Codex Alimentarius - basic principles-

1. Codex Alimentarius - basic principles- Prof. Elisaveta Stikova M.D., Ph.D. School of Medicine University “ St. Cyril and Methodius” – Skopje Republic of Macedonia

2. The FAO/WHO International Conference on Nutrition, 1992 Recognized that: • access to nutritionally adequate and safe food is a right of each individual, • Food regulations… should fully take international standards of the Codex Alimentarius

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

4. Codex Alimentarius Commission • FAO in 1961 and WHO 1963 passed Resolution to establish the Codex Alimentarius Commission, • Responsible for Joint FAO/WHO Food Standard Program.

5. Codex Objectives (1): • To protect the health of consumers, • To ensure fair practices in the food trade, • To coordinate all work regarding food standards,

6. Codex Objectives (2): • To determinate the priorities, • To initiate the preparation of standards, • To publish the standards.

7. Codex Alimentarius Commission – structure and management • The Executive Committee, • The Regional Coordinating Committees, • The Secretariat of the Commission.

8. The Executive Committee • Chairperson, • 3 Vice-Chairpersons, • 7 Regional Representatives, • 6 Regional Coordinators.

9. Regional Coordinating Committees: • 6 Regional Committees – for Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America&Caribbean, North America & Southwest Pacific, Near East. • Responsible for defining the problems and needs of the region • Responsible for coordination of activities.

10. The Secretariat of the Commission: Responsible for: • Formulation and development of FAO/ WHO standards, • Administrative support to the Commission, • Relations with the National Codex Contact Point.

11. Subsidiary bodies of the Codex Alimentarius Commission: • Codex Committees: • Codex committees for general principles, • Committees for special types of foodstuff products. • Ad-hoc Intergovernmental Special Work Groups.

12. Codex Committees on general issues (1): 1. Codex Committee on General Principles, 2. Codex Committee on Food Labelling, 3. Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling, 

13. Codex Committees on general issues (2): 4. Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, 5. Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues, 6. Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants,

14. Codex Committees on general issues (3): 7. Codex Committee on Import - Export Inspection and Certification systems, 8. Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses, 9. Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods,

15. Product Committees(1): 1. Codex Committee on Cocoa Products and Chocolates, 2. Codex Committee on Sugars, 3. Codex Committee on Pocessed Fruit and Vegetables, 4. Codex Committee on Fats and Oils,

16. Product Committees(2): 5. Codex Committee on Meat and Polutry Hygyene, 6. Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery products, 7. CodexCommittee on Fresh Fruit and Vegetables,

17. Product Committees(3): 8. Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products, 9. Codex Committee on Natural Mineral Waters, 10.Codex Committee on Vegetable Proteins, 11.Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes.

18. Ad-hoc Intergovernmental Codex Special Groups for: • biotechnologically produced food, • animal feeds, • fruit juices.

19. Codex Alimentarius Commision Highest priority: • Formulation of commodity and general standards

20. Codex Standards include (1): • Scope of the standard, • Description of the standard, • Basic structure and quality factors, • Weights and measures,     • Labeling,

21. Codex Commodity Standards include (2): • Contaminants, • Hygiene, • Food additives, • Methods for analysis.

22. Structure and contents of Codex Alimentarius: • Codex Alimentarius is composed of 14 volumes distributed in 17 books • Each book (by group of products) contains standards, guidelines...

23. Achievements: • 237 Food Standards, • 43 Codes of Practice, • 33 Guidelines, • 197 Pesticides evaluated, • 3274 Limits for pesticides residues, • 289 Limits of veterinary drug residues, • 1300 Food additives evaluated.

24. Structure and contents of Codex Alimentarius (1): • Volume one A - General Requirements, • Volume one B - General Requirements (Food Hygiene), • Volume two A - Pesticide Residues in foods (General texts) • Volume two B - Pesticide Residues in Foods (Maximal Residue Limits)

25. Structure and contents of Codex Alimentarius (2): • Volume three - Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods, • Volume four - Foods for special dietary uses • Volume five A - Processed and Quick- Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

26. Structure and contents of Codex Alimentarius (3): • Volume five B - Fresh fruits and vegetables, • Volume six – Fruit Juices, • Volume seven - Cereals, Pulses and Vegetable Proteins • Volume eight - Fats and Oils and Related Products

27. Structure and contents of Codex Alimentarius (4): • Volume nine - Fish and Fishery products, • Volume ten – Meat and Meat Products;Soups and Broths, • Volume eleven - Sugars, Cocoa Products and Chocolate and Miscellaneous Products,

28. Structure and contents of Codex Alimentarius (5): • Volume twelve - Milk and Milk Products • Volume thirteen - Methods of Analysis and Sampling • Volume fourteen - Acceptances

29. Transparency of Codex Alimentarius: Information for all the standards, regulations, guides and other recommendations are available on the web page http://www.codexalimentarius.net/

30. National Codex Contact Points function: • Relation between the Secretariat and the member countries, • Coordination of all relevant Codex activities in their own country, • Acceptance of all final Codex – texts (standards, guidelines, advisory texts)