The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations adopted by The Codex Alimentarius Commission. Its main objectives are to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in food trade. Some of these texts are very general, and some are very specific. Some deal with detailed requirements related to a food or group of foods; others deal with the operation and management of production processes or the operation of government regulatory systems for food safety and consumer protection. The SPS Agreement encourages the use of Codex standards, guidelines or recommendations where they exist, and recognize Codex standards to be consistent with its provisions. The CAC, was established by the FAO and the WHO, in the 1960s, and has become the single most important international reference point for developments associated with food standards.
| Sub-Category |
International
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| Standard for |
Codex Standards cover all the main foods, whether processed, semi-processed or raw, as well as materials used in the further processing of food products, as required. include provisions for the safety and quality of food and cover food additives, pesticide and veterinary drug residues, contaminants, labelling and presentation, as well as methods of sampling and risk analysis.
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| Focus |
Food safety, quality and consumer protection issues.
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| Structure |
Codex standards/recommendations are used by governments to determine and refine policies and programmes under their national food control system.
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| Conformity Requirements |
Conformity with national standards that are harmonized with Codex standards varies according with the standard: good quality, labeled correctly, laboratory analysis, etc.
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| Auditing System |
Depends of the type of standards: Internal audit, random food sampling , etc
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| Geographic Focus |
Worldwide
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| Website |
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/
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