Observers
Codex Observers
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, and public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by Observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend meetings and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Currently the Codex Alimentarius Commission has 246 Codex Observers: 59 IGOs, 171 NGOs and 16 United Nations organizations.
Observers in Codex
This video highlights the role Observer organizations play in Codex.
Becoming a Codex Observer
The application process
- IGOs that have no official relations with either FAO or WHO should fill in the application form. The application will be examined by the Codex Secretariat and the legal offices of FAO and WHO. In the process further questions may be asked of the applicant.
- NGOs that have no official relations with either FAO or WHO should fill in the application form and submit related information as requested in the form. The organization should study the text on NGO participation before applying to check if it fulfils the criteria. The application will be examined by the Codex Secretariat and the legal offices of FAO and WHO as well as the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Executive Committee then makes a recommendation on the application to the Directors General of FAO and WHO.
- IGOs or NGOs that have official relations with either FAO or WHO should fill in the application form and Observer status will be granted.
Observer News
New website simplifies analytical methods for special dietary foods
A new "Test Methods for Special Dietary Foods" website has been launched by the International Special Dietary Foods Industries (ISDI), supported by AOAC International and the International Dairy Federation....
Safeguarding the brew: Codex in the coffee trade
by CropLife International A new independent research study commissioned by CropLife International shines a spotlight on the role that Codex Alimentarius is playing in the facilitation of international...
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Greater food industry engagement in Codex encouraged at workshop in Singapore
On 14 November 2024, Food Industry Asia (FIA) organized a capacity building workshop as part of its annual Members Day event. The session emphasized the critical role of the Codex Alimentarius Commission...
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World Dairy Summit to hear about Codex Guidelines on E. coli
The Codex Guidelines for the control of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (CXG 99-2023) will be highlighted as part of the World Dairy Summit, which is organized by the International Dairy Federation...
Codex Chairperson awarded at IUFoST World Congress
The Codex Alimentarius Commission Chairperson, Steve Wearne, was “surprised and honoured” to be awarded a certificate marking his election as a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology...
ISDI webinar on the new Codex Standard for Follow-up Formula - 10 July 2024
ISDI – the International Special Dietary Foods Industries, a Codex Observer, is running a webinar on 10 July 2024, 12.00-13.00 CEST, entitled Understanding and implementing the new Codex standard for follow-up...
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Steve Wearne / Food safety requires global collaboration
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) Chairperson, Steve Wearne, delivered a “leadership talk” this week at the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) conference being held in Singapore, to offer “insights...
Codex Observer sees yellow at CCFA
A group of food additives called beta-carotenes are used to add a yellow colour to foods like soft drinks, confectionary and cakes. At the Codex Committee on Food Additives meeting in Hong Kong, SAR, China...
CCNFSDU / Council for Responsible Nutrition symposium open to all Codex delegates
The Council for Responsible Nutrition, a Codex Observer organization, will hold an in-person symposium on 5 March 2023 in Düsseldorf, Germany, prior to the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special...