So we all know what Codex is, right? Erm yeah, of course. It’s a global thing about food, right? A rule? Or guidelines? Maybe more like a handbook? Or perhaps it’s an organisation, a bunch of technical committees or standards writers?
Okay. Maybe some of us aren’t so sure about Codex.
Food safety trainers are always going on about Codex but no one ever seems to explain what it is. I’m here to fix that. In this article you get a fast, focused explanation of what Codex is and how its rules and guidelines are applicable to the work of food professionals.
What is Codex
In the context of food systems, Codex is short for Codex Alimentarius, which means ‘Food Code’ in Latin.
Codex Alimentarius is a group of documents: internationally recognised food standards and related texts, including codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations.
The Codex Alimentarius - the group of documents - is operated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international standard setting body established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963.
Other international standard setting bodies include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for shipping.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission exists to
Protect consumer health
Ensure fair trade practices, and
Promote the development of food safety standards.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission is a group of members, which are mostly countries. The commission consists of 188 member countries plus the European Union, for a total of 189 members.
That’s pretty much the whole world. For context, there are 195 countries in the world, 197 if you include Taiwan and Kosovo. Membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission covers 99% of the world’s population and food production. Countries which are not members include Liechtenstein, Palestine, the Holy See, and Taiwan.
It’s fair to say the Codex Alimentarius Commission is truly global.
The Codex Alimentarius includes
standards for all foods for distribution to consumers, including unprocessed foods
standards for some food commodities (raw materials) that aren’t distributed directly to consumers
codes of practice, guidelines and related texts which cover
Food hygiene
Food additives
Residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs
Contaminants
Labelling and presentation
Methods of sampling and analysis
Import and export inspection and certification.
For example, if you want to know the definition, essential components and quality factors of honey, according to an internationally accepted standard, you could look up the Codex standard for honey. If you’re a law-maker, you could use the standard to develop a legal definition of honey for your country.
How does Codex work, from a legal point of view?
Codex texts are designed for countries to adopt into law, but doing so is voluntary. Codex standards and codes of practice have no binding effects on national food laws or nations. The World Trade Organization (WTO) encourages WTO members to use Codex standards to harmonise national regulations between countries.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission is operated by a collection of committees, including an Executive Committee; general committees, such as the Food Additives Committee and the Food Labelling Committee; and commodity-specific committees, such as the Fish and Fishery Products Committee and the Sugars Committee.
It also includes ad-hoc intergovernmental task forces, such as the Antimicrobial Resistance Task Force and regional committees.
When new standards and documents are developed, they are done so through and by the committees, with the input of scientific advice from organisations such as JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) and JEMRA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment), and through ad hoc expert consultations.
Where is the Codex Alimentarius?
The headquarters of the Codex Alimentarius Commission are in Rome, Italy, within the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The Codex Alimentarius Commission has a website published in various languages, where all standards, codes of practices and guidelines are available to download for free.
Website | CODEX ALIMENTARIUS FAO-WHO
What is Codex HACCP?
Codex HACCP is a nickname for a risk-based approach to food safety titled Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), as defined and documented by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The approach is described in 7 principles, outlined in an appendix to the Codex Code of Practice General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969). The principles are accompanied by guidance about how they should be implemented by food businesses.
For example, a section titled ‘Application’ lists steps for food businesses to follow when creating a HACCP plan, starting with Step 1: Assemble HACCP team, progressing through steps 6 and 7: Identify hazards and determine critical control points; and finishing with step 12: Establish documentation and record keeping.
Codex HACCP is not…
Codex HACCP is not a standard. It is not a list of requirements, but instead defines the principles for creating a food safety plan and provides recommendations for implementing the principles in a food business.
Codex HACCP is not a standalone solution to food safety. It must be implemented alongside Prerequisite Programs (PRPs), such as good hygiene practices (GHPs) and good manufacturing practices (GMPs), which address site-wide food safety controls like sanitation, pest control, and personnel hygiene to create a complete food safety program.
Codex HACCP is designed to primarily address hazards arising from unintentional contamination and does not explicitly address intentional adulteration events, such as those perpetrated to cause harm or for economic gain.
Codex HACCP does not cover all the elements in a modern food safety management system, which also includes programs to address food safety culture, food fraud and food defence.
Where to find Codex HACCP?
The Codex Alimentarius document that describes the 7 principles of HACCP is General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969). The document includes an annex titled Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application, which outlines the seven principles of HACCP and provides guidance on its implementation (pages 23 to 37 of CXC 1-1969).
General Principles of Food Hygiene CXC 1-1969 | Codex Alimentarius Commission
For languages other than English, navigate to https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/codes-of-practice/ and click on the ✔checkmark in the appropriate language column.
What is a Codex HACCP certificate?
The Codex Alimentarius Commission does not perform audits or provide certifications or training for food businesses. However, certification bodies can develop certification schemes and issue certificates based on the principles of HACCP as described in the Codex Alimentarius.
In short…
Codex is short for Codex Alimentarius, which means ‘Food Code’. It’s a collection of documents about food, food safety and the phytosanitary aspects of food supply chains, which were created by an international standard setting body to protect consumer health, ensure fair trade practices and promote the development of food safety standards. The 7 principles of HACCP are described in an appendix to General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), which is a part of the Codex Alimentarius.