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Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

Objectives of CAC:

Objectives of Codex Alimentarius Commission [CAC] are to protect the health of the consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade as well as to facilitate international trade in food. 

The National Codex Contact Point (NCCP) in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare acts as the liaison office to coordinate with the other concerned government departments (at central and state level), food industry, consumers, traders, research and development institutions to ensure fulfill this objective. 

Article 7 of the Agreement requires the members to provide information on Sanitary or Phytosanitary requirements in the country.


Foundation of Codex Alimentarius Commission [CAC]:


Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.

The main purpose of this Programme is to protect the health of consumers, ensure fair practices in the food trade, and promote coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

It is a collection of standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations. The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene introduces the use of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), being the prime food safety management system. 

Several significant issues, vital to fulfilling the objectives of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, namely, protecting the health of consumers, ensuring food safety and promoting fair global trade practices are under discussion across several Codex Committees that focus on Food Safety Objectives.


CODEX Committees:

The food standards development work of the Commission is assisted by its Executive Committee and subsidiary bodies –General subject/Commodity Committees, Coordinating Committees and Task Forces.

CODEX Standards/Texts:

“Voluntary in nature, Codex standards can be general or specific and are recognised by WTO Agreements as reference standards”

General Standards, Guidelines and Codes of Practice:

These core Codex texts, typically deal with hygienic practice, labelling, contaminants, additives, inspection & certification, nutrition and residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides and apply horizontally to products and product categories.


Commodity standards:

Codex commodity standards refer to a specific product although increasingly Codex now develops standards for food groups.

Regional standards:

Standards developed by the respective Regional Coordinating Committees, applicable to the respective regions.

~ Spondon Jyoti Dutta

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Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

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