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Codex and food hygiene

Of particular interest to food safety and hygiene is the work underway in the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. This committee aims to provide countries with agreed international benchmarks on both the best approach to food safety (i.e.conceptual guidance) as well as on hygiene standard setting for specific foods. Establishing international benchmarks will mean that food safety will be improved globally with more consistency in the approaches countries use to ensure food safety.

Codex standards are developed using a risk analysis framework and thus standards for food safety are based on sound science. This committee, in consultation with experts from the WHO and FAO have developed guidance on concepts such as microbiological risk assessment, food safety objectives and the role of risk assessors and risk managers.

Two of the key conceptual issues being discussed now are the principles underpinning microbiological risk management and validation. These issues are at a very early stage in the Codex process and therefore it is a prime time to comment on your approaches to these activities.

This committee has also developed basic hygiene provisions for food (General Principles), and specific provisions for specified food groups (e.g. the milk and milk products code). It will continue to work on developing or revising hygiene requirements on priority issues. It is currently revising the Code of Hygienic Practice for eggs and egg products.

The next Codex Committee on Food Hygiene meeting will be in March 2005.For more information on key agenda items,visit the Codex web site at www.codexalimentarius.net or contact Codex Australia.