FSIS Previews July 2014 Codex Alimentarius Commission Activities

In advance of the July 14-18, 2014, 37th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva, Switzerland, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has published a notice soliciting public comments to inform U.S. positions on various proposed commission standard-setting actions. No deadline for submitting comments has been specified.

FSIS is responsible for keeping the public informed of the activities of international standard-setting organizations, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which was created in 1963 by two U.N. organizations—the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO)— to establish food standards that are often adopted and implemented by governments around the world, including the United States.

Codex committees discussed in the FSIS notice include those focusing on residues of veterinary drugs in foods, contaminants in foods, food additives, pesticide residues, methods of analysis and sampling, food labeling, food hygiene, fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition and foods for special dietary uses, fats and oils, and processed fruits and vegetables. The notice also provides information about upcoming meetings of FAO/WHO regional coordinating committees, as well as the list of U.S. Codex Alimentarius officials and alternates, all of whom are employed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. See Federal Register, June 13, 2014.

Issue 527