Wednesday 27November 2024 marked a significant milestone for Somalia when the country’s first World Food Safety Day celebrations were commemorated, following an introductory exhibition for the main celebration, held on 25 November 2024 at the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Science at the Somali National University. The broad objective of the 25 November event was to raise awareness and educate community on the importance of safe food practices to protect consumers from food safety hazards. Students showcased the best handling practices [...]

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is taking place this week, 18–24 November, in order to raise awareness globally not only about the threats posed by the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but of the ways in which we can collectively tackle the problem.  AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics. As a result, antimicrobial drugs become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, [...]

A side event to the 47th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, organized by the Codex Alimentarius Secretariat and held on Friday 29 November, explored the different ways in which Codex texts are understood to facilitate fair practices in the food trade. The seven-person panel that, Codex Secretary Sarah Cahill observed in her opening remarks to the event, was entirely made up of Codex observers, considered whether and how Codex does in fact facilitate fair practices in the food trade. The moderator, [...]

prepared by the Codex Contact Point of Indonesia In celebrating World Standards Day, the National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (BSN) organized the Herudi Technical Committee Award, November 21, 2024, at the Jakarta Convention Center. This event was held to recognize technical committees involved in the development of the Indonesian National Standards (SNI) for their outstanding performance. The event brought together stakeholders from the standardization and conformity assessment sectors, including the food sector. The event was officially opened by Chairman of BSN, followed [...]

The 47th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has concluded, with the adoption of the report, the election of a new Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons and an agreed way forward for the new Strategic Plan 2026–2031. This session sees the conclusion of the tenure of CAC Chairperson Steve Wearne and Vice-Chairpersons, Allan Azegele, Diego Varela and Raj Rajasekar. Allan Azegele was elected as the new Chairperson and he steps into his new role now that CAC47 has concluded, as do the [...]

A side event was held on the margins of the 47th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on Tuesday, 26 November 2024, titled “Consumer food safety education and advocacy including through digital platforms: opportunities and challenges.” The event, which was organized by Switzerland and moderated by Awilo Ochieng Pernet of the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, heard from seven Codex Members about their experiences in developing tools to effectively communicate about and promote food safety awareness among consumers. Speakers [...]

Khalid Al Zahrani, Saudi Arabia, Jing Tian, China, and Betul Vazgecer, Türkiye, have been elected to serve as the new Vice-Chairpersons of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. On the ballot paper there were six candidates for the three positions as Vice-Chairperson. After just one round of voting Al Zahrani and Jing Tian were elected with 100 and 99 votes respectively. The remaining four candidates went through three successive rounds of voting, over two days, which resulted in the election of Vazgecer. “I am thankful [...]

Food fraud is as old as the food trade itself and is bound up with issues of food safety, food integrity and authenticity. For this reason, it has been touched upon by Codex in various ways for many years. Now, the text of new draft guidelines on the prevention and control of food fraud has been adopted at Step 5 by the 47th Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. The aim of the work, which was approved by CAC44 in 2021, [...]

The long awaited “Codex Electronic Working Groups Handbook” has been published to coincide with the 47th Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47) taking place from 25 to 30 November 2024 in Geneva. Electronic working groups (EWGs) have become a widely used tool for advancing work between meetings of Codex Committees. The new handbook offers clear, practical guidance with tips and advice for establishing, managing, participating in, and reporting on EWGs, and it is designed for participants who are enhancing their engagement in Codex [...]

The CODEX magazine for 2024 has been published, as the 47th Codex Alimentarius Commission meeting gets under way in Geneva, Switzerland. Titled “Looking to the Future”, the magazine touches on some of the questions that may need to be asked within Codex to ensure the standards setting body continues to serve all consumers, producers and food business operators worldwide in a context of rapidly evolving food, food production systems and technologies. With articles from Codex’s parent organizations, FAO and WHO, from [...]