Thumbnail Image

Trade and Food Standards








This publication explains how international food safety standards are set through the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Food Standards Programme – the Codex Alimentarius Commission – and how these standards are applied in the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement).Through the FAO/WHO C odex Alimentarius, members establish science-based, internationally agreed food standards.

The publication describes the two organizations, how they operate together, and how countries can and should engage to keep international food standards up to date and relevant, and to resolve trade issues. The publication also highlights the need to invest in domestic capacities to be prepared now and in the future to keep food safe and to ensure that trade flows smoothly. The publication also illustrates some of the drivers of change in the area of food regulation, underlining the need for governments to be constantly attentive and ready to pick up on challenges and new opportunities, be they related to human health, consumer preferences or evolutions in technology. Members will need strong institutions and national capacity to respond to these challenges, both domestically and in the dynamic international system of food standards and trade rules that they have created. They will need to be flexible and forward looking, to enjoy the benefits and manage the risks the future holds, mindful that food is a commodity like no other.




Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Codex Alimentarius: Animal food production
    Second edition
    2009
    Codex guidelines and codes of practice concerning animal food production are published in this compact format to allow their wide use and understanding by governments, regulatory authorities, food industries and retailers, and consumers. This second edition includes all texts adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission up to 2009.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    The science of food standards 2017
    Also available in:

    This publication showcases the steps the Codex Alimentarius has taken from July 2016 (CAC39) to July 2017 (CAC40) on the road to safe and quality food for everyone. Over the course of the year, the 12 technical and 6 regional committees met to discuss updates to the international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice. The “food code’s” governing body, known as the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), makes decisions on the committees’ proposals during its annual meeting in July. Throu gh an array of magazine-style articles, “The Science of Food Standards - The road from Codex Alimentarius Commission 39 to 40” shares the viewpoints and contributions of the diverse partnership, which includes 187 Member Countries and the European Union as well as over 200 Observers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Codex Alimentarius: Food Hygiene (Basic texts) - Fourth edition 2009
    The Codex basic texts on food hygiene promote understanding of how rules and regulations on food hygiene are developed and applied. The General Principles of food hygiene cover hygiene practices from primary production through to final consumption, highlighting the key hygiene controls at each stage. This publication also contains the most internationally used description of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelines for its application. This fourth edition incl udes texts adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission up to 2009. The texts will be of use to government authorities, food industries, food handlers and consumers, as well as teachers and students of food hygiene.

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.