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The Only Commission of its Kind
Taking its name from the Latin “food code”, the Codex
Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was established in 1963 by
the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the
UN World Health Organisation (WHO) to establish
international food standards. Its aim is to set in
place practices to protect the health of consumers and
also to regulate fair food trade. The commission
provides a compendium of food standards, guidelines, and
internationally agreed upon codes of practice, approved
by consensus, which are based upon the best available
scientific and technical knowledge. It is the only
international forum that brings together scientists,
technical experts, government regulators and
international consumer organisations.
At its meeting held in Geneva late last month, it set in
place more than 30 international standards and codes of
practice. Dozens of new international standards,
including measures to curb dangerous bacteria in food,
have been adopted by the United Nations commission on
international food standards at the end of the week-long
meeting.
Preventative Measures
Among the measures passed by the body were preventative
measures concerning the contamination of Ochratoxin A, a
fungal toxin found in coffee which can cause cancer in
humans. It also approved measures to avert the
formulation of acrylamide, a potentially dangerous
chemical found in potato products.
The commission also launched new projects, including
schemes to set maximum levels for melamine in food and
feed. A chemical most commonly found in the form of
white crystals, melamine can cause kidney stones when
consumed, potentially stop the production of urine
leading to kidney failure, and in some cases death.
Guidelines and Promotion
The commission also sends experts to advise national and
local authorities in how to prevent diseases caused by
harmful substances in some foods. It made available a
team of experts charged with tackling acrylamide, a
chemical carcinogen that forms when food rich in
carbohydrates is fried, baked or roasted, for example
potato chips, cookies and breads. This is a problem
which affects developing countries, where frying food is
most common, but the negative effects of this method are
little known and the presence of some chemicals in those
foods can lead to cancer.
Bacteria in Milk Powder
At the meeting in Geneva, the commission also adopted
new criteria for salmonella and other bacteria found in
powdered milk, a problem affecting infants. This is the
case of the bacterium “Bacillus cereus”, which when
present in high concentration poses a great risk.
“Bacillus Cereus” is a common contaminant of dairy
products and in some countries there have been outbreaks
of poisoning by this organism from Milk Polvo 5.
“Applying Codex standards and guidelines are an
important part of ensuring that consumers in every part
of the world can be protected from unsafe food,” says
Ezzeddine Boutrif, FAO Director of the Nutrition and
Consumer Protection Division.
Swisslatin adapted by Stephen
Hinch
(20.07.2009) |
