The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) sets international food standards and guidelines to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in food trade. It was established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization. The CAC has 189 member countries and territories and aims to coordinate food standards worldwide. It develops food safety standards and codes of practice through technical committees and publishes them for voluntary adoption by members. The CAC secretariat is located in Rome.

1. CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Submitted by:
Imtiaz Uddin

2. Index
■ Introduction
■ What is Codex Alimentarius?
■ Goals
■ History
■ Objectives of CAC
■ Organizational structure of Codex
■ Codex Secretariat
■ Codex legal tools
■ Guidelines on the reasons of rejection for import food item
■ References

3. Introduction
The Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC is the body responsible for all matters
regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
Membership of the Commission is open to all Member Nations and Associate Members of
FAO andWHO which are interested in international food standards.

4. What is Codex Alimentarius?
Codex Alimentarius is a Latin word. It means “food code”. It is an intergovernmental body
established in 1963 to set guidelines and standards to ensure “fair trade practices” and
consumer protection in relation to the global food trade.

5. Goals
The commission’s main goals are- 1.to protect the health of consumers, 2. Ensure fair
practices in the international food trade.

6. History
Its name is derived from the Codex Alimentarius austriacus. Its texts are developed by the
codex Alimentarius commission that was established in early November 1961 by the food
agriculture organization of the United nations, was joined by the World health
organization in June 1962and held its first session in Rome in October 1963. The
secretariat of the CAC is in Rome, Italy. As of 2020, there were 189 members of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission: 188 member countries and one member organization, the
European Union (EU). There were 237 Codex observers: 58 intergovernmental
organizations, 163 non-governmental organizations, and 16 United Nations organizations.

7. Objectives of CAC
1.To protect the health of consumers.
2.To ensure fair practices in the food trade.
3.To coordinate all work regarding food standards.
4.To determine the priorities.
5.To initiate the preparation of standards.
6.To publish the standards.

8. Organizational structure of Codex
The Executive Committee of the Commission:
■ Chairperson
■ 3Vice Chairpersons
■ 6 RegionalCoordinators
■ 7 elected representatives from the various geographical groups of Codex.

9. Codex Secretariat
Active Codex Subsidiary Bodies:
■ General Subject Committees (9)
■ Commodity Committees (12)
■ RegionalCoordinatingCommittees (6)
■ Ad hoc intergovernmental task Forces (3)

11. Codex legal tools
■ Codex standards:
Food requirements intended to provide consumers with a sound, wholesome food product free
from adulteration, correctly labelled and presented. International acceptance most importance
consideration next to safety.
■ Codex practice:
1. Advisory text issued to all members
2. Designed to assist members in achieving purpose of codex
3. Individual members decide how to use code
4. Typically describe hygiene requirements
5. Considered checklist of requirements for enforcement authorities.

12. Continue…
■ Guidelines and recommendations:
1. Basic tool used to help members nations in elaboration of their standards to confirm
to codex
2. Not binding but accepted worldwide
3. Very useful to developing countries
Examples: code of ethics for international trade in food.

13. Guidelines on the reasons of rejection
for import food item
Reasons for rejection:
■ Biological/microbiological contaminations.
■ Chemical contamination.
■ Radionuclide contamination.
■ Incorrect or misleading.
■ Compositional defect.
■ Non-conformity with food additive requirements.

14. Continue…
Reasons for rejection:
■ Organoleptic quality unacceptable.
■ Technical or physical defects.
■ Incomplete or incorrect certification.
■ Does not come from an approved country, region or establishment.
Other reasons for rejection:
Where imported food has been rejected on the basis of sampling and analysis in the importing
country, details should be made available on request as to sampling and analytical methods
and test results and the identity of the testing laboratory.

15. References
■ Codex Alimentarius Commission 28th Session, FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy, 4-9 July, 2005. Official
report. [permanent dead link]
■ Codex Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements "UN commission adopts safety guidelines for
vitamin and food supplements". United Nations News Centre. 11 July 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
Bernadene Magnuson; Ian Munro; Peter Abbot; Nigel Baldwin; Rebeca Lopez-Garcia; Karen Ly; Larry
McGirt; Ashley Roberts; Susan Sobolevsky (2013).
■ Review of the regulation and safety assessment of food substances in various countries and jurisdictions.
Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A. 30. p. 1214, 1248. doi:10.1080/19440049.2013.795293. ISSN 1944-
0049. OCLC 8145766001. PMC 3725665.
■ Rose Shepherd (29 February 2004). "Nil by mouth". The Observer, Guardian UK. Retrieved 17 September
2012. "Slow Food International". Slow Food International. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05.
■ About us, Slow Food "Slow Food gratefully acknowledges funding support from the European Commission."
■ The International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture (July 15, 2003). "Manifesto on the
Future of Food" (PDF). Archived from the original on June 2, 2005.