Protecting consumer health with Codex Alimentarius

The 46th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (27 November–2 December 2023) is approaching so don’t get caught unprepared!

You can browse through a selection of FAO’s recently released publications on food safety. They stress the importance of Codex Alimentarius in protecting consumer health and facilitating fair practices in the international food trade.

“CODEX” magazine 2023 – 60 years of standards
The Codex Alimentarius Commission marks its 60th anniversary in 2023. This seventh edition of the CODEX magazine looks back at origins and looks forward to what the future may bring for international food standard setting.

Codex Alimentarius Commission procedural manual
This edition contains an amended section on commodity standards dealing with non-retail containers. It introduces new text regarding criteria and procedural guidelines for Codex committees and ad hoc intergovernmental taskforces working by correspondence.

Food safety implications from the use of environmental inhibitors in agrifood systems (FORTHCOMING)
This report offers an overview of how different regulatory frameworks worldwide deal with environmental inhibitors, highlighting at the same time the lack of global harmonization in defining and categorizing these substances.

Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance: Compendium of Codex Standards
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious global health threat and a food safety issue of primary concern. This publication brings together the three Codex texts – two guidelines and a code of practice - that will support governments in designing and running a successful strategy to tackle foodborne AMR.

World Food Safety Day report 2023 – Growing a greater awareness of food standards
World Food Safety Day aims to galvanize action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks. This in turn will contribute to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. This report provides a summary of events that took place in 2023.

Did you know? The latest FAO publications catalogue features a whole section on food safety and Codex Alimentarius reports. Check it out!