Malaysian Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, opened the 27th session of the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO), which is being hosted virtually from Kuala Lumpur, underlining the importance of the work of the committee. With total production of fats and oils increasing by over 40 percent in the last 10 years, reaching estimated volumes of 215 million tonnes for the 17 major edible fats and oils in 2020, “the role of CCFO remains pertinent … demand for fats and oils is expected to continue to rise … and a great deal remains to be done,” he said.

Mohd Salim Dulatti , Senior director for Food Safety and Quality, Minister of Health Malaysia, said Codex texts “are indispensable for countries, particularly developing countries, as guidance to establish national legislation and standards”.

Markus Lipp, FAO, welcomed the scientific advice from FAO and WHO to further the committee’s deliberations on acceptable previous cargoes for fats and oils shipments. “Codex Alimentarius remains a key focus area for FAO strategy, and especially its food safety strategy, and FAO is committed to continue to support this and other Codex committees with the resources and scientific advice necessary for their work,” he said.

Francesco Branca, WHO, spoke of his organization’s commitment to eliminate industrially produced trans fat by 2023 in order to achieve healthier populations. “We very much hope that CCFO, will join our journey … for accelerated action in achieving the global target,” he said.

“Codex has shown that it can be innovative and agile, developing science-based standards. The high number of new work proposals indicate the interest in the work of the committee,” said Purwiyatno Hariyadi, Indonesia, Vice-Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Tom Heilandt, Codex Secretary, thanked the teams involved in making virtual operations in Codex a reality. “Standards are the building blocks, the key to allowing trade to flow, to protect consumer health and protect consumers and trade from fraud and unfair practices. They can only work if they don't differ,” he said.

More than 400 delegates, a record number, have registered to attend the sessions that run from 18 to 26 October 2021, the last technical committee meeting before the Codex Alimentarius Commission gathers in November.

“Increasing demand for healthier fats and oils, the need to ensure authenticity in addressing various other challenges including climate change, change in food systems, production in new geographical locations and technological advancements are all likely to keep CCFO busy,” said Minister Jamaluddin.

Learn more

Access working documents for CCFO27 on the Codex website