1. The 30th session of the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC) was held in The Hague, The Netherlands from 9-13 March 1998 at the kind invitation of the Government of the Netherlands. Mr. Edwin Hecker, Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, chaired the meeting. The meeting was attended by 304 participants representing 54 Members of the Commission and 41 international organisations.
2. Mr. Kalden, keynote speaker and Director-General of the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, reflected on the interesting challenges ahead for the future and emphasised the importance of the integration of risk analysis principles into the work of Codex Committees and the changing nature of the discussion on food safety now involving both scientific and consumer concerns. Mr. Kalden also acknowledged the great importance of risk communication as an issue to be addressed by the CCFAC.
