Foodlaw-Reading Dr David Jukes, The University of Reading, UK
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Food Law News - FAO / WHO / WTO / Codex - 2023

WHO News Item, 20 November 2023

CODEX - FAO/WHO Joint Media Advisory: Codex Alimentarius Commission

The 46th session of the  Codex Alimentarius Commission will be held at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy starting from 27 November. The sessions can also be followed via Webstream.  

uThe plenary discussions will take place from 10.00 to 13.00 CET and 15.00 to 18.00 CET on Monday 27 November to Thursday 30 November 2023. Three side events will be held on Friday 1 December to discuss: implementation of Codex standards, reducing foodborne antimicrobial resistance and the Codex Trust Fund. Report adoption will take place on Saturday 2 December 2023 from 10.00 CET.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the session will open on Monday 27 November with three moderated panel discussions looking back on Codex achievements and toward the future.

Ten technical and commodity Codex committees and two FAO/WHO coordinating committees met since last year’s Codex Alimentarius Commission in November 2022 to complete work on a range of standards which have been proposed for adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission:

Texts for adoption include:

• Guidelines for the Control of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Raw Beef, Fresh Leafy Vegetables, Raw Milk and Raw Milk Cheeses, and Sprouts
• Guidelines for the Safe Use and Reuse of Water in Food Production and Processing
• Revisions to the Standard for Follow-up Formula
• Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Mycotoxins Contamination in Cassava and Cassava-based Products
• Principles and Guidelines on the Use of Remote Audit and Inspection in Regulatory Frameworks
• Revisions to General Guidelines on Sampling
• Update to the General Standard for Food Additives
• Revisions to Classification of Food and Feed

CAC46 will also seek consensus on maximum residue limits (MRLs) for zilpaterol hydrochloride, a veterinary drug used to enhance growth performance in cattle. With views polarized a vote is possible.

Information for journalists

All sessions of CAC46 will be streamed in the six official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).

Real-time summaries of key decisions made by the Codex Alimentarius Commission will be published on the websites of both FAO and WHO as they happen.

About Codex

Established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), the Codex Alimentarius Commission is the UN food standards body charged with protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in international food trade. If first met in 1963. Comprising 188 Member Countries, 1 Member Organization and 240 Observer Organizations, the Codex Alimentarius Commission meets annually to adopt food safety and quality standards and related recommendations. This is its 46th session.

Webstream

• https://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/

See related news item:

• 20 November 2023 CODEX - Paving the way for CAC46: CCEXEC85 kicks off in Rome