Page 21 - Trade and Food Standards

Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) and Nutrition (JEMNU) complete the set of independent scientific bodies that provide expert scientific advice to Codex. FAO and WHO also organize ad hoc consultations or expert meetings to address issues that do not fall under the mandate of these scientific bodies.
How does Codex develop standards?
The Commission reviews a project document presented by a member and decides whether the standard should be developed as proposed. If new work is approved, the Codex Secretariat arranges for the preparation of a proposed draft standard and circulates it to member governments and observer organizations for two rounds of comments. The text also goes to Codex committees dealing with issues such as labelling, hygiene, additives, contaminants or methods of analysis for endorsement of any special advice in these areas. Once adopted by the Commission, a Codex standard is added to the Codex Alimentarius and published on the web site.
Most countries now require less prescriptive standards – especially for commodities – than those developed in the 1970s and 1980s. The Commission keeps abreast of changes, and has been consolidating many of its older, detailed standards into new, more general ones. The benefits of this approach include the broader coverage it attains and that it allows for innovation in the development of new food products.
As we will see in Part II, effective participation by a country increases its ability to influence the development of standards in the areas that matter to it.
Common understanding
The standards published in the Codex Alimentarius codify a common understanding among members on what is considered safe food and of agreed and acceptable quality, which allows them to ensure fair practices in the food trade. Even before the establishment of the WTO, Codex standards constituted a benchmark for food trade.
Melamine contamination of milk products in China
In September 2008 the first cases of illnesses in infants were reported in China after drinking a particular brand of powdered infant milk formula. By 26 September 54 000 children had sought medical treatment and 12 900 were hospitalised. By December there had been 6 deaths and a total of 294 000 cases. The reason for this dramatic food safety crisis had been identified as contamination of infant formula with melamine in extremely high levels, due to adulteration of the product.
By this time 47 countries had received melamine-contaminated products. Trade was disrupted as countries applied zero-tolerance for
melamine in milk products in the absence of science-based international maximum limits for melamine in infant formula.
An FAO/WHO Ad hoc expert meeting in Canada in December 2008 established a tolerable daily intake for melamine which formed the basis for the international Codex standard adopted in 2010.
It was possible to manage this event only because of the excellent cooperation of the Chinese authorities with international organizations. Eventually trade was restored and consumer confidence re-established.
Source: Codex Secretariat
Part 1. The institutional framework 9
Source: Codex Secretariat
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