Codex Alimentarius

The Codex Alimentarius or Food Code is a set of food safety standards, accepted worldwide and presented in a uniform manner. Its main purposes are protecting consumer health and ensuring fair trade practices in food trade. It also contains guidelines and codes of practice for consideration by food producers and processors, national food control agencies and consumers all over the world.

It operates through the Codex Commission and its subsidiary bodies, such as General and Commodity Committees, Coordinating Committees and Ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces.

Structure

Its structure is as follows:

• The Codex Alimentarius Commission and the Executive Committee, its executive bodies.
• The Codex Secretariat.
• World-wide Codex Committees: General Subject Committees, Commodity Committees, Ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces, Regional Coordinating Committees.

Commission

The CODEX COMMISSION is the international, intergovernmental Codex Alimentarius body that coordinates work on the development of standards, codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations on food safety and quality. To facilitate continuous contact with member countries, the Commission, in collaboration with national governments, has established country Codex Contact Points, and many member countries have National Codex Committees to coordinate activities nationally.

Executive committee

Between Commission sessions, the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE acts on behalf of the Commission as its executive organ, implementing Commission policies and programs. It holds one session between sessions of the Commission and immediately prior to each session of the Commission. It is the only Codex Alimentarius Committee whose sessions are not open to all Member Countries.

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairpersons of the Commission, and the Coordinators appointed on the basis of Rule IV together with seven further Members elected by the Commission at regular sessions from among the Members of the Commission, one each coming from the following geographic locations: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East, North America, South-West Pacific.

Secretariat

The CODEX SECRETARIAT is located in FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, and is responsible for coordinating the work of Codex Committees. It is the liaison point between Codex Committees and Codex Contact Points in Commission member countries.

Worldwide Codex Alimentarius committees

Under its Rules of Procedure, the Commission is empowered to establish two kinds of subsidiary body:

• Codex Committees, which prepare draft standards for submission to the Commission;
• Coordinating Committees, through which regions or groups of countries coordinate food standards activities in the region, including the development of regional standards.