Codex Committee on Soups and Broths (CCSB)

About CCSB

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) started discussing standards for soups and broths at its third session in 1965. At this time, the International Soup Manufacturers’ Association (AIIBP) was elaborating relevant standards. Several Codex Members highlighted the need to standardize labelling on soups, “for example, in the case of chicken soup the amount of chicken would need to be specified in order to justify the label ‘chicken’ in dry and canned soups.” Additives and hygiene, too, were a point of concern. The issue that finally persuaded CAC to establish a Codex Committee for Soups and Broths (CCSB) in 1974, was the “extensive international trade in these products”. Switzerland had led the way in making the case for the establishment of CCSB and its offer to host the new Committee was accepted.

Switzerland had been asked to prepare a draft standard as part of the Commission’s deliberations on the establishment of CCSB. Thus, the new committee, with terms of reference "to elaborate world-wide standards for soups, broths, bouillons and consommés, as appropriate," already had a draft standard ready to send to governments for comments when it was formed. That standard was the Standard for bouillons and consommés (CXS 117-1981).

CCSB was abolished in 2001, at CAC24.