Mainly positive findings from the first Codex survey
The majority of Codex members are satisfied with the reach and usefulness of Codex texts, according to a survey.
Ninety-eight of 189 Codex members responded to the poll. It focused on the following texts: General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed; General Principles of Food Hygiene; General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods; and General Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients to Foods.
Analysis showed Codex texts to be well used as a baseline to inform food legislation, policies, regulations, programs, and practices at the national level. The documents facilitate communication among members and other stakeholders and establish a common understanding of food safety and quality.
Areas to improve: Only 18 of 49 members in the African region and 13 of 33 from Latin America and the Caribbean responded. As the European Union replied on behalf of some nations, 20 responses were the same.
The main barriers include a lack of awareness of Codex by national stakeholders, challenges to catch up with changes in Codex texts, language issues, a lack of resources, and duration of text development.
Codex survey | Results show 80 percent satisfaction in use and impact of Codex texts