CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
COMMENTS
Codex Alimentarius Commission – CAC is international organization created in 1963 in Rome, Italy, to develop food standards. CAC was found by two UN organizations as it follows:
• FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization and
• WHO - World Health Organization
The main purpose of CAC is adopting the standards and related documents (directives, codes of good practice etc.) within the scope of food for protecting health of the consumers and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade.
Codex Alimentarius in Latin original means “Law on Food”.
CAC includes the thousands of the documents as general documents that could be applied to all food as the documents applied for some food or food stuffs as well.
General standards include the hygiene standards, designation, pesticide and residues of veterinary drugs in food, import/export supervision and certification system, analysis and causing methods, additives, nutrition and food for special nutrition methods.
On the other hand, specific standards include the standards for all types of the food and nutrition products, new-laid, frozen and refined fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, cereals, fats and oils, fish, meat, sugar, cocoa and chocolate, milk and dairy products.
Notwithstanding that food standards adopted by CAC are voluntary, WTO - World Trade Organization directs to Codex standards for resolving the disputes in food or foodstuff products trade. Codex standards are also used as the basis for regional and national resolutions development.
For the purpose of providing continuous connection with the member states, CAC established Codex Alimentarius Contact Points in cooperation with national Governments of some countries.
According to the Law on Establishment of the Institute for Standardization of Montenegro, the Institute is recognized as Codex Alimentarius Contact Point in Montenegro.
List of documents
