August news round up
There is still a lot going on in the Codex world this August. Here is a catch-up guide as we begin follow-up work on the 38th Commission and start the new series of Codex Committee meetings.
The 38th Commission - CAC38
The full report has now been published in English and the other five languages will shortly be available. Follow up activities are already underway on Codex Work Management and Functioning of the Executive Committee with the publication of a Circular Letter for comments and the preparation of a new paper on this matter to be sent to the General Principles Committee next April (2016).
The Standards adopted at the Commission are currently being published online and can be viewed in the Codex list of standards. One of the new standards that attracted global interest was the new standard for Ginseng.
Media
The Geneva photo gallery is online and below you can also see the video featuring the work of Codex in Honduras, which was premièred on the last day of the Commission.
Spices Committee CCSCH2
The 2nd Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs will be held in Goa (India), 14-19 September 2015. The agenda and working documents can be downloaded here. Topics under discussion include proposed standards for pepper, cumin, oregano and thyme.
Social media and online communications
The Codex twitter account @FAOWHOCodex was launched at the Commission with the Commission #hashtag #CAC38. This initiative is part of the broader communications plan which also includes the restyling of the Codex website, the publication of the regional news sites and a new edition of the Codex text "Understanding Codex".
Another pilot initiative aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of committee electronic working groups is the use of an online discussion board/forum to strengthen the work of these valuable Codex bodies. This project is starting with the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods and the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods. Combined with the recently acquired online commenting system (a joint venture with our sister organization IPPC), Codex will be striving for ever greater collaboration and efficiency in food safety standard development.
Food Policy Journal - Codex in the News
The 55th edition of the Food Policy Journal (July 2015) carries a paper which reviews current international legislation on nutrition and health claims. It concludes that studied legislative documents show critical differences and a variety of approaches to regulating nutrition and health claims and advocates greater consumer research upon the perception of the different types of claims. It ends stating that:
The efforts of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to internationally harmonise the handling of nutrition and health claims should be leading in all developments and improvements of legislation, to stimulate work of the industry in the field of functional foods and to enhance the opportunity for consumers to use health-enhancing products.
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations
contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Current Codex Alimentarius Commission
August news round up
There is still a lot going on in the Codex world this August. Here is a catch-up guide as we begin follow-up work on the 38th Commission and start the new series of Codex Committee meetings.
The 38th Commission - CAC38
The full report has now been published in English and the other five languages will shortly be available. Follow up activities are already underway on Codex Work Management and Functioning of the Executive Committee with the publication of a Circular Letter for comments and the preparation of a new paper on this matter to be sent to the General Principles Committee next April (2016).
The Standards adopted at the Commission are currently being published online and can be viewed in the Codex list of standards. One of the new standards that attracted global interest was the new standard for Ginseng.
Media
The Geneva photo gallery is online and below you can also see the video featuring the work of Codex in Honduras, which was premièred on the last day of the Commission.
Spices Committee CCSCH2
The 2nd Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs will be held in Goa (India), 14-19 September 2015. The agenda and working documents can be downloaded here. Topics under discussion include proposed standards for pepper, cumin, oregano and thyme.
Social media and online communications
The Codex twitter account @FAOWHOCodex was launched at the Commission with the Commission #hashtag #CAC38. This initiative is part of the broader communications plan which also includes the restyling of the Codex website, the publication of the regional news sites and a new edition of the Codex text "Understanding Codex".
Another pilot initiative aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of committee electronic working groups is the use of an online discussion board/forum to strengthen the work of these valuable Codex bodies. This project is starting with the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods and the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods. Combined with the recently acquired online commenting system (a joint venture with our sister organization IPPC), Codex will be striving for ever greater collaboration and efficiency in food safety standard development.
Food Policy Journal - Codex in the News
The 55th edition of the Food Policy Journal (July 2015) carries a paper which reviews current international legislation on nutrition and health claims. It concludes that studied legislative documents show critical differences and a variety of approaches to regulating nutrition and health claims and advocates greater consumer research upon the perception of the different types of claims. It ends stating that:
The efforts of the Codex Alimentarius Commission to internationally harmonise the handling of nutrition and health claims should be leading in all developments and improvements of legislation, to stimulate work of the industry in the field of functional foods and to enhance the opportunity for consumers to use health-enhancing products.
Codex and Observer
around the world since ancient times.
We might not always know where it comes from,
but we expect it to be available, safe and of good quality.
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