The joint FAO and WHO body that sets the international food standards

Background

The Codex Alimentarius Commission sets the international food standards. It works under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, and the Codex Secretariat sits at FAO headquarters, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy. Codex standards are science-based and are developed with input from Codex Members and Observers, who bring their own experience and expertise into the standard development process. The Commission works through subject committees. Its Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods has just concluded a session at Cairo, co-hosted by Egypt, advancing three codes of practice for final adoption and agreeing on new work proposals. The Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems concluded a session at Perth in Australia, and the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products has taken up a proposed draft standard for pasteurized liquid camel milk. The working rules of the Commission are set out in the Codex Alimentarius Commission Procedural Manual, and the Codex Trust Fund supports countries taking part in Codex work. The Commission has published a strategic plan for the coming years.