Habituellement, à l’approche de la réunion annuelle de la Commission du Codex Alimentarius, des centaines de délégués prennent la route, allant parfois jusqu’à traverser la moitié du globe, pour assister à une semaine complète de réunions plénières à Genève ou à Rome. Cette année, alors que le coup d’envoi de la quarante-troisième session de la CCA est prévu le 24 septembre 2020, la préparation logistique ne sera pas focalisée sur les visas et les bagages égarés comme à l’accoutumée, mais plutôt sur les [...]

In the two short years since the World Food Safety Day was created, we have already seen the engagement and momentum that this campaign can garner from all corners of the industry and around the world. Food safety truly is everyone’s business, and it is heartening to see WFSD participation from the private sector and public sector alike. At the end of the day, we are all consumers and can all join forces behind the vision of safe food for [...]

Le séminaire Web organisé par le Secrétariat du Codex a remporté un franc succès ce vendredi 11 septembre 2020 : 86 pays ainsi que l’Union européenne y ont assisté, tout comme 34 organisations observatrices. Un pic d’audience recensant plus de 300 spectateurs a d’ailleurs été enregistré. Dès l’ouverture de la session, Guilherme Da Costa, président de la Commission du Codex Alimentarius (Brésil), a souhaité rendre hommage aux Points de contact du Codex mondiaux pour leur rôle clé dans la gestion de l’aspect pratique des travaux menés par [...]

As Codex Members and Observers prepare to take part in the first ever virtual session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which starts on 24 September 2020, the Codex Secretariat has organized a training webinar to prepare delegates for the online meeting. This webinar will take place on Friday 11 September 2020, at 12.00 (CET). Delegates will hear from the Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Guilherme Da Costa and from Codex Secretary, Tom Heilandt, how it was possible to arrange for [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic will have an unprecedented impact on global and regional trade. According to the World Trade Organization, world merchandise trade in 2020 could fall by as much as 32 percent. New policy guidance, part of the FAO COVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme, describes how the current economic recession is raising serious concerns about hunger and malnutrition. It goes on to explain how ad-hoc trade restrictions, including food safety measures that may not be science based, have worsened the situation [...]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service is recognizing September as Food Safety education Month and encouraging consumers to follow good food safety practices to protect themselves and their families from foodborne illness. The guidance reminds consumers they should follow four simple steps for food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Read the USDA press release here. Learn more about the four steps at Foodsafety.gov.  

Roberto Azevêdo was the sixth Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), serving from September 2013. In May 2020 he announced that he would be stepping down on 31 August of this year. Codex food safety standards, guidelines and codes of practice are designated by the WTO as the international benchmarks under its Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. Codex Chairperson Guilherme Da Costa, Brazil, said: “I had the privilege of working directly with Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo from 2010 to 2012 when I [...]

The African Union is hosting a webinar on Wednesday 2 September 14-17h East Africa Time (GMT +3) entitled "Healthy Crops, Safe Food and Thriving Trade: Opportunities for Africa". Click here to download the programme (English), (French). Click here to register. 

Le Secrétaire du Codex, Tom Heilandt, a aujourd’hui confirmé que la Commission du Codex Alimentarius tiendra en 2020 la première réunion virtuelle de son histoire. La quarante-troisième session de la CCA, qui devait initialement avoir lieu à Rome au mois de juillet, se tiendra finalement en ligne, tout en respectant les valeurs d’inclusion et de transparence du Codex. Cent trente-six membres du Codex s’étaient prononcés en faveur d’une session virtuelle avant la date limite fixée au 23 août (HNEC), [...]

This year’s World Food Safety Day’s theme was Food Safety Everyone’s Business. The Authority adopted this theme to conduct a campaign on food safety. Several health reports indicate that there has been arise in the number of food borne illnesses globally, this campaign is therefore aimed at raising awareness on the risks people are exposed to through consuming unsafe food. It is also to boost safety measures for consumption of food among the general public, detecting and managing of food [...]