The International Food Standards and Recommendations

1
The International Food Standards and
Recommendations
Prof. Elisaveta Stikova M.D., Ph.D. School
of Medicine University St. Cyril and Methodius
Skopje Republic of Macedonia
2
The expansion of international food trade leads
to

• Social and economical benefit,
• Many trade barriers,
• Increase of food related hazards,
• Need for protection of human, animal and plant
  life and health,
• Need for fair and correct practice.

3
International Organizations

• Codex Alimentarius for food safety and human
  health,
• International Office of Epizootics for animal
  health and zoonoses,
• International Plant Protection Convention for
  plant health.

4
Codex Alimentarius Commission

• Founded by FAO in 1961 and WHO in 1963,
• 167 member countries,
• Responsible for the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards
  Program since 1962,
• http//www.codexalimentarius.net/

5
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

• Objectives
• To protect human health,
• To accept food standards,
• To protect consumer rights,
• To ensure fair food trade practice.

6
Organization of CAC

• Executive Committee
• 5 Regional Committees,
• 9 Horizontal Committees,
• 11 Product Committees,
• 3 Ad-hoc Intergovernmental Task Working
  Groups

7
CAC supports

• Scientists and researchers,
• Scientific and research laboratories,
• Scientific and research institutes,
• Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committees

8
Structure and contents of Codex Alimentarius

• Codex Alimentarius is composed of 14 volumes
  distributed in 17 books
• Each book (by group of products) contains
  standards, guidelines, recommendations...

9
Achievements

• 237 Food Standards,
• 3274 Limits for pesticides residues,
• 1300 Food additives evaluated,
• 289 Limits of veterinary drug residues,
• 197 Pesticides evaluated,
• 43 Code of Practice,
• 33 Guidelines.

10
Transparency of Codex Alimentarius

• The information for all the standards,
  regulations, guides and other recommendations are
  available on the web page http//www.codexalimenta
  rius.net/

11
National Codex Contact Point function

• Relation between the Secretariat and the member
  countries
• Coordination of all relevant Codex activities in
  their own country,
• Acceptance of all final Codextexts (standards,
  guidelines, advisory texts)

12
International Organization for Epizootics (OIE)

• Founded by International Agreement in 1924,
• 162 member countries,
• www.oie.int

13
OIE Objectives

• To ensure transparency of animal diseases
  status in the world,
• To collect, analyze and disseminate
• veterinary scientific information,
• To develop animal health and biological
  standards,
• To coordinate approach to disease
• outbreaks.

14
OIE Organization

• International Committee
• Central Bureau,
• Working Groups,
• 5 Regional Commissions,
• 4 Specialist Technical Commissions

15
OIE Specialist Technical Commissions

• International Animal Health Code Commission,
• Standards Commission,
• Foot and Mouth Disease and other Epizootics
  Commissions and
• Fish Diseases Commission.

16
Achievements

• The Code - provides international standards,
• The Manual - gives the diagnostic techniques and
  vaccine control methods,
• A Code and Manual for aquatic animals.

17
Network

• 144 Reference Laboratories in 30 countries,
• cover 47 terrestrial and 22 aquatic animal
  diseases
• 9 Collaborating Centers in 7 countries,
• Centers of expertise and standardization

18
Transparency of OIE(1)

• Reporting for disease outbreaks and
  incidents
• Active search and verification of non-official
  information
• Improving of knowledge for the global data
  situation
• Data quality,
• Essential for safe trade

19
Transparency of OIE(2)

• OIE Early Warning System,
• Weekly Diseases Information,
• Two-month bulletins,
• Three-month scientific review,
• Annual World Animal Health Report.

20
International Plant Protection Convention(IPPC)

• IPPC came in force in 1952,
• Amended in 1979, 1991 and 1997
• 117 member countries
• http//www.ippc.int

21
IPPC Objectives(1)

• To provide joint and effective action to
  prevent the introduction and spread of pests of
  plants and plant products,
• To provide joint and effective action to prevent
  the entry and spread of plant and plant product
  diseases,

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IPPC Objectives(2)

• To promote appropriate measures for
• phytosanitary control,
• To develop phytosanitary standards,
• To support the harmonization of regulation,

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IPPC Objectives(3)

• To conduct treatments and certify exports,
• To share information on pests and regulations,
• To define storage conditions,
• To control biological pests/organisms.

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Trade elements of the IPPC

• International standards for phytosanitary
  measures,
• Phytosanitary certification,
• Dispute settlement,
• Requirements for imports.

25
IPPC Organization

• IPPC Secretariat,
• 9 Regional Plant Protection Organizations
• Interim Commission on Phytosanitary measures,
• Standards Committee.

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Relationship to the IPPC

• GMOs
• Biosafety, biocontrol and application of
  phytosanitary measures,
• Alien invasive species,
• Environmental hazards/risks.

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Transparency of IPPC

• To facilitate mandatory information exchange of
• standards,
• pest status,
• regulations, requirements,
• pest lists,
• non-compliance, emergencies.