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As 40th Session of CAC opens in Geneva, 50 stds proposed for adoption
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Thursday, 20 July, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Geneva
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Over 50 standards and other texts are proposed for adoption at the 40th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which is underway in Geneva and concludes on July 22, 2017.
Over 30 new work proposals to develop standards were made at the meet, aimed at approving international food standards to protect consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade. It is being attended by delegates from 136 countries.
Oleg Chestnov, assistant director general, non-communicable diseases and mental health, World Health Organisation (WHO), underlined the importance of the successful partnership formed in Codex by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and WHO.
With major tasks on the horizon, such as combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he described the Commission as “one of the most successful joint ventures in the United Nations (UN) system.”
Echoing the words of the recent G20 in Hamburg in his opening remarks, Ren Wang, assistant director general, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, FAO, underlined the crucial role of the rules-based international trading system.
He reminded delegates that a country needs to be able to speak the scientific language of the international standard setting community, and for that, adequate strategic investment in national capacities for food control is required.
Awilo Ochieng Pernet, chairperson, CAC, congratulated the Commission on FAO’s decision to adopt a resolution that would make June 7 International Food Safety Day. She stressed the importance of such a day in raising awareness about the importance of food safety and in contributing to enhancing consumer health protection.
Three international organisations called for increasing efforts towards reducing food-borne antimicrobial resistance (AMR) at a side event at CAC’s 40th Session.
Representatives of the three organisations that make up the tripartite collaboration on AMR – FAO, WHO and the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) – spoke in favour of the One Health approach, each from its respective perspective on food and agriculture, human health and animal health.
Steve Wearne, director of policy, UK Food Standards Agency, mentioned the Global Action Plan on AMR adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2015, and endorsed by FAO and OIE governing bodies.
The objectives of the action plan are: to increase awareness and understanding of AMR; to strengthen the knowledge and evidence base through surveillance and research; to reduce the incidence of infection through effective sanitation, hygiene and infection prevention measures; to optimise the use of antimicrobial medicines in human and animal health (for instance, the WHO Essential Medicines List), and to ensure sustainable investment.
All panellists recognised the importance of high-level political support and engagement on AMR, and welcomed the recent G20 Declaration, including a paragraph on AMR for the first time in history.
Citing World Bank data, Marc Sprenger, director, AMR Secretariat, WHO, stated that low-income countries were the most affected by AMR.
While recognising that AMR will affect several UN Sustainable Development Goals, he highlighted that developing national action plans, including multi-sectorial approaches, was essential.
Awa Aidara-Kane recalled the long-term WHO commitment on AMR, starting from Berlin in 1997, followed by the WHO global principles, the tripartite consultations in 2003 and 2004, the Codex Task Force on AMR that met in 2007 for the first time, the 2015 Global Action Plan on AMR and the establishment of the second Codex Task Force on AMR in 2017.
The UN General Assembly, recognising the magnitude of this global problem, has also established an AMR Inter-Agency Coordination Group.
Information on AMR along the food chain
Sarah Cahill explained that one of the areas FAO had been working on was to strengthen governance by reviewing animal and plant health legislations guidelines, and supporting capacity development at the country level.
She also informed that legal information on AMR was being included in FAOLEX, and stressed the importance of sharing good practices in agriculture production systems and in the food control area, as well as to develop partnerships with producers and industry.
Gillian Mylrea, representing the OIE, recalled that collaboration was crucial at all levels. She also presented OIE’s strategy on AMR and the prudent use of antimicrobials, including the importance of implementing relevant international standards.
All speakers highlighted the importance of raising awareness on AMR, supporting capacity-building and the development of national action plans, with a focus on implementing the Global Action Plan on AMR.
It was recognised that the over-use of antimicrobial agents in agricultural production is a matter of fact and a significant concern to the global community, and that food distribution is a probable yet still theoretical pathway of antimicrobial resistance.
Countries like Kenya and the Philippines said that they had developed national action plans to tackle AMR and acknowledged the FAO support in developing them.
Prof Park from the Republic of Korea, chairperson, Codex Task Force on AMR, presented the work ahead until 2020, including the revision of the Code of Practice to Minimise and Contain AMR and the Guidance on Integrated Surveillance.
“Healthy animals, and especially safe and healthy food, make happy people,” he concluded.
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