The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an international body established in 1963 by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and ensure fair food trade practices. It comprises 189 members and produces food standards, guidelines, and recommendations covering all food types to facilitate international trade and safeguard consumer interests. While significant progress has been made, there is ongoing work needed to harmonize regulatory systems for a safer global food supply.

1. CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
COMMISSION (CAC)

2. INTRODUCTION
The Codex Alimentarius Commission(CAC)is an
international food standards body established jointly
by the Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) and
the World Health Organization (WHO)in May 1963
with the objective of protecting consumers health and
ensuring fair practices in food trade.
Generally ,codex means “food law”.

3. ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
The Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)of the World Trade
Organization (WTO) recognizes Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations as reference
standards for international trade and trade dispute settlement.
● The two parent organizations (FAO and WHO) provide funding for a Secretariat and for
organizational support services
● The Food and Agriculture Organization is responsible for two-thirds of the funding, with
WHO responsible for the other one-third of funds for the Codex Commission.
● In recent years, contributions by FAO have exceeded 80%.

5. MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMISSION
● Membership of the Commission is open to all Member Nations and Associate Members of
FAO and WHO which are interested in international food standards.
● The Commission meets in regular session once a year alternating between Geneva and Rome
● The Commission works in the six UN official languages.
● Currently the Codex Alimentarius Commission has 189 Codex Members made up of 188
Member Countries and 1 Member Organization (The European Union).
● India became the member of Codex Alimentarius in 1964

6. PURPOSE OF CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
● The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of internationally adopted food standards and
related texts presented in a uniform manner.
● These food standards and related texts aim at protecting consumers’ health and ensuring
fair practices in the food trade.
● The publication of the Codex Alimentarius is intended to guide and promote the elaboration
and establishment of definitions and requirements for foods to assist in their
harmonization and in doing so to facilitate international trade.

8. SCOPE OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
● The Codex Alimentarius includes standards for all the principle foods, whether processed, semi-
processed or raw, for distribution to the consumer.
● Materials for further processing into foods should be included to the extent necessary to achieve
the purposes of the Codex Alimentarius as defined.
● The Codex Alimentarius includes provisions in respect of food hygiene, food additives, residues of
pesticides and veterinary drugs, contaminants, labelling and presentation, methods of analysis
and sampling, and import and export inspection and certification.

9. FOODS UNDER CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
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.

10. COMMITTEES OF CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
Committees include
➢ horizontal committees-Food Additives and Contaminants, Veterinary Drugs,
Food Hygiene, and Pesticide Residues
➢ commodity committees, and
➢ regional coordinating committees, all under the direction of the Commission.

11. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS

12. NATURE OF CODEX STANDARDS
Codex standards and related texts contain requirements for food aimed at ensuring
for the consumer a safe, wholesome food product free from adulteration, correctly
labelled and presented
CODEX STANDARDS/ TEXTS
Voluntary in nature, Codex standards can be general or specific and are recognised
by WTO Agreements as reference standards”

13. Codex standards for Fruits and Vegetables:
●Usually fruits and vegetables may have pesticide residue due to their excess
usage. Hence proper washing is advised.
●Food additive “Sulphite” used in dried fruits should not exceed 1000 mg/Kg
weight as per Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)

14. 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

15. CONCLUSION
Practically all the work of Codex has had, and 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.
Significant progress has been made in many of these areas through Codex Alimentarius but
there is still much work to be done.

16. REFERENCE
https://www.fssai.gov.in/cms/codex.php
http://www.codexalimentarius.org/
Kimbrell Eddie . 2000. What is codex alimentarius: Agbioforum .3 (4).pp:197-202.
Codex alimentarius commission.Procedural manual . 2018 .26th edition . WHO and FAO.pp:29.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (1999). Codex Alimentarius Commission procedural manual
(11th ed.). Rome, Italy: FAO.

17. THANK YOU...