Syllabus Section:Agriculture

Why in News?

Fifth session of Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs begins virtually -   India is the Host and Spices Board India serves as the secretariat of Committee.

About:

Key Highlights of the Session:

• For ensuring food safety and quality, regulatory bodies need to be more vigilant.
• Economically motivated adulteration is a major malpractice and it needs extremely vigilant,regulatory space.
• Harmonized Codex standards for spices products in global trade is needed and it needs the highest priority to ensure the safety and quality of the spices and culinary herbs that are being traded across the world.
• Agenda of the Meeting:

• The committee will be considering the quality Standards for dried or dehydrated forms of Ginger, Cloves, Saffron and two culinary herbs, Oregano & Basil at step seven, besides Nutmeg and Chilli peppers & Paprika at step four in the Codex procedure of elaboration of food standards.

 

ABOUT CODEX COMMITTEE ON SPICES AND CULINARY HERBS (CCSCH)&CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION (CAC):

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) 

• Set up in 1963,headquarters in Rome.
• It is an intergovernmental body.
• It was established jointly by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), within the framework of the Joint Food Standards Programme to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

CODEX COMMITTEE ON SPICES AND CULINARY HERBS (CCSCH)

• CCSCH was formed in 2013 with support of more than a hundred countries with India as the host country and Spices Board India as the Secretariat for organising the sessions of the committee.
• Aim:To develop and expand worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs, and to consult with other international organisations in the standards development process.
• Since its inception, the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs has been successful in developing harmonised global Codex standards for spices and herbs.
• In its past four sessions, the committee developed and finalized standards for four spices, viz. dried or dehydrated forms of  black/white/green pepper, cumin, thyme, and garlic.