The International Food Standards and Recommendations

1. The International Food Standards and Recommendations Prof. Elisaveta Stikova M.D., Ph.D. School of Medicine University “St. Cyril and Methodius” – Skopje Republic of Macedonia

2. The expansion of international food trade leads to: • Social and economical benefit, • Many trade barriers, • Increase of food related hazards, • Need for protection of human, animal and plant life and health, • Need for fair and correct practice.

3. International Organizations: • Codex Alimentarius for food safety and human health, • International Office of Epizootics for animal health and zoonoses, • International Plant ProtectionConvention for plant health.

4. Codex Alimentarius Commission: • Founded by FAO in 1961 and WHO in 1963, • 167 member countries, • Responsible for the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program since 1962, • http://www.codexalimentarius.net/

5. Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC): Objectives: • To protect human health, • To accept food standards, • To protect consumer rights, • To ensure fair food trade practice.

6. Organization of CAC: • Executive Committee • 5 Regional Committees, • 9 Horizontal Committees, • 11 Product Committees, • 3 Ad-hoc Intergovernmental Task Working Groups

7. CAC supports: • Scientists and researchers, • Scientific and research laboratories, • Scientific and research institutes, • Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committees

8. 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, recommendations...

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

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

11. National Codex Contact Point 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)

12. International Organization for Epizootics (OIE): • Founded by International Agreement in 1924, • 162 member countries, • www.oie.int

13. OIE Objectives: • To ensure transparency of animal diseases status in the world, • To collect, analyze and disseminate veterinary scientific information, • To develop animal health and biological standards, • To coordinate approach to disease outbreaks.

14. OIE Organization: • International Committee • Central Bureau, • Working Groups, • 5 Regional Commissions, • 4 Specialist Technical Commissions

15. OIE Specialist Technical Commissions: • International Animal Health Code Commission, • Standards Commission, • Foot and Mouth Disease and other Epizootics Commissions and • Fish Diseases Commission.

16. Achievements: • The Code - provides international standards, • The Manual - gives the diagnostic techniques and vaccine control methods, • A Code and Manual for aquatic animals.

17. Network: • 144 Reference Laboratories in 30 countries, • cover 47 terrestrial and 22 aquatic animal diseases • 9 Collaborating Centers in 7 countries, • Centers of expertise and standardization

18. Transparency of OIE(1): • Reporting for disease outbreaks and incidents • Active search and verification of non-official information • Improving of knowledge for the global data situation • Data quality, • Essential for safe trade

19. Transparency of OIE(2): • OIE Early Warning System, • Weekly Diseases Information, • Two-month bulletins, • Three-month scientific review, • Annual World Animal Health Report.

20. International Plant Protection Convention(IPPC) • IPPC came in force in 1952, • Amended in 1979, 1991 and 1997 • 117 member countries • http://www.ippc.int

21. IPPC Objectives(1): • To provide joint and effective action to prevent the introduction and spread of pests of plants and plant products, • To provide joint and effective action to prevent the entry and spread of plant and plant product diseases,

22. IPPC Objectives(2): • To promote appropriate measures for phytosanitary control, • To develop phytosanitary standards, • To support the harmonization of regulation,

23. IPPC Objectives(3): • To conduct treatments and certify exports, • To share information on pests and regulations, • To define storage conditions, • To control biological pests/organisms.

24. Trade elements of the IPPC: • International standards for phytosanitary measures, • Phytosanitary certification, • Dispute settlement, • Requirements for imports.

25. IPPC Organization: • IPPC Secretariat, • 9 Regional Plant Protection Organizations • Interim Commission on Phytosanitary measures, • Standards Committee.

26. Relationship to the IPPC: • GMO’s • Biosafety, biocontrol and application of phytosanitary measures, • Alien invasive species, • Environmental hazards/risks.

27. Transparency of IPPC: To facilitate mandatory information exchange of: • standards, • pest status, • regulations, requirements, • pest lists, • non-compliance, emergencies.