The 38th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission will begin on Monday July 6th at The International Conference Centre of Geneva (CICG). 185 countries and the European Union will discuss and adopt new food safety and quality standards, including limits on use of drugs in food-producing animals.

Key Decisions

Some of the highlights of the meeting are expected to be decisions on:

• Maximum levels for lead in fruits and vegetables (fresh and processed)
• A number of standards for the safe use of food additives and pesticides
• Recommendations to prevent residues of certain antibiotics (dimetridazole, ipronidazole, metronidazole and ronidazole) in food of animal origin, due to adverse effects on human health
• Guidelines for the control of Trichinella spp. parasites in pork meat
• Maximum levels for a toxin (deoxynivalenol also known as DON or “vomitoxin”) produced by a mould that can be found in cereal grains, flours, and cereal-based foods for infants and young children
• A recommendation on the level of potassium consumption associated with a reduced risk of diet-related noncommunicable diseases
• A new worldwide standard for ginseng products

Codex Trust Fund

The Commission is also expected to support the establishment by FAO and WHO of a new US$3.3 million per year Codex Trust Fund to support more active participation of developing countries in international food standards setting from 2016 to 2026.

Side Events

Throughout the week there will be side events on:

• An introduction to the FAO Genetically Modified Foods Platform (Monday 6 July, 13:00-15:00), a simple, user-friendly online too for sharing information on safety assessments of foods derived from recombinant-DNA plants authorised in accordance with Codex guidelines.
• An update on ongoing FAO/WHO work to address hazards associated with animal feed (Thursday 9 July, 15:00-17:00). The consumption of animal products continues to rise worldwide and will continue doing so over the decades to come - driving up demand for animal feed products as well. Feed safety impacts not just the health of animals but also that of producers, handlers and consumers. This session will report on a recent FAO-WHO consultation looking at the current status of animal feed safety issues and outlining priorities for future work.
• The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (Wednesday 8 July, 12:30-14:30)

To see the complete agenda and download working papers, click here.