In welcoming delegates to the opening of the 10th session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Near East, H.E. Mohammad Hossein Emadi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to FAO and the Rome Based Agencies, said ensuring food safety was a sophisticated task considering the challenges brought by globalization and international food trade, increased demand for safer and better quality of food, as well as threats that arise from new and intensification technologies of food [...]

Delegates from 17 countries will gather at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy for the 10th session of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Near East (CCNE) from 11 to 15 November 2019. Mrs Nayereh Sadat Piroozbakht, President of the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran, and the current Regional Coordinator, said the committee should “take into consideration the development of standards related to safety and integrity and authenticity of foods for all countries as a priority”.  CCNE should promote [...]

Understanding Codex for a member country or observer organization also means being able to use the online systems that manage the standard setting process. If you are unable to take part in electronic working groups or post your national position via comments online then your voice will not be heard, and you will not learn the views of others. The Codex Secretariat has held training sessions in different regions and regularly showcases Codex online tools at the Commission and during [...]

Jenny Scott is Senior Advisor in the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She co-chaired the working group on the proposed draft code of practice on food allergen management for food business operators. Jenny explains the importance of the work on allergens. Jenny Scott co-chaired the Codex work on allergens with Australia and the UK  “Food allergies are an increasing food safety issue globally, resulting in many food recalls (approximately 1/3 of food recalls [...]

Dr. Mindy Brashears, the Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. addressed delegates gathered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA for the 51st session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. Brashears emphasized in her welcome address that with food safety policies being constantly updated, such meetings were important “to help foster partnerships that can lead to modernization and new policies for food safety and international food standards”. Dr. Mindy Brashears, Deputy Under Secretary for Food [...]

As the Codex food hygiene committee (CCFH) begins deliberations in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, delegations from around the world have emphasised the importance of one of the main items on the agenda. The revision of the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene (GPFH), has been described by Udo Wiemer from Germany as “the most important item of the upcoming session”. In many countries the Codex text forms the basis of national legislation. “In Indonesia GPFH are adopted identically to be [...]

The China International Food Safety & Quality (CIFSQ) Conference is currently underway in Beijing, China 30 to 31 October 2019. CIFSQ brings together 700 regulators, scientists, industry executives, and academics to share insights on food safety and protecting public health. The conference focuses on addressing critical food safety issues and seeks through dialogue and collaboration to identify advances in science, standards and the latest developments in innovative technologies that can serve governments and industry in safeguarding food. Codex Secretary Tom Heilandt Tom [...]

The Codex Twitter account @FAOWHOCodex commonly uses the hashtag #CodexFamily♥ but this light-hearted symbol of friendship and unity took on a new meaning last week as disruptions in Santiago forced the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean (CCLAC) to end early after only two half days of deliberation. Codex, where the world comes together and looks after each other. With uncertainty surrounding personal safety and a curfew imposed each day in the city, the Chilean secretariat worked tirelessly to [...]

Delegates from 16 member countries are gathered in Santiago, Chile 22 to 25 October, 2019 for the 21st FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for the Latin America and the Caribbean region (CCLAC). Diego Varela, Chairperson of the committee and International Affairs Coordinator at the Chilean Agency for Food Safety and Quality (ACHIPIA), extended a warm welcome to those present recalling the importance of collaboration and communication within countries to address food safety and trade issues in the region. Based on science. Marisa Caipo, Food Safety [...]

The Latin American and the Caribbean region has a third of the world’s fresh water resources and more than a quarter of the world’s medium to high potential farmland. It is one of the largest net food exporting regions in the world and its agricultural production continues to expand. Chile, elected as Regional Coordinator for the first time in 2015, is serving a second term that will end in 2020 at the 43rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The FAO/WHO [...]