4th Session of Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs begins in Kerala

To eliminate trade barriers and strengthen Global Food Sector without compromising on safety, the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) has begun its fourth session today to deliberate on draft standards for selected spices and herbs and facilitate the adoption of more standards.

The five-day event, to be held at The Leela Kovalam (Kerala) from 21 to 25 January, will brainstorm on the draft standards for oregano, basil, ginger, garlic, chilli pepper and paprika, nutmeg, saffron, and cloves, which are in the form of reports of Electronic Working Groups established by the previous session held in Chennai last year. 

Governor P. Sathasivam inaugurated the session on January 21 while Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu delivered the presidential address.  Rita Teaotia, Chairperson, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) delivered the keynote address. 

Two new work proposals — draft standards for turmeric and small cardamom — will be taken up for deliberations during this session to harmonize global trade in these two spices. 

The Codex was set up in 1963 for Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is an inter-governmental body established jointly by the UN`s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), within the framework of the joint Food Standards Programme to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade. It has so far conducted three sessions - one in Kochi in 2014, one in Goa in 2015 and one in Chennai in 2017. In the previous three sessions, the committee succeeded in getting the approval of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for three standards: black, white and green pepper, cumin and thyme.