The food hygiene committee CCFH has been meeting since 1964 and is responsible for drafting basic provisions on food hygiene applicable to all food. People have the right to expect the food they eat to be safe and suitable for consumption. Foodborne illness and foodborne injury are at best unpleasant; at worst, they can be fatal. Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene  Los Angeles - Q&A with Chair Dr Emilio Esteban As the 48th session of the committee begins in Los Angeles, Dr Emilio Esteban, Executive [...]

The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) began work in 1986 hosted by the USA.  CCRVDF determines priorities for the consideration of residues of veterinary drugs in foods and recommends maximum levels (known as MLs) of such substances. The committee also develops codes of practice and considers methods of sampling and analysis for the determination of veterinary drug residues in foods. We have a number of issues before us that will necessitate careful consideration and broad engagement across the [...]

The FAO/WHO RCCs provide an incredibly important opportunity for dynamic discussion on major and emerging food safety and quality issues facing the region. There are six Codex regions each represented by a joint FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC).They meet every two years. Each committee is responsible for defining the problems and needs of the region concerning food standards and food control. By working collectively at the regional level countries are able to highlight regulatory issues and problems arising from food control [...]

The second of the Joint FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committees (CCASIA) meets 26-30 September in New Delhi India. Each committee is responsible for defining the problems and needs of the region concerning food standards and food control. By working collectively at the regional level countries are able to highlight regulatory issues and problems arising from food control in order to strengthen food control infrastructures. New Initiatives for 2016-2017 New features for the regional meetings include: a keynote speech highlighting issues and challenges of particular [...]

The Codex Secretariat plays a key role in the running of over 20 international meetings per year. As the 2016-2017 round of joint FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee meetings begins with the North America and South West Pacific Region in Vanuatu, two members of the Secretariat have travelled to Port Vila. Dr Annamaria Bruno is a Senior Food Standards Officer in the Secretariat with responsibility for CCFA, CCRVDF, CCASIA, CCMMP, CCGP, CCLAC as well as being Alternate Officer for CCFH, CCNASWP, CCSCH, CCPR, CCFFP. [...]

28th session from 12th-16th September - Washington D.C. This Codex commodity committee (CCPFV) has a mandate to elaborate worldwide standards and related texts for all types of processed fruits and vegetables, including canned, dried and frozen products as well as fruit and vegetable juices and nectars. The meeting will be focusing on completing the revision of the the Standard for Canned Pineapple which will become one of the annexes to the Standard for Certain Canned Fruits. It will also complete the revision of [...]

CCAFRICA has been involved in strengthening National Codex Committees in Lesotho,Swaziland and Zimbambwe. This has empowered CCAFRICA to participate in the global standard development process and reap the benefits of implementing Codex Standards. CCAFRICA acknowledges the support of FAO in this endevour. A workshop sponsored by the AU-IBAR was held in December 2015 in Senegal on Strengthening of National Codex Committees in the ECOWAS region block.

The Eighth session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Near East (CCNEA) took place in FAO HQ Rome from 1-5 June. Regional coordinating committees are responsible for defining the problems and needs of the region concerning food standards and food control and are also tasked with developing regional standards for food products that move exclusively or almost exclusively in intra-regional trade. Chairperson Mrs Léna Dargham described the meeting as “an important forum to discuss regional concerns and challenges about [...]