Codex Alimentarius Commission
Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO)
 The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international standard-setting organization for food. The purposes of Codex and its implementing body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, are “protecting the health of consumer and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.” The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and the World Health Organization (WHO). Membership in Codex is limited to national governments, but non-governmental organizations (NGOs) participate as observers and technical consultants.
View the Official Codex Alimentarius web site.
Within the U.S., Codex activities are primarily coordinated by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency. You can learn more about the U.S. Codex Office, located at USDA by visiting their web site.
Of the various Codex committees and ad hoc task forces that address food safety, processing, transportation and quality, NIOP has been active in monitoring and providing input to the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils (CCFO) and the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) for many years.
The mission of CCFO, NIOP’s primary Codex interest, is: “To elaborate world wide standards for fats and oils of animal, vegetable and marine origin including margarine and olive oil.”
Current CCFO issues of significance to NIOP members include:
- Recommended International Codex of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk (Draft Lists of Acceptable Cargoes)
- Criteria for the Revision of Named Vegetable Oils
The next meeting of the CCFO is scheduled for February 16-20, 2009 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The Committee will continue to discuss:
- Consideration of the Level of Linolenic Acid in the Standard for Olive Oils and Olive Pomace Oils
- Recommended International Codex of Practice for the Storage and Transport of Edible Fats and Oils in Bulk (Draft Lists of Acceptable Cargoes)
- Draft Amendment to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils to include
Rice Bran Oil
- Consideration of ISO proposal to amend the nomenclature of oils
- Total carotenoids in unbleached palm oil
NIOP’s Technical Committee Chair and NIOP staff frequently attend this meeting. Between meetings, NIOP provides input to the U.S. Codex Office on key issues of importance to the oilseeds industry.
The report of the most recent CCFO meeting can be reviewed on USDA’s CCFO Web page. |
