The CCLAC Region - Regional Coordinator Ecuador
In 1976 a Coordinating Committee for Latin America, established by the 10th Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1974, held its first meeting in Rome with eight countries from the region in attendance. At its third session a proposal was made to change the name of the committee to its current form (Coordinating Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean) as this better reflected the membership of the region. In 1984 at its 31st session, the Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the Commission, agreed to this change.
The region of Latin America and the Caribbean is an important actor in the production and trade of food at a global level. The region produces enough food to supply itself and to export, with both water and land resources to produce even more.
The region has enormous natural wealth, a flourishing agricultural industry and a family farming sector that is essential for its population. The promotion and strengthening of food safety must be continued at the level of all regions to guarantee the health of consumers and fair and equitable trade.< /p>
The coordinator, Ecuador is based in AGROCALIDAD an agency attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. They aim to create synergies between countries in the region, to provide mutual support in order to overcome regional problems and examine solutions to common challenges.
The coordinator further aims to strengthen collaboration among countries and strengthen the participation of developing countries in the Commission and its subsidiary bodies.
CCLAC Coordinator
All information on Codex is public and free.
For regional enquiries contact:
CCLAC Secretariat
Agencia de Regulación y Control Fito y
Zoosanitaria AGROCALIDAD
Avenida
Eloy Alfaro y Amazonas
Quito
Email: [email protected]
Landmark food hygiene discussions begin in Panama
The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) is gathering for the 50th time. This year the meeting, chaired by the United States of America, is co-hosted by Panama, whose Vice Minister of Health, Eric Ulloa, set the tone for the week-long meeting. “Challenges are ahead,” he told the Committee, outlining the forward-looking agenda, which includes: revising one of the earliest Codex standards (the General Principles of Food Hygiene) and covering new topics, such as allergen management, microbiological foodborne outbreak management and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, also known as E.coli.
In his opening statement, Emilio Esteban, Chair of Committee on Food Hygiene welcomed the 223 participants, both Codex Members and Observers, from 58 countries and expressed his thanks for their dedication and expertise.
“The United States has been honoured and proud to host this key food safety committee since its inception,” Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Codex Manager, said in her opening remarks, referring to CCFH as a “key source of practical and authoritative texts that assist Codex Member governments in protecting consumer health while promoting fair practices in the food trade.”
Sarah Cahill, Senior Food Standards Officer, on behalf of the Codex Secretary, congratulated CCFH on its 50th anniversary, looking back on some noteworthy achievements. “When I started to attend this Committee in 2000, it was embarking on incorporating microbiological risk assessment as a cornerstone to its work and had paved the way for the establishment of the new JEMRA [Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment],” she said, also noting that CCFH has led the way in applying a risk-based approach to standard setting.
The venue for CCFH also provided an opportunity for members of the Codex Latin American and the Caribbean region to discuss their priorities and coordinate input for the Codex Strategic Plan (2020-2025).
Read more about the CCFH on the website and new "Food Hygiene at 50" brochure.
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