2. The Committee was opened by Dr. Hayashi, Codex Coordinator for Asia and addressed by Mr. Hiroshi Sumi, Parliamentary Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, and Mr. Tadamasa Kodaira, Parliamentary Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Mr. Sumi stressed the importance of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in relation to World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) concerning food safety aspects and the need to base Codex standards on sound science. He introduced some of the recent activities of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Mr. Kodaira mentioned the importance of CAC and WTO and the work of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries concerning food supply and quality aspects. He stressed that Asian-specific food issues should be reflected in Codex standards. The Committee was addressed also by Mr. Richard J. Dawson, Representative of FAO, Dr. Kazuaki Miyagishima, Representative of WHO, and Professor Pakdee Pothisiri, Chairperson of CAC.
