Codex Alimentarius Commission

Presented by
Sukthija M P and Lalitha V
 Introduction
•  Codex Alimentarius, is Latin for “food code” and directly descended
from the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus, a set of standards and
descriptions of a variety of foods in the Austria-Hungarian Empire
between 1897 and 1911.

• In 1963, as a result of the resolutions passed by these organizations

two years earlier, Codex Alimentarius was officially created.

• Codex Alimentarius is neither a law nor a policy

• The C O D E X A L I M E N T A R I U S international food
standards, guidelines and codes of practice contribute to the
safety, quality and fairness of this international food trade.

• Codex standards are established on the paramount science

assisted by independent international risk assessment bodies
or ad-hoc consultations organized by FAO and WHO.

• Currently the Codex Alimentarius Commission has: 

186 Codex Members - 185 Member Countries and 1 Member
Organization (EU), 229 Codex Observers ,52 IGOs, 161 NGOs
 Purpose of the Codex Alimentarius

• To protect consumer health and economic

interests and
• To secure fair trade practices in the food
industry
 Structure of Codex Commission

Inter-governmental body

Open to all UN member nations

Currently 165 members (98% of world)

Executive Committee oversees Commission activities

(Chair, 3 vice chairs and 7others)

Secretariat oversees Executive Committee

Located at FAO in Rome
Corresponds with member states re: standards 5
 METHODOLOGY
The Commission follows an eight step procedure for the elaboration
of its standards and guidelines.
Uniform Procedure for the Elaboration of Codex Standards

Step1
The Commission decides to elaborate a Standard and assigns the work to a
committee.

Step2
The Secretariat arranges preparation of a Proposed Draft Standard.

Step3
Proposed draft Standard is sent to governments and international
organizations for comments.
Step4
The comments are considered by the concerned subsidiary body
to amend the proposed draft standard. 

Step5
The proposed draft standard is sent to the
Commission/Executive Committee through the Secretariat for
adoption as a draft standard.
Step6
The draft standard is sent to governments and international
organizations for comments.
Step7
The comments are considered by the concerned subsidiary body.
Step8 
The draft standard is returned to the Commission for adoption
as a Codex Standard to be sent to governments for acceptance
 Codex Legal Tools:

 Codex Standards
 Codes of Practices
 Guidelines and Recommendations

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 Codex Standards
• Prescribed format used to develop each standard.
Must include:
– Name, scope, description, essential composition and quality
factors, food additives, contaminants, hygiene, weights and
measures, labeling and methods of analysis and sampling
– Food requirements intended to provide consumers with a
sound, wholesome food product free from adulteration
• International acceptance most importance
consideration next to safety

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Codex Standards
• Use HACCP in development of standards
• Flexible enough to allow member incorporate
them into existing legislation
• Strive for “international consensus”
• Now incorporate “risk analysis” methods
• 8 step procedure to pass a standard
– Reviewed twice by CAC, twice by member and
twice by government and other interested parties

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Codes of Practice
• Advisory text issued to all members
• Designed to assist members in achieving
purposes of Codex
• Individual members decide how to use code
• Typically describe “hygiene” requirements
– “Adequate” / “Acceptable”
• Considered “checklist” of requirements for
enforcement authorities (Jurisdictional
Prerequisites)

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Guidelines and Recommendations
• Basic tool used to help member nations in
elaboration of their standards to conform to Codex
• Not binding but accepted worldwide
• Very useful to developing countries
• Example: “Code of Ethics for International Trade in
Food”
• Commission can make guidelines “quasi-binding”
– i.e. SPS Agreement guidelines

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Harmonization of International Trade

• Differences in food laws and standards

developed independently can cause
barriers to trade between nations
• Often disguised as health or safety
measures but really designed to protect
local farm products or consumer
misconceptions (Genetic modifications)
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 STATUS OF INDIA
• India has been a member of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (CAC), since the year 1964
Address the issues like:
 national food control system,
 private standards,
 labelling of GM foods,
 nutritional labelling,
 two regulatory bodies National Codex Contact Point
(NCCP)
 National Codex Committee(NCC) have been formulated.

• These have been constituted by the Food Safety and

Standards Authority of India for keeping liaison with the
CAC and to regulate Codex activities in India.
 Core Functions of National Codex Contact Point
(NCCP)
Acts as a link between the Codex Secretariat, National Codex
Committee and Shadow Committee.

Regulates all relevant Codex activities within India.

Acts as a medium for the exchange of information and

coordination of activities with other Codex Members.

Maintains a library of Codex standards, Code of Practice,

Guidelines and any other documents and publications on or
related to Codex.
 Core Functions of National Codex Committee (NCC)

• To advise government on the outcomes of various food

standardization, food quality and safety issues so that
national economic interest is taken into account.

• To provide significant inputs to the government so as to aid

in ensuring quality and safety of food to the consumers.

• Increasing the opportunities for growth of industry and

expansion of international trade.

• To appoint Shadow Committees on subject matters related

to the corresponding Codex Committees to assist in the
study or consideration of technical matters.
“Food” under the Codex:
• “any substance, whether processed, partly
processed or raw, which is intended for
human consumption and includes drink,
chewing gum and any substance which has
been used in the manufacture, preparation
or treatment of food but does not include
cosmetics, tobacco or substances used solely
as drugs

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Food Additives under the Codex:
• Codex General Standard for Food Additives
– “any substance not normally consumed as a food on
its own and normally constituting a typical food
ingredient, whether or not it has any nutritional
value, the intentional additional of which to food for
a technological purpose in the manufacturing…..or
may reasonably be expected to result…in it or its
byproducts becoming a component of or otherwise
affecting the characteristics of such foods

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Food Labeling Under the Codex

• Codex General Standard for the Labeling of

Prepackaged Foods
• Recognized labeling as important to both
objectives of Codex
• Label = “any tag, brand, mark, pictorial or
other descriptive matter, written, printed,
stenciled …to a container of a food”

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Food Labeling Under Codex
Alimentarius

• Codex General Guidelines on Claims

• Codex General Guidelines of Nutritional
Labeling
– Not mandatory unless make nutrition claim

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Food Labeling Requirements under
Codex Alimentarius
• Name of the food
• List of ingredients (in descending order)
• Net content and drained weight
• Name and address of manufacturer
• Country of origin
• Lot identification
• Date marking and storage instructions
• Instructions for use

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Acceptance
• Member nation must formally accept Codex
standard
• Types of acceptance:
– Full Acceptance:
• Product distributed freely under standard
name if complies with Codex standard
– Acceptance with specified variations:
• Product distributed freely only if complies with
standard and variation

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Acceptance
• Target Acceptance
– Conforming product distributed freely but standard not
accepted until certain date
• Free Distribution
– Replaced “Target Acceptance”
– Free distribution of conforming products so long as complies
with national standard
• Non Acceptance
– Country refuses to accept standard in any form and
indicates whether or not it will allow free distribution of
Codex products

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Enforcement of Codex Standards
• Codex regulation not binding until adopted
by member.
• Member ratification of Codex standards is
mandatory
• Violation would then be violation of the
member country’s national law and
punishment accordingly

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Codex Summary
• Codex Alimentarius is designed to ensure
international acceptance in terms of quality and
economic interest of consumer and to ensure
fair trade practices
• Standards based on scientific principles such as
HACCP

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Codex Summary
• Flexible so can be integrated into
member’s National law
• SPS Agreement, GATT and NAFTA all
encourage acceptance of Codex standards
• Codex reflects international consensus on
food law issues

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 Conclusion
• Codex alimentarius commission is having, a
positive impact on safeguarding consumers
and international trade. Harmonization of
regulatory systems, including certification
systems that promote increased competition
in world trade while maintaining the highest
level of protection for consumers, will result in
a safer and less costly food supply throughout
the world.