FAO/WHO Joint Media Advisory: Codex Alimentarius Commission

The 45th session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission will be held at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy starting from 21 November, with the possibility of following the various sessions via Webstream.   

The plenary discussions will take place from 10.00 to 13:00 CET and 15:00 to 18:00 CET from Monday 21 November to Friday 25 November 2022. Report adoption will take place by virtual means on Monday 12 December and Tuesday 13 December 2022, from 12:00 to 15:00 CET. 

Technical Codex Committees met virtually in 2021-2022 to complete work on a range of standards which have been proposed for adoption by CAC45: 

Texts for adoption include:

• Guidelines for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF)
• Revision to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils
• Guidelines for the Management of Biological Foodborne Outbreaks
• Revision to the General Principles of Food Hygiene
• Guidelines for Developing Harmonized Food Safety Legislation for the Africa Region
• Maximum Levels for Aflatoxins in Certain Cereals and Cereal-Based Products including Foods for Infants and Young Children
• Guidelines for Compounds of Low Public Health Concern that May Be Exempted from the Establishment of Codex MRLs
• Standard for Fresh Dates
• Standard for Spices including Chilli Peppers and Paprika

AC45 will also seek consensus on how to proceed with maximum residue levels for zilpaterol, a veterinary drug used to enhance growth performance in cattle. With views polarized a vote is possible.

Information for journalists 

All sessions of CAC45 will be streamed in the six official Codex languages.

Real-time summaries of key decisions made by the Codex Alimentarius Commission will be published on the websites of both FAO and WHO as they happen.

About Codex

Established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), the Codex Alimentarius Commission is the UN food standards body charged with protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in international food trade.

Comprising 188 Member Countries, 1 Member Organization and 243 Observer Organizations, the Codex Alimentarius Commission meets annually to adopt food safety and quality standards and related recommendations. This is its 45th session.