The Codex Trust Fund (CTF) supports countries to build strong, solid and sustainable national capacity to engage in Codex work. The Codex Trust Fund Advisory Group annual meeting took place online on 16 December 2021, hosted for the first time by the newly-elected Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Steve Wearne, United Kingdom. The Advisory Group is part of the Codex governance mechanism and brings together FAO/WHO, donor countries other key stakeholders including the Codex Regional Coordinators. It serves as a forum [...]

The extended 44th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC44) came to a close on 14 December 2021 with the adoption of the outstanding agenda items in the final report. The Commission operates with simultaneous interpretation in six languages to guarantee an equitable forum for all delegations and work was interrupted on 18 November when the period of interpretation scheduled could no longer be extended. The Codex Secretariat subsequently arranged for delegations to provide written comments on the report and [...]

"He always listens. He is open to reason and debate. He is open to thinking differently if the facts change". These the words of Chairperson-elect Steve Wearne on his predecessor Guilherme Da Costa in an interview held as CAC44 came to a close in November 2021. With a collective emphasis on listening and an awareness of the need to draw on the different views held within the Codex membership the "two chairs" underline the importance of collaboration and teamwork as Codex [...]

The decision to concentrate on a reduced agenda has paid off as the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses concludes its discussions on a guideline for ready-to-use therapeutic foods and closes in on finalizing the revised standard for follow up formula. Verna Carolissen, Codex Secretariat said on the completion of the text on ready-to-use therapeutic foods, that the principles under which Codex operates in developing a guideline of this nature are to “set the scene, and that [...]

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) hosted the global launch of the FAO/WHO Food Control System Assessment Tool, to introduce the tool and promote the benefits of assessing a national food control system. The event was designed for senior officials and technical officers from competent authorities involved in the operation of the national food control system, but was open to anybody with an interest to find out more about the [...]

Welcoming delegates to the opening of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU), taking place virtually from 19 November to 1 December 2021, Julia Klöckner, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Germany, said food and health policy must respond to the need to fight hunger as well as combat overweight and obesity at international level. CCNFSDU plays a central role in this and “health protection and the removal of trade barriers are more important than ever [...]

Day nine of the 44th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC44) was unable to see completion of report adoption in the time allotted and the Codex Secretariat will now outline a process to enable this final part of the business of the Commission to be completed. With agreement on a series of new and revised Codex texts, the Commission has demonstrated for the second year in succession that it is able to face the challenge of working online and throughout [...]

FAO and WHO will launch their Food Control Assessment Tool which assists countries in assessing the effectiveness of their food control system, on Tuesday 16 November 2021 with an online event. The tool was published in 2019 and is based on the Codex Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control Systems (CAC/GL 82-2013). During the launch, participants will learn more about the tool, its application and the potential outcomes of an assessment.  National food control systems play a pivotal role in protecting the [...]

The 44th Codex Alimentarius Commission taking place virtually for the second year in succession has successfully adopted a range of international standards on topics as broad as antimicrobial resistance, cadmium contamination in chocolate and third-party assurance. Highlights of standards adopted at CAC44 As day six got underway from the Rome studio, with over 450 delegates participating on a Saturday, discussions moved from standards already set to the future of food and an innovative area labelled “new foods and production systems” (NFPS). FAO [...]

“Codex benefits almost everyone around the world, even though most people will never hear of it,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, greeting over 600 online delegates at the opening of the forty-fourth session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is being held virtually from 8 to 18 November 2021. Tedros went on to underline the critical role Codex standards play in improving the safety and quality of food, protecting and promoting consumer health and nutrition, and protecting fair [...]