1. FAO/WHO CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION (CODEX)
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FAO/WHO CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION (CODEX)
Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Lusaka, Zambia, 3-5 July 2002

2. 1. Introducing Codex Alimentarius Commission
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1. Introducing Codex Alimentarius Commission
2. Role of Codex in setting food standards and the SPS Agreement Implementation
3. Import/Export food control - Why rejections?
4. Conclusions

3. Latin for “Food Law” or “Food Code”
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Codex Alimentarius
Latin for “Food Law” or “Food Code”

4. What is “Codex” The Codex Alimentarius Commission
Committees and Task Forces
Secretariat
The Codex Alimentarius
Standards and residue limits
Code of practices, guidelines and Recommendations (13 Volumes)
The Codex “Process”

5. Codex Alimentarius Commission
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Codex Alimentarius Commission
Founded by FAO in 1961
Responsible for the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme since 1962

6. Codex Objectives To protect the health of consumers
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Codex Objectives
To protect the health of consumers
To ensure fair practices in the food trade
To coordinate all food standards work

7. Codex Alimentarius Commission
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Codex Alimentarius Commission
167 Member countries
Observers from IGOs & INGOs
Establishes its own programme of work
Adopts standards, guidelines and other recommendations
Makes recommendations to Member governments, FAO and WHO on general food standards matters

8. The Commission Meets every 2 years Meetings last for 6 days
Rome or Geneva
Meetings last for 6 days
Works in Arabic*, Chinese*, English, French and Spanish
*(From 2001)

9. Codex Alimentarius Commission
1st Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Rome, October 1963
120 participants from 30 countries and 16 international organizations
24 Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Geneva, June-July 2001
608 participants from 104 countries and 63
international organizations

10. STRUCTURE OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
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STRUCTURE OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION

12. Management Organs of the Commission
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Management Organs of the Commission
The Executive Committee
The Regional Coordinating Committees
The Secretariat of the Commission

13. The Executive Committee
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The Executive Committee
Chairperson
3 Vice Chairpersons
7 Regional Representatives (governments)
6 Regional Coordinators (observers)

14. The Regional Coordinating Committees
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The Regional Coordinating Committees
6 Regional Committees
Africa, Asia, Europe, Near East,
Latin America & Caribbean,
North America & Southwest Pacific
Coordinate activities relevant to the region
Regional Codex standards
Harmonization

15. The Secretariat of the Commission
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The Secretariat of the Commission
Administrative support to the Commission
Link with Codex Contact Points
Co-ordination with the work of other organs
Located at HQ of FAO (Rome)

16. Acts as the link with Codex Contact Points of Member countries
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The Secretariat
Acts as the link with Codex Contact Points of Member countries

17. Technical Organs of the Commission
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Technical Organs of the Commission
9 General Subject Committees +
12 Commodity Committees
3 Ad Hoc Inter-Governmental Task Forces
The work of the Codex Alimentarius is divided between two basic types of committees.
The first type comprises those Committees which deal with a general subject matter and work horizontally with all commodity committees. There are eight in total. These Committees are responsible for the elaboration of standards, guidelines and other recommendations related to the evaluation of food additives and environmental contaminants, including radioactivity (Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants), the establishment of maximum residue levels for chemicals used in agricultural production (Codex Committees on Pesticide Residues and Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods), and the examination of microbiological organisms and their toxins through the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene.
In addition there are 17 commodity committees, each works in a vertical manner on the specific food or class of food allotted to them.

18. General Subject Committees
General Principles (France)
Food Additives & Contaminants (Netherlands)
Food Labelling (Canada)
Food Hygiene (USA)
Pesticide Residues (Netherlands)
Methods of Analysis & Sampling (Hungary)
Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (Australia)
Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (USA)
Nutrition & Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Germany)

19. Codex Commodity Committees
Processed Fruits and Vegetables (USA)
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Mexico)
Milk and Milk Products (New Zealand)
Fats and Oils (UK)
Fish and Fishery Products (Norway)
Natural Mineral Waters (Switzerland)
Cocoa Products and Chocolate (Switzerland)
Sugars (UK)

20. Codex Committees adjourned
Mineral Waters
Cereals, Pulses and Legumes
Vegetable Proteins
Soups and Broths

21. 4/12/2017
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Codex Task Forces (established by the 23rd Session of the CAC)
Foods derived from Biotechnology (Japan, March 2000)
Animal Feeding
(Denmark, June 2000)
Fruit and Vegetable Juices
(Brazil, September 2000)

22. Expert input to Codex Committees
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Expert input to Codex Committees
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide
Residues (JMPR)
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultations

23. ELABORATION PROCEDURES
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ELABORATION PROCEDURES

24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Proposed draft standard Decision of the Commission
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Decision of the Commission
Proposed draft standard
Request of written Comments
Amendments / Session
Adoption as a draft standard
Adoption as a Codex standard 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
UNIFORM
PROCEDURE
(8 STEPS)
Possible Omission
The elaboration procedure of Codex standards therefore gives to all Member Countries two opportunities to express their views on the proposed texts, before they are sent to the Commission for adoption. Once on the proposed draft standard (comments at Step 3) and once on the draft standard (comments at Step 6). In addition, a third and ultimate opportunity is given when the draft standard (at Step 8) is considered for adoption at the Commission session. When the Commission meets, any written proposal received from Members and interested international organizations for amendments at Step 8 will be considered. Before the Commission meets, each government receives a copy of the texts which will be proposed for adoption at the Commission’s session. A date is given in the accompanying letter to notify the deadline for sending written proposals on the texts.
Setting up a national structure able to provide written comments, is therefore a most important step towards an increased contribution to the elaboration of codex standards.
The Commission has two ways to speed up the elaboration of standards when it is considered necessary. The first way is for the Commission to authorize, on the basis of two-third majority of votes cast, the omission of 2 steps of the procedure (out of 8) upon recommendation of the subsidiary body entrusted with the elaboration of the text.

25. Accelerated 1 2 3 4 5 Decision of the Commission (vote)
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Accelerated 1
Decision of the Commission (vote) 2
Proposed draft standard 3
Request of written Comments 4
Amendments / Session
Adoption as a Codex Standard 5

26. Achievements 237 Food Standards 43 Codes of Practice 33 Guidelines
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Achievements
237 Food Standards
43 Codes of Practice
33 Guidelines
197 Pesticides evaluated
3274 Limits for pesticides residues
25 Guideline limits for contaminants
54 Veterinary drugs evaluated
289 Limits of veterinary drug residues
1300 Food additives evaluated

27. Codex and the SPS Agreement

28. SPS AGREEMENT Important Elements
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SPS AGREEMENT Important Elements
Basic Rights
Risk Assessment
Harmonization
Equivalence
Transparency
Technical Assistance 38

29. 4/12/2017
SPS Agreement
Discourages the use of SPS measures as barriers to international trade
Recognizes Codex as a reference on food safety
Codex may be used to settle disputes
Calls for harmonization based on Codex

30. Implications of SPS on Codex
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Implications of SPS on Codex
Codex focuses on risk-based inspection and certification systems
Inclusion of HACCP in the General Principles of Food Hygiene
Development of import/export food inspection and certification guidelines
Work on Risk Analysis - Risk Assessment
Codex reaffirms the role of science in its work
Codex revised its acceptance rules

31. SPS Implications for Codex/WTO Members
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SPS Implications for Codex/WTO Members
Should base their requirements on Codex
should become more involved in Codex work
should harmonize requirements using Codex

32. Who is responsible for what?
Government
Industry
Consumer

33. Government’s responsibility
Protect the public health
Ensure fair practices in the food trade
Legislation

34. How does government meet its responsibility?
establishment of appropriate legislation and regulations
communication of food quality and safety requirements to industry
provision of training to industry to ensure their ability to develop and implement adequate quality assurance programmes
implementation of controls to ensure compliance of industry to national food quality and safety requirements

35. What is industry’s responsibility?
To produce safe food of acceptable quality
How does it meet its responsibility?
By establishing and maintaining adequate quality assurance programmes

36. How do they meet this responsibility?
What’s the consumer’s responsibility?
To inform regulators and industry of their
concerns regarding food quality and safety
To follow relevant instructions and appropriate
food hygiene measures
How do they meet this responsibility?
Through constructive participation of consumer organizations in food standardisation work
Through consumer education

37. Import/Export Food Control
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Import/Export Food Control
WHY
Detentions and Rejections

38. FAO Global Import Detention Study*
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FAO Global Import Detention Study*
Few countries maintained records
Few countries made information available
Imported food requirements were not known
Import requirements were different
Inadequate communications amongst countries
Exporting Countries lack control measures
Confusing Certificates
Study conducted with the support of the Government of Finland

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44. Import/Export Food Control
Code of Ethics for International Trade in Food; and
Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification

45. CODE OF ETHICS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN FOOD
Principal objective:
to stop exporting countries and exporters from dumping poor-quality or unsafe food on to international markets
Currently being revised by the CCGP

46. Adopted Texts: Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Control Emergency Situations (CAC/GL )
Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification (CAC/GL )
Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food (CAC/GL )

47. Adopted Texts: Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems
Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CAC/GL )
Guidelines for the Development of Equivalence Agreements Regarding Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CAC/GL )

48. Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food (CAC/GL )
Provide the basis for structured information exchange on import rejections
Deal only with import rejections caused by failure to comply with importing country requirements
Intended to assist countries to conform with the Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification, in particular the transparency provisions.

49. Reason(s) for rejection
Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food - Annex
Reason(s) for rejection
Biological/microbiological contamination
Chemical contamination (pesticide or veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, etc.)
Radionuclide contamination
Incorrect or misleading labelling
Compositional defect
Non-conformity with food additive requirements

50. Reason(s) for rejection
Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food - Annex
Reason(s) for rejection
Organoleptic quality unacceptable
Technical or physical defects
(e.g. packaging damage)
Incomplete or incorrect certification
Does not come from an approved country, region or establishment
Other reasons

51. Reason(s) for rejection
Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food - Annex
Reason(s) for rejection
NOTE: Where imported food has been rejected on the basis of sampling and/or analysis in the importing country, details should be made available on request as to sampling and analytical methods and test results and the identity of the testing laboratory.

52. Conference on International Food Trade Beyond 2000, 11-15 October 1999, Melbourne
General Recommendations of the Conference:
called upon Member Governments to strengthen their contributions and participation in Codex work.
called on countries to adhere to the FAO/WHO Code of Ethics for International Trade in Food in order to ensure that food products exported to developing countries meet national and international requirements.

53. Conference on International Food Trade Beyond 2000, 11-15 October 1999, Melbourne
General Recommendations of the Conference:
governments should clearly acknowledge the role of consumers, producers and their representative bodies in the development of national and international food standards.
Governments of member countries should take all necessary steps to apply Codex standards to all imported, exported and domestically produced and traded foods.

54. FUTURE WORK?
Establishing National Codex Committees
Involvement in Codex work - meetings, comments
Harmonization of standards with Codex
Cooperation between government, food industries and consumers
Dedicated research in food

55. CONTACT ADDRESS: Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme
Food Quality and Standards Service
FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy
Phone +39 (06) 57051
Fax (06)

56. Thank you