The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international food standards that have been adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Such standards cover all the main foods and also material used in the further processing of food. Codex provisions concern the hygienic and nutritional; quality of food, including microbiological norms, food additives, pesticides and veterinary drug residues, contaminants, labelling and presentation, and methods of sampling and risk analysis. The Codex Alimentarius can safely claim to be the most important international reference point in matters concerning food quality. Its creation, moreover, has generated food-related scientific research and greatly increase the world community’s awareness of the vital issues at stake food quality, safety and public health.

Understanding Codex, now in its 5th edition, is a useful tool to introduce the Codex Alimentarius and its collection of international food standards to the public. The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international food standards adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission that cover all the main foods as well as material used in the further processing of food. Codex provisions concern the hygienic and nutritional quality of food, including microbiological norms, food additives, pesticides and veterinary drug residues, contaminants, labelling and presentation, and methods of sampling and risk analysis. The Codex Alimentarius can safely claim to be the most important international reference point in matters concerning food quality. It plays an important role for food-related scientific research and in increasing awareness of the vital issues at stake regarding food quality, safety and public health.

The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international standards for all the principal foods, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, including provisions regarding food hygiene, nutritional quality, food additives, pesticide residues and labelling issues. This volume contains all the Codex Standards and the Code of Practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in regard to fats and oils. It takes into account those texts adopted at the 24th session of the Commission in July 2001.

The Codex Alimentarius presents adopted international food standards in a uniform manner. The full set, when complete, will comprise 14 volumes. Of these, nine will present standards and codes of practices compiled on a commodity-by-commodity basis, and two will deal with residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs in foods. Other volumes will contain information on acceptances of standards, as well as methods of analysis and sampling. Print editions are available in English, French, and Spanish. The title is also available as a tri-lingual CD-ROM.

The Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is intended to help Member Governments participate effectively in the work of the joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The manual is particularly useful for national delegations attending Codex meetings and for international organizations attending as observers. It sets out the basic Rules of Procedure, procedures for the elaboration of Codex standards and related texts, basic definitions and guidelines for the operation of Codex committees. It also gives the membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Also published in French and Spanish.

This publication showcases the steps the Codex Alimentarius has taken from 2016 to 2017 to ensure safe and quality food for all. Over the year, the committees prepared updates to international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice, with the Codex Alimentarius Commission acting as the final decision-making body.

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