7-9 April 2019. Cairo. Africa Food Manufacturing conference. The conference hosted professors from various universities, food scientists, industries, and students, local and international, and will include the following tracks: Track 4: Food Adulteration: Laws, policy and governance. Dr. Patrick Vincent Hegarty,

1. Codex Alimentarius and
Africa Food Manufacturers
DR. P. VINCENT HEGARTY
Founding Director & Professor Emeritus
vhegarty@msu.edu
www.iflr.msu.edu
Africa Food Manufacturers
Cairo, Egypt, April 7-9, 2019

2. Codex Alimentarius
• Established in 1963
• 188 member countries
→ 49 countries in Africa, (2019)
• FAO and WHO joint venture
• Formulate internationally accepted food
safety standards for:
→ Protection of human health/food safety
→ Ensure fair trade practices for food
• CCAFRICA – regional coordinator: Kenya

3. Some Codex Observers
with Africa Links/Interest
IGO (International Governmental Organization)
ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific Group States
AfricaRice African Rice Center
AGC Africa Groundnut Council
ARSO African Organization for Standardization
AU African Union
COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
EAC East African Community
SADC Southern African Development Community
NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)
COLEACP
Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee for the
Promotion of Fruits, Off-Season Vegetables, Flowers, Ornamental
Plants and Tropical Spices

4. CODEX: Protecting Health, Facilitating Trade.
A World Full of Standards
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/codexalimentarius/doc/CA0162-MX172_web.pdf

5. Codex Mandate
Codex: A World Full of Standards, p. 5.

7. Codex Standards
• HACCP used to develop Codex standards
• Flexible enough to allow member states to incorporate them
into existing or new legislation
• Strive for “consensus” on decisions
• Risk analysis used extensively
• 8 step procedure to pass a
standard
→ Reviewed twice by CAC, twice by
member and twice by government
and other interested parties

8. Codex Guidelines
• Basic tool to help member nations elaborate their national
standards to conform to Codex
• Not binding but accepted worldwide
• Useful to developing countries
• Example: Code of Ethics for International Trade in Food
• Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) can make guidelines
“quasi-binding,” i.e. SPS Agreement guidelines

9. Codex Committees
• Commodity Committees (example: Fats and Oils)
• General Subject Committees (example: Food Additives)
• Regional Committees (intra-regional matters and trade)
• Regional Coordinating Committees
→ Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean, Near
East, North America and South West Pacific

10. Codex Committees: General Subjects
• Food Labeling
• Food Import & Export Inspection and Certification Systems
• Methods of Analysis and Sampling
• Food Hygiene
• Pesticide Residues
• Food Additives
• Contaminants in Foods
• Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods
• Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses
• General Principles

11. Codex: A World Full of Standards, p. 32.

12. Codex: Summary
• Codex Alimentarius:
Ensures international
acceptance of food
safety standards and
fair trade practices in
food
• Codex Standards:
Based on scientific
principles such as
HACCP

13. Thank you
Go raibh maith agaibh (Irish)
DR. P. VINCENT HEGARTY
vhegarty@msu.edu
www.iflr.msu.edu