Codex Standards

Related to control, inspection and approval

procedures

Patrick Sekitoleko
Food Standards Officer
Codex Secretariat
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Codex is
• a result of negotiations:
the Codex Alimentarius –
a collection of standards,
guidelines and codes of
practice
 Organizational Chart
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Executive Committee Secretariat

General Subject Committees Commodity Committees ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces

General Principles
Methods of Analysis and active active
Sampling
(France) Processed Fruits
(Hungary) Fats and Oils Antimicrobial Resistance
(Malaysia) and Vegetables (USA) (Republic of Korea)
Pesticide Residues
Food Additives (China)
(China) Sugars Fresh Fruit and
Residues of Veterinary Drugs (Colombia) Vegetables (Mexico) Regional Coordinating Committees
Contaminants in Foods
in Foods
(Netherlands)
(USA) Spices and Culinary Herbs Cereals, Pulses and
Food Hygiene Food Labelling (India) Legumes (USA) Africa Latin America
and the Caribbean
(USA) (Canada) (Kenya)
adjourned (Costa Rica)
North America and
-Food Import Nutrition and Foods for Milk and Milk Meat Hygiene Asia
the Southwest Pacific
Special Dietary Uses (India)
and Export (Germany)
Products (New Zealand) (New Zealand) (Papua New Guinea)
Inspection Natural Mineral Waters Vegetable Proteins Europe Near East
and (Switzerland) (Canada) (Kazakistan) (Iran)
Certification
Fish and Fishery Cocoa Products and dissolved
Systems Products (Norway) Chocolate (Switzerland)
Processing and Handling of
(Australia) Quick Frozen Foods
Fruit and Vegetable Juices
(Brazil)
(Thailand)
Animal Feeding Biotechnology
(Switzerland) (Japan)
 Summary mandate of Food Import and Export
Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)
a) CCFICS develops principles/guidelines/criteria in respect of :
 Inspection and certification systems – harmonise of methods and
procedures
 application of measures by the CAs
 utilisation of quality assurance systems – (in bilateral and multilateral
arrangements)
 the format, declarations and language of such official certificates
b) Make recommendations for information exchange;
c) Consult as necessary with other international groups;
d) Consider other matters assigned to it by the Commission

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 Work of CCFICS related to control,
inspection and approval procedures
Four Key areas:
Food Control Systems
Monitoring of Food Control Systems
Accreditation, Inspection and Certification
Exchange of information

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BI-LATERAL MULTI-LATERAL
TRADE FOOD TRADE TRADE
ARRANGEMENT ARRANGEMENT

FOOD ACCREDITATION
EXCHANGE OF INSPECTION
CONTROL MONITORING
INFORMATION AND
SYSTEMS
CERTIFICATION

CCFICS SUPPORT
 Food control and Monitoring of food systems
Food Control Systems
• Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control
Systems (CAC/GL 82-2013)
• Guidelines for Food Import Control Systems (CAC/GL
47-2003)

Monitoring of food systems

• Principles and Guidelines for Monitoring the Performance
of National Food Control Systems (CAC/GL 91-2017)

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Accreditation, Inspection and Certification
• Principles for Food Export Inspection and Certification
(CAC/GL 20-1995)
• Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and
Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and
Certification Systems (CAC/GL 26-1997)
• Guidelines for Design, Production, Issuance and Use of
Generic Official Certificates (CAC/GL 38-2001)

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 Accreditation, Inspection and Certification
• Principles for Traceability / Product Tracing as a Tool
Within a Food Inspection and Certification System
(CAC/GL 60-2006)
• Guidelines for the Development of Equivalence
Agreements Regarding Food Imports and Export
Inspection and Certification Systems (CAC/GL 34-1999)
• Guidelines on the Judgement of Equivalence of
Sanitary Measures associated with Food Inspection and
Certification Systems (CAC/GL 53-2003)

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 Exchange of information
• Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food
Control Emergency Situations (CAC/GL 25-1997)
• Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between
Countries on Rejections of Imported Foods (CAC/GL
19-1995)
• Principles and guidelines for the exchange of
information between importing and exporting countries
to support the trade in food (CAC/GL 89-2016)

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 Challenges
• In Codex in General, including CCFICS, is not involved
in the Implementation;
• CCFICS is currently involved in horizon scanning on
emerging issues:
New food production, processing, transport and distribution
technologies;
Rapidly changing technologies and processes supporting
food production, globalisation, and the emergence of other
risks - there is an ever increasing need to ensure consumers
are protected from unsafe foods.

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Horizon scanning – emerging issues
Focus on food integrity / authenticity
Improved analytics and testing technologies
Private standards
Increasing electronic transactions and ICT capabilities
Evolving role of competent authority and interactions
between various government entities;

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Horizon scanning – emerging issues
Anti-microbial resistance;
Evolving global food production systems
New approaches to food safety, including
preventative and outcomes-based systems

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 On-going work
• Proposed draft guidance on the use of systems equivalence
• Proposed draft guidance on paperless use of electronic certificates
(revision of the Guidelines for Design, Production, Issuance and
Use of Generic Official Certificates – CXG 38-2001)
• Proposed draft guidance on regulatory approaches to third party
assurance schemes in food safety and fair practices in the food
trade
• Food integrity and food authenticity
• Emerging issues and future directions for the work of CCFICS

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http://www.fao.org/fao-who-
codexalimentarius/codex-
home/en/
(www.codexalimentarius.org)