods

2002

•Acrylamide

2003

•Safetyaspectsofgeneticallymodiedfoods

fromanimals,includingsh

2004

•Biotoxinsinmolluscanbivalves

• Independence: Experts contribute intheir own capacity and not on behalf

of a government or institution; theyare required to declare possibleconicts of interest;

• Transparency: procedures andmethods to ensure all interested

22


c s



parties understand the processes forthe development of scientic advice

and have access to the reports, safetyassessments and evaluations, andother basic information; and

• Universality: A broad base of scienticdata is critical for the elaborationof international standards-settingactivities. Therefore, institutions andall interested parties throughoutthe world are invited to make dataavailable.

The membership of expert consultations

is of critical importance. The credibilityand acceptability of any conclusions andrecommendations depend to a very largedegree on the objectivity, scientic skilland overall competence of the memberswho formulate them.

For this reason, great care is taken in theselection of experts invited to participate.Those selected must be pre-eminent intheir specialty, have the highest respect of their scientic peers, and be impartial andindisputably objective in their judgement.They are appointed in their own personalright – not as government representativesor as spokespeople for organizations – andtheir inputs are theirs alone. Experts areinvited through a “call for experts” to be considered in the selection processand inclusion on rosters as appropriate.Scientists from all parts of the world areencouraged to apply.

Some experts, especially those oncontinuing committees, remain members

for long periods and thereby develop aninvaluable institutional memory. A largeamount of scientically based food datahave been generated by expert meetingsconvened and serviced jointly by FAO andWHO.

Two such groups, the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) andthe Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee onFood Additives (JECFA), have for manyyears produced internationally acclaimed

data that are widely used by governments,industry and research centres. Their inputinto the work of the Codex Commissionis of fundamental importance, andthe publications resulting from their

m fao/WHo bs

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on

Food Additives (JECFA)wasestablishedin

1955toconsiderchemical,toxicologicaland

otheraspectsofcontaminantsandresidues

ofveterinarydrugsinfoodsforhuman

consumption.TheCodexCommitteeon

FoodAdditives,theCodexCommitteeon

ContaminantsinFoodsandtheCodex

CommitteeonResiduesofVeterinaryDrugs

inFoodsidentifyfoodadditives,contaminantsandveterinarydrugresiduesthatshouldreceive

priorityevaluationandreferthemtoJECFA

forassessmentbeforeincorporatingtheminto

Codexstandards.

Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues

(JMPR)beganin1963followingadecisionthat

theCodexAlimentariusCommissionshould

recommendmaximumresiduelimits(MRLs)

forpesticideandenvironmentalcontaminants

inspecicfoodproductstoensurethe

safetyoffoodscontainingresidues.Itwas

alsodecidedthatJMPRshouldrecommend

methodsofsamplingandanalysis.There

isclosecooperationbetweenJMPRandthe

CodexCommitteeonPesticideResidues

(CCPR).CCPRidentiesthosesubstances

requiringpriorityevaluation.AfterJMPR

evaluation,CCPRdiscussestherecommended

MRLsand,iftheyareacceptable,forwards

themtotheCommissionforadoptionas

CodexMRLs.

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on

Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA)began

workin2000todevelopandprovideadvice

totheCodexAlimentariusCommission

onmicrobiologicalaspectsoffoodsafety.

Inadditiontoprovidingriskassessments,

JEMRAdevelopsguidanceonrelatedareas

suchasdatacollectionandtheapplicationof

riskassessment.JEMRAworksmostclosely

withtheCodexCommitteeonFoodHygiene,

buthasalsoprovidedadvicetootherCodex

committees,suchastheCommitteeonFish

andFisheryProducts.

23


c s



activities are acclaimed internationalreferences. The safety assessments

and evaluations performed by JECFA,like those performed by JMPR, are based on the best scientic informationavailable, comprising inputs from manyauthoritative sources.

JEMRA, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment, began its work in 2000. JEMRA aimsto optimize the use of microbiologicalrisk assessment as the scientic basis forrisk management decisions that address

microbiological hazards in foods. Itsassessments and other advice contributeto the development of Codex standards,codes of hygienic practice and otherguidelines in the area of food hygiene andprovide the scientic basis for this work.

One of the strengths of the Codex andFAO and WHO relationship in scienticmatters is its exibility. In recent years,FAO and WHO have held expert scientic

consultations on a broad range of matters.Not all of these have resulted in the

development of new Codex standards, assometimes the best way of managing foodsafety risks is determined to be throughother means. FAO and WHO also provideadvice on how alternative means of riskmanagement can be brought about.

FAO and WHO are not the onlysources of scientic excellence on whichCodex depends. Codex encourages otherscientically based intergovernmentalorganizations to contribute to the joint

FAO and WHO scientic system. TheInternational Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) provides advice and support onlevels of radionuclide contamination infoods and on food irradiation. The WorldOrganisation for Animal Health (OIE)provides advice on animal health, onanimal diseases affecting humans and onthe linkages between animal health andfood safety.

24


c s



From their beginnings, FAO and WHO have promoted

the improvement of quality and safety standards

applied to food. The highest priority of the Codex

Alimentarius Commission is to protect the health of

consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

Commitment in the interestof Consumers

Since its inception, the Codex AlimentariusCommission, together with its subsidiarycommittees, has given top priority to theprotection and interests of consumers in

the formulation of food standards andrelated activities.

Other United Nations (UN) bodieshave also recognized the importance of consumer protection and, in 1985, a UNGeneral Assembly Resolution gave riseto the Guidelines for consumer protection,published in 1986. These guidelinesidentify food as one of three priorityareas that are of essential concern to the

fao / 19786 / G. BIZZaRRI



Cx c

25



health of consumers, and the documentspecically identies the Codex

Alimentarius as the reference point forconsumer protection with regard to food.

Two relevant conferences held early inthe 1990s were: the 1991 FAO/WHOConference on Food Standards,Chemicals in Food and Food Trade(held in cooperation with GATT),which recommended continuing andstrengthened consumer participation infood-related decision-making at nationaland international levels; and the 1992

FAO/WHO International Conferenceon Nutrition, which recommendedthat consumers be protected throughimproved food quality and safety, andoutlined measures to accomplish thatrecommendation.

Furthermore, in 1993, FAO held anexpert consultation on the Integration of Consumer Interests in Food Control.

food Commodity and generalstandards

Both Codex subsidiary bodies and theCommission give the highest priority toconsumer interests in the formulation of commodity and general standards. Theadopted format for standards reects theemphasis that Codex places on ensuringthat consumers receive products thatare of a minimum acceptable quality,are safe and do not present a health

hazard. Format provisions for commoditystandards, including the name of thestandard, its scope, description, weights andmeasures and labelling, are intended toensure that the consumer is not misledand to induce condence that the fooditem purchased is what the label saysit is. The provision covering essentialcomposition and quality factors ensures thatthe consumer will not receive a product below a minimum acceptable standard.

The provisions concerning food additivesand contaminants and hygiene are aimed atprotecting the health of consumers.

The Codex Alimentarius contains morethan 200 standards in the prescribed

Pp Cx g n l

To ensure that nutrition labelling is effective:

“In providing the consumer with information

about a food so that a wise choice of food can be

made ...”

format for individual foods or groups of foods. In addition, it includes the GeneralStandard for the Labelling of PrepackagedFoods, the General Guidelines onClaims and the Guidelines on NutritionLabelling, all of which are aimed atensuring honest practices in the sale of food while also providing guidance toconsumers in their choice of products.

Other general standards for food hygiene, food additives, contaminants and toxins in food and for irradiated foods are of pre-eminent importance in protectingconsumers’ health, and they are valuedwidely for this purpose.

Similarly, MRLs for pesticides andveterinary drugs and maximum limits for

food additives and contaminants have beenestablished to ensure that consumers arenot exposed to unsafe levels of hazardousmaterials.

general PrinCiPles, guidelinesand reCommended Codes

of PraCtiCe

Instruments such as principles and codeshave been developed for the expresspurpose of protecting the health of consumers against food-borne hazards.For example, general principles have beendeveloped for the use of food additives,food import and export inspection and

certication and the addition of essentialnutrients to foods.The Codex Alimentarius contains

wide-ranging guidelines for the protectionof consumers, including such diverse

26


Cx c



subjects as the Establishment andApplication of Microbiological Criteria

for Foods and Levels for Radionuclidesin Foods Following Accidental NuclearContamination for Use in InternationalTrade.

It also contains codes of practice,most of which are codes of hygienicpractice providing guidance on theproduction of food that is safe andsuitable for consumption – in otherwords, their purpose is to protect thehealth of consumers. The Recommended

International Code of Practice – GeneralPrinciples of Food Hygiene applies toall foods. It is particularly important inprotecting consumers because it laysa rm foundation for food safety andfollows the food chain from primaryproduction through to nal consumption,highlighting the key hygiene controlsrequired at each stage.

new areas: animal feedand foods derived from

bioteChnology

Consumer concerns in the wake of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy(BSE), or “mad cow”, crisis of the early1990s led Codex to take up the questionof the safety of feed for food-producinganimals. The Commission went evenfurther than responding to the immediatecrisis, and the resulting Code of Practice

on Good Animal Feeding takes intoaccount all relevant aspects of animalhealth and the environment in order tominimize risks to consumers’ health. Itapplies to the production and use of allmaterials destined for animal feed andfeed ingredients at all levels, whetherproduced industrially or on a farm.It also includes grazing or free-rangefeeding, forage crop production andaquaculture.

The Codex Principles for the RiskAnalysis of Foods Derived from ModernBiotechnology were developed on the basis of a pre-market safety evaluationof these foods on a case-by-case basis.

f q

The 1993 FAO Expert Consultation on the

Integration of Consumer Interests in Food

Control identied the following issues as being

of particular concern to consumers:

• Standards. Consumers feel that they do not

always get fair value for their money. They

are discontented with food that spoils or

fails to meet expectations in taste, aroma

and palatability.

• Nutritional quality. In many developingcountries, adulteration deprives consumers

of nutritional value. In developed countries,

consumers are dissatised with inadequate

nutrient information on labels.

• Food control processes. While consumers are

aware that food control regulations exist,

they are not convinced that they are applied

effectively. Some food producers and

distributors feel that they can ignore the law

with impunity.

• Information. Consumers believe that

government and industry do not provide

enough information to enable them to make

an informed choice. Very often, labels on

food do not carry adequate, easy-to-read

information. Information from government,

industry and other sources is often not clear

or may be conicting.

• Environmental contamination. Consumers’

concern has grown rapidly over possible

environmental contamination of the

food supply during the various stages of

production, harvesting, processing, storageand distribution. They lack condence

in the ability of food control services to

provide the necessary protection.

• Irradiation and biotechnology. Consumers feel

that some processes using new technology

are unsafe because they have not been

adequately evaluated. Reliable information

about newer technologies is not always

available.

27


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The Principles provide for post-marketmonitoring of potential consumer

health effects and nutritional effects, asappropriate. Two detailed guidelines onthe conduct of safety assessments, onefor foods from DNA-modied plants andthe other for foods from DNA-modiedmicro-organisms, include considerationof both intended and unintended effectsof the genetic modication and anassessment of possible allergenicity.

Consumers’ PartiCiPation

Since its beginning, the Commission haswelcomed the participation of consumers,whose organizations have beenrepresented at its sessions since 1965.

The involvement of consumers inthe Commission’s work has been thesubject of explicit discussions within theCommission. Consumers’ participationin decision-making in relation to foodstandards and the Joint FAO/WHO FoodStandards Programme, for instance, wasan item on the agenda of the TwentiethSession of the Codex AlimentariusCommission, when it was agreed thatit is necessary to continue workingin close cooperation with consumers’organizations.

Because of its international nature, theCommission is aware that it can onlygo part of the way towards involvingconsumers in its food standardization and

related work. Therefore, the TwentiethSession of the Commission invitedgovernments to involve consumers moreeffectively in the decision-making processat the national level:

“The Commission has continued to involve

consumer interests in its work while

recognizing that it is at the national level

that consumers can make their most valuable

and effective input.”

information

The Codex Alimentarius Secretariatdisseminates Codex documents tointernational consumers’ organizationsand provides information on request.It also distributes all Commissiondocuments and those of its subsidiarycommittees to Codex Contact Points inmember countries. This is done in theexpectation that they will be forwarded tonationally based consumers’ organizationsfor comment as required. All of these

documents are publicly available on theCodex Web site.

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Cx c



According to FAO trade statistics, the value of trade

in agricultural products exceeded US$500 billion in

2003 – an all-time record.

The ofcials and experts who laid thefoundations and determined the directiontaken by activities of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme andthe Codex Alimentarius Commissionwere rst and foremost concerned withprotecting the health of consumers and

ensuring fair practices in the food trade.They felt that, if all countries

harmonized their food laws and adoptedinternationally agreed standards, suchissues would be dealt with naturally.Through harmonization, they envisagedfewer barriers to trade and freermovement of food products amongcountries, which would be to the benetof farmers and their families and would




C t itti t

29



also help to reduce hunger and poverty.The founders concluded that the CodexAlimentarius would resolve many of thedifculties that were impeding freedom of trade, a view that is reected in Purpose of the Codex Alimentarius, described in theGeneral Principles.

A principal concern of nationalgovernments is that food imported fromother countries should be safe and not jeopardize the health of consumers orpose a threat to the health and safetyof their animal and plant populations.Consequently, governments of importingcountries have introduced mandatorylaws and regulations to eliminate orminimize such threats. In the area of food,animal and plant control, these measurescould be conducive to the creation of barriers to intercountry food trade.

The UrUgUay roUnd and world

food Trade

The Uruguay Round Agreementsrepresent a milestone in the multilateraltrading system because, for the rst time,they incorporated agriculture and foodunder operationally effective rules anddisciplines.

Country participants in the round of negotiations recognized that measuresostensibly adopted by national

governments to protect the health of theirconsumers, animals and plants could become disguised barriers to trade as wellas being discriminatory. Consequently, theSPS and TBT Agreements were included

T g Picips t Caimtius stt:

“The publication of the Codex Alimentarius

is intended to guide and promote the

elaboration and establishment of denitions

and requirements for foods to assist in their

harmonization and in doing so to facilitate

international trade.”

among the Multilateral Agreements onTrade in Goods, annexed to the 1994Marrakesh Agreement, which establishedthe World Trade Organization.

The SPS Agreement acknowledges thatgovernments have the right to takesanitary and phytosanitary measuresnecessary for the protection of human

health. However, the Agreement requiresthem to apply those measures only to theextent required to protect human health.It does not permit member governmentsto discriminate by applying different

SPS amt: amt tappicti Sit

Ptsit MsusTBT amt: amt Tcic

Bis t T

Article 2.2 of the SPS Agreement states:

“Members shall ensure that any sanitary and

phytosanitary measure is applied only to the

extent necessary to protect human, animal

or plant life or health, is based on scienticprinciples and is not maintained without

sufcient scientic evidence ...”.

Article 3.1 of the SPS Agreement states:

“To harmonize sanitary and phytosanitary

measures on as wide a basis as possible,

Members shall base their sanitary and

phytosanitary measures on international

standards, guidelines or recommendations,

where they exist, except as otherwise provided

for in this Agreement.”

Article 2.6 of the TBT Agreement states:

“With a view to harmonizing technical

regulations on as wide a basis as possible,

Members shall play a full part, within the

limits of their resources, in the preparation by

appropriate international standardizing bodies

of international standards for products for

which they have either adopted, or expect to

adopt, technical regulations.”

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C t itti t



purpose of the SPS and TBT Agreementsis of immense signicance. The standards

have become an integral part of the legalframework within which internationaltrade is being facilitated throughharmonization. Already, they have beenused as the benchmark in internationaltrade disputes, and it is expected that theywill be used increasingly in this regard.

Codex andoTher Trade agreeMenTS

The Uruguay Round Agreements allowgroups of member countries to enter intotrade agreements among themselves forthe purpose of liberalizing trade. TheNorth American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) between Canada, Mexico andthe United States of America is such anagreement. Argentina, Brazil, Paraguayand Uruguay have signed the Treatyof Asunción, establishing the SouthernCommon Market (MERCOSUR). In Asiaand the Pacic, economic cooperationarrangements have been formalizedunder Asia-Pacic Economic Cooperation(APEC). All three regional groupingshave adopted measures consistent with

requirements to different countrieswhere the same or similar conditions

prevail, unless there is sufcient scientic justication for doing so.

The TBT Agreement seeks to ensure thattechnical regulations and standards,including packaging, marking andlabelling requirements, and analyticalprocedures for assessing conformity withtechnical regulations and standards do notcreate unnecessary obstacles to trade.

It is noteworthy that the SPS and TBT

Agreements both acknowledge theimportance of harmonizing standardsinternationally so as to minimizeor eliminate the risk of sanitary,phytosanitary and other technicalstandards becoming barriers to trade.

In its pursuance of harmonization, withregard to food safety, the SPS Agreementhas identied and chosen the standards,guidelines and recommendationsestablished by the Codex AlimentariusCommission for food additives,veterinary drug and pesticide residues,contaminants, methods of analysis andsampling, and codes and guidelinesof hygienic practice. This means thatCodex standards are consideredscientically justied and are accepted asthe benchmarks against which nationalmeasures and regulations are evaluated.

Considerable interest in theCommission’s activities has beenstimulated by the specic recognition

of Codex standards, guidelines andrecommendations within the SPSAgreement, as well as the importanceassumed by Codex standards in theTechnical Regulations and Standardsprovisions contained in Article 2 of the TBTAgreement. Consequently, attendance atCodex meetings, especially by developingcountries, has markedly increased. This isa welcome development, particularly as both Agreements direct members, within

the limits of their resources, “to play a fullpart” in the work of international standardsorganizations and their subsidiaries.

The adoption of Codex standardsas scientically justied norms for the

C is qut it mts

Codex and its work have been quoted in many

bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements,

including:

• Mexico–Bolivia, 1995

• Baltic Area Free Trade Agreement, 1996

• Chile–Mexico, 1997

• Bulgaria–Turkey, 1998

• Central America–Chile, 1999

• Association of Southeast Asian Nations

(ASEAN), 2000

• Turkey–Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2002• Australia–Thailand, 2005

• United States of America–Australia, 2005

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principles embraced by the UruguayRound Agreements and that relate to

Codex standards.NAFTA includes two ancillary

agreements dealing with sanitary andphytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. With regard to foodsafety measures, Codex standards arecited as basic requirements to be met by the three member countries in termsof the health and safety aspects of foodproducts.

MERCOSUR’s Food Commission has

recommended a range of Codex standardsfor adoption by member countries and isusing other Codex standards as points of reference in continuing deliberations.

APEC has drafted a MutualRecognition Arrangement on

Conformity Assessment of Foodsand Food Products. This calls forconsistency with the requirements of the SPS and TBT Agreements as wellas with Codex standards, includingthe recommendations of the CodexCommittee on Food Import and ExportInspection and Certication Systems.

Reference to the Codex Alimentariusoccurs in many bilateral and plurilateraltrade agreements in addition to those

quoted above. European Union directives,as well, frequently refer to the CodexAlimentarius as the basis for theirrequirements.

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33

FAO and WHO complement the Commission’s

activities signicantly in a number of practical ways.

FAO and WHO help developing countries to apply

Codex standards and strengthen national food control

systems and take advantage of international food trade

opportunities. One of the most important contributions

of FAO and WHO to the Commission’s work is to provide scientic advice, especially risk assessments,

developed by expert committees and consultations.

This is described in detail in the chapter on “Codex

and science”.

Building national capacities

To adopt Codex standards, countriesrequire an adequate food law, as well as atechnical and administrative infrastructurewith the capacity to implement it and

ensure compliance. For many years, FAOand WHO have been providing assistanceto developing countries to enable them totake full advantage of the Commission’swork. This effort has been enhanced toa considerable degree by nancial andtechnical support from industrializedcountries and international fundinginstitutions.




M h cx: Fao, WHo w h



34



Technical assistanceAssistance given to developing countries

has included:• establishing and strengthening

national food control systems,including the formulation andrevision of food legislation (acts andregulations) and food standards inaccordance with Codex standards;

• helping with the establishmentand strengthening of food controlagencies, as well as with trainingin the necessary technical and

administrative skills to ensure theireffective operation;

• strengthening laboratory analysis andfood inspection capabilities;

• conducting workshops and trainingcourses, not only for transferringinformation, knowledge and skillsassociated with food control, but alsoto increase awareness of the CodexAlimentarius and activities carriedout by the Commission;

• providing training in all aspectsof food control associated withprotecting the health of consumersand ensuring honest practices in thesale of food;

• extending guidance on mattersdirectly related to Codex activities,such as safety assessment of foodproduced using biotechnology;

• developing and publishing manualsand texts that are associated withfood quality control and that

provide recommendations for thedevelopment and operation of foodquality and safety systems;

• developing and publishing trainingmanuals on food inspection andquality and safety assurance,particularly with respect to theapplication of the HACCP system inthe food-processing industry.

Standards and Trade

Development FacilityBased at the headquarters of WTO, theStandards and Trade Development Facilityis a global programme for capacity-

building and technical assistance in

sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) mattersrelated to trade. It was established in 2001

when the Executive Heads of FAO, OIE,the World Bank, WHO and WTO issueda joint communiqué committing theinstitutions to exploring new technical andnancial mechanisms for coordination andresource mobilization to assist developingcountries in the establishment andimplementation of appropriate measures.

The Facility is both a nancing and acoordinating mechanism. It providesgrant nancing for developing countries

seeking to comply with international SPSstandards and hence gain or maintainmarket access. It also provides a forum fordialogue on SPS technical assistance issuesamong its ve partner organizations andinterested donors.

The Facility aims to:• act as a reference point for

good practice by implementingdemonstration projects withinnovative approaches;

• address longer-term issues of capacityand compliance, rather than involveitself in short-term, policy-driven"reghting" projects; and

• offer technical expertise andexperience to developing countries inthis highly technical area.

FAO/WHO Trust Fund forparticipation in CodexLaunched in 2003 by the Directors-General of FAO and WHO, the Trust Fund

is seeking US$40 million over a 12-yearperiod to help developing countries andcountries in transition to increase theirparticipation in the vital work of theCommission. Increased participation will

be achieved by: helping regulators andfood experts from all areas of the worldto participate in international standards-setting work in the framework of Codex;and enhancing their capacity to helpestablish effective food safety and quality

standards and fair practices in the foodtrade, both in the framework of the CodexAlimentarius and in their own countries.In 2004, its rst year of operation, theTrust Fund helped experts from more



35



Types of information available throughthe Portal are:

• ofcial national standards andregulations;

• national scientic evaluations and riskassessments;

• notications of new or pending lawsand regulations;

• Codex standards, guidelines andMRLs;

• risk assessments and safetyevaluations carried out by FAOand WHO expert committees and

consultations.The Portal is managed by FAO on behalf

of all of the participating agencies.

International Food SafetyAuthorities NetworkINFOSAN promotes the exchange of foodsafety information among food safetyauthorities at national and internationallevels. A food safety emergency networkis an integral part of INFOSAN and willimplement the emergency informationexchange system recommended by theCodex Alimentarius Commission in itsGuideline on the Exchange of Informationin Food Control Emergency Situations.WHO maintains a list of food safetyemergency contact points and envisagesthe strengthening of information exchange

between national authorities in the caseof international health emergencies.These include emergencies where food isthe vehicle causing serious international

public health risks. INFOSAN is managed by WHO.

Regional conferences and global fora

on food safetyThe Global Fora of Food SafetyRegulators provide the opportunity forfood safety regulators from all regions of the world to meet together to consider,discuss and share experiences on foodsafety issues that are of concern to

everyone. The Fora are dedicated tosharing experiences in the managementof food safety. FAO and WHO alsoconvene regional food safety conferencesthat allow a more detailed analysis of

than 90 developing countries to attendand participate in the Codex standards-

setting process. The Trust Fund is based atthe headquarters of WHO.

sHaring inForMation

Access to information about foodstandards and food regulatoryrequirements is critical in today’s world.Governments and traders need to knowthe requirements of their trading partners;

consumers and the media have the rightto have access to a safety assessment of potential hazards in the food supply; andeveryone needs to know how to respondcorrectly in an emergency situation whensomething in the system “goes wrong”.

Fortunately, the Internet allows rapidaccess to all types of information aboutregulatory matters concerning food.However, sometimes the informationavailable is excessive, inconsistent orof doubtful quality. The internationalorganizations associated with Codexhave therefore combined their effortsto provide easy access to authoritativeinformation on food standards andrelated matters.

International Portal on Food Safety,Animal and Plant HealthInternational information in the Portalhas been included through collaborationwith OIE, WHO, WTO and the Secretariat

of the UN Convention on BiologicalDiversity (CBD), as well as the Secretariatsof the International Plant ProtectionConvention (IPPC) and the CodexAlimentarius Commission. The systemintegrates content from FAO’s database of national legislation, FAOLEX.

Access is also available through thePortal to the databases of the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture, the UnitedStates Food and Drug Administration,

the Health and Consumer ProtectionDirectorate-General of the EuropeanCommission and the regulations of severalother countries. The list of contributorscontinues to grow.



36



food safety problems in the light of regional practices and cultures.

Two sessions of the Global Fora have been organized by FAO and WHO – therst in Marrakesh, Morocco, in January2002, and the second in Bangkok,Thailand, in October 2004. The series of regional food safety conferences spannedthe period 2002 to 2005. The proceedingsand other information on both the Foraand the regional conferences are availablefrom the Fora’s Web site.

sm f Wb

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the

United Nations (FAO): www.fao.org

• World Health Organization (WHO):

www.who.int

• World Trade Organization (WTO):

www.wto.org

• Standards and Trade Development Facility:www.standardsfacility.org

• Codex Trust Fund: www.who.int/foodsafety/

codex/trustfund/en/

• International Portal on Food Safety, Animal

and Plant Health: www.ipfsaph.org

• International Food Safety Authorities

Network (INFOSAN): www.who.int/

foodsafety/fs_management/infosan/en/

• Global Fora of Food Safety Regulators:

www.foodsafetyforum.org



It is difcult to imagine a world without the Codex

Alimentarius. It has been said that if Codex did not

exist, somebody would have to invent it. Consumer

demand, recognition by WTO, the growing attendance

at Codex meetings and the greater involvement of

developing countries all point to a long and active life

for the Commission.

Codex activities of the future will differconsiderably from what they have beenuntil now. Scientic developmentsin elds relating to food, changingattitudes of consumers, new approachesto food control, changing perceptions

of government and food industryresponsibilities and changing food qualityand safety concepts will present theCommission with new challenges and,conceivably, the need for new standardsand new types of standards.

The consumer protection and food safetyelements of the Codex Alimentarius,which are the domain of the “horizontal

Codex and the future

fao / 16066 / G.BIZZaRRI



37



committees”, have become very importantfor consumers and trading partners, while

the compositional or “recipe” elementsof individual commodity standards donot attract as much interest as before. Atpresent, interest in the quality aspects of Codex standards remains, although theimportance attributed to such issues inthe future will depend on communityattitudes and demands.

The application of biotechnology tofood processing and production of rawfood materials is currently under scrutiny

by the Commission, which is continuallyexamining new concepts and systemsassociated with food safety and theprotection of consumers against healthhazards. These topical matters providesome insight into the direction that theCommission’s activities are likely to takein the future.

The Codex system is changing, too.We can expect to see major changes inthe traditional committee structure with

Codex on the Internet


For up-to-date information on:

• Codex meetings and reports

• Standards and other recommendations

• Statutes and procedures

much more involvement of developingcountries as host countries of newlydesigned Codex committees and taskforces. This is an exciting development.

Whatever happens, it would be fairto claim that the Codex Alimentarius’contribution to the betterment of humankind is one of the ner and moreextraordinary achievements of thetwentieth century – and is set to continueinto the twenty-rst.38


Codex and the future



39

APEC

Asia-Pacic Economic Cooperation

ASEAN

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

CBD

Convention on Biological Diversity

DNA

deoxyribonucleic acid

FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations

GATT

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

HACCP

Hazard Analysis and Critical ControlPoint

IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency

INFOSAN

International Food Safety AuthoritiesNetwork

IPPCInternational Plant Protection Convention

JECFA

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee onFood Additives

JEMRA

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings onMicrobiological Risk Assessment

JMPR Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on PesticideResidues

MERCOSUR

Southern Common Market

MRL

maximum residue limit

NAFTA

North American Free Trade Agreement

NGO

non-governmental organization

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operationand Development

OIE

World Organisation for Animal Health

SPS Agreement

Agreement on the Application of Sanitaryand Phytosanitary Measures

TBT Agreement

Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade

UN

United Nations

UNECE

United Nations Economic Commission forEurope

WHO

World Health Organization

WTO

World Trade Organization

Abbreviations



The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international food standards that have been adopted by

the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Codex standards cover all the main foods, whether

processed, semi-processed or raw. In addition, materials used in the further processing of food

products are included to the extent necessary for achieving the principal objectives of the code –

protecting the health of consumers and facilitating fair practices in the food trade.

Codex provisions concern the hygienic and nutritional quality of food, including microbiological

norms, food additives, pesticide and veterinary drug residues, contaminants, labelling and

presentation, and methods of sampling and risk analysis.

As well as individual standards, advisory codes of practice, guidelines and other recommended

measures form an important part of the overall food code.

The Codex Alimentarius can safely claim to be the most important international reference point

in matters concerning food quality. Its creation, moreover, has generated food-related scientific

research and greatly increased the world community's awareness of the vital issues at stake –

food quality, safety and public health.

www.codexa limenta rius.net

WHO - Understanding the Codex Alimentarius

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