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 new Vice-Chairpersons, Khalid Al Zhrani, Jing Tian and Betul Vazgecer.

Following a smooth report adoption, the Codex Secretary thanked the many teams involved in the well-organized Commission meeting, and then handed over to the Chairperson who invited the outgoing Vice-Chairpersons to say a few words. Raj Rajasekar said that it had been “a great privilege” to work with Wearne: “you’ve been outstanding,” he said. “You can’t leave Codex,” he concluded. “I’ve made a lot of friends. Codex is rightly described as a family, and I will take great memories with me.” Diego Varela thanked the Government of Chile for giving him the opportunity of taking on his role in Codex, and then thanked Wearne: “I will miss our discussions on how to improve Codex,” he said, and to his fellow Vice-Chairpersons, “it was an honour to work alongside you.” Varela offered a recipe for success to the incoming Vice-Chairpersons: “work as a team,” he advised, “to support each other and work with colleagues.”

Before handing over to the new Chairperson, Wearne offered a few valedictory words. “I’ve worked in food standards for 34 years,” he said. “It was a huge honour to be elected by you as Vice-Chairperson in 2017, and then as Chairperson in 2021. The last seven and a half years have been the highlight of whole career.” The Codex Secretary presented the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson with some mementos “to express our gratitude to you and the Vice-Chairpersons for everything you’ve done for Codex.”

As he assumed the role of Chairperson, Azegele said: “This is a very significant moment in the life of Codex,” and turning to Wearne: “You’ve been an exceptional person. I have learnt a lot in the last three years … I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your exceptional leadership as Chairperson of the Commission. Under your guidance the commission has made significant strides to adopt standards that protect consumer health and facilitate fair practices in the food trade. … We are deeply appreciative of the wisdom and passion you have brought to the role.”

CAC47 agreed on the adoption of some significant new texts and also agreed to all new work proposals, which will, inter alia, support the WHO strategy “REPLACE” of elimination of trans fatty acids through revision of relevant fats and oils texts, and a group standard for whole millet grains, which will see the reactivation of the Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes (CCCPL).

New texts adopted by CAC47 include Guidelines for food hygiene control measures in traditional markets for food, a Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of ciguatera poisoning in foods, and General principles for the establishment of Nutrient Reference Values – Requirements (NRVs-R) for persons aged 6 – 36 months.

Read more

CAC47 webpage, which includes the draft report, with summaries of discussions and texts adopted