The International Food
Standards and
Recommendations
Prof. Elisaveta Stikova
M.D., Ph.D.
School of Medicine
University “St. Cyril and
Methodius” – Skopje
Republic of Macedonia
The expansion of international
food trade leads to:
Social and economical benefit,
Many trade barriers,
Increase of food related hazards,
Need for protection of human,
animal and plant life and health,
Need for fair and correct practice.
International
Organizations:
Codex Alimentarius for food safety
and human health,
International Office of
Epizootics for animal health and
zoonoses,
International Plant Protection
Convention for plant health.
Codex Alimentarius
Commission:
Founded by FAO in 1961 and WHO in
1963,
167 member countries,
Responsible for the Joint FAO/WHO
Food Standards Program since 1962,
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/
Codex Alimentarius
Commission (CAC):
Objectives:
To protect human health,
To accept food standards,
To protect consumer rights,
To ensure fair food trade practice.
Organization of CAC:
 Executive Committee
 5 Regional Committees,
 9 Horizontal Committees,
11 Product Committees,
 3 Ad-hoc Intergovernmental Task
Working Groups
CAC supports:
Scientists and researchers,
Scientific and research laboratories,
Scientific and research institutes,
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committees
Structure and contents of
Codex Alimentarius:
Codex Alimentarius is composed of
14 volumes distributed in 17 books
Each book (by group of products)
contains standards, guidelines,
recommendations...
Achievements:
 237 Food Standards,
3274 Limits for pesticides residues,
1300 Food additives evaluated,
 289 Limits of veterinary drug residues,
 197 Pesticides evaluated,
 43 Code of Practice,
 33 Guidelines.
Transparency of Codex
Alimentarius:
The information for all the
standards, regulations, guides and
other recommendations are available
on the web page
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/
National Codex
Contact Point function:
Relation between the Secretariat and
the member countries
Coordination of all relevant Codex
activities in their own country,
Acceptance of all final Codex–texts
(standards, guidelines, advisory
texts)
International Organization
for Epizootics (OIE):
 Founded by International Agreement
in 1924,
 162 member countries,
 www.oie.int
OIE Objectives:
To ensure transparency of animal
diseases status in the world,
To collect, analyze and disseminate
veterinary scientific information,
To develop animal health and biological
standards,
To coordinate approach to disease
outbreaks.
OIE Organization:
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International Committee
Central Bureau,
Working Groups,
5 Regional Commissions,
4 Specialist Technical Commissions
OIE Specialist Technical
Commissions:
International Animal Health Code
Commission,
Standards Commission,
Foot and Mouth Disease and other
Epizootics Commissions and
Fish Diseases Commission.
Achievements:
The Code - provides international
standards,
The Manual - gives the diagnostic
techniques and vaccine control
methods,
A Code and Manual for aquatic
animals.
Network:
144 Reference Laboratories in 30
countries,
cover 47 terrestrial and 22 aquatic animal
diseases
9 Collaborating Centers in 7
countries,
Centers of expertise and
standardization
Transparency of OIE(1):
 Reporting for disease outbreaks
and incidents
Active search and verification of non-official
information
 Improving of knowledge for the
global data situation
Data quality,
Essential for safe trade
Transparency of OIE(2):
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OIE Early Warning System,
Weekly Diseases Information,
Two-month bulletins,
Three-month scientific review,
Annual World Animal Health Report.
International Plant Protection
Convention(IPPC)
 IPPC came in force in 1952,
 Amended in 1979, 1991 and 1997
 117 member countries
 http://www.ippc.int
IPPC Objectives(1):
To provide joint and effective action
to prevent the introduction and
spread of pests of plants and plant
products,
 To provide joint and effective action
to prevent the entry and spread of
plant and plant product diseases,
IPPC Objectives(2):
To promote appropriate measures for
phytosanitary control,
To develop phytosanitary standards,
To support the harmonization of
regulation,
IPPC Objectives(3):
To conduct treatments and certify
exports,
To share information on pests and
regulations,
To define storage conditions,
To control biological pests/organisms.
Trade elements of the
IPPC:
International standards for
phytosanitary measures,
Phytosanitary certification,
Dispute settlement,
Requirements for imports.
IPPC Organization:
IPPC Secretariat,
9 Regional Plant Protection
Organizations
Interim Commission on Phytosanitary
measures,
Standards Committee.
Relationship to the IPPC:
GMO’s
Biosafety, biocontrol and application
of phytosanitary measures,
Alien invasive species,
Environmental hazards/risks.
Transparency of IPPC:
To facilitate mandatory information
exchange of:
standards,
pest status,
regulations, requirements,
pest lists,
non-compliance, emergencies.