What is Codex Alimentarius?

What is Codex Alimentarius?

• A. A collection of guidelines and rules of practice established by the WHO and FAO to ensure food is safe and tradable.
• B. A global database of food safety incidents.
• C. A formal treaty for pesticide residues.
• D. A program for approving veterinary medicines.

Answer: (A)

Codex Alimentarius is an internationally recognized collection of standards, guidelines, and codes of practice for foods, developed by the FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and promote fair and safe international trade. It provides practical criteria on safety, quality, labeling, and conformity that countries can adopt or reference in their regulations. This framework helps harmonize regulatory measures so that food traded between countries meets consistent expectations, and its standards often influence national policies and WTO trade rules. It is not a global database of food safety incidents, not a formal binding treaty on its own, and not a program for approving veterinary medicines.

Codex Alimentarius is an internationally recognized collection of standards, guidelines, and codes of practice for foods, developed by the FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and promote fair and safe international trade. It provides practical criteria on safety, quality, labeling, and conformity that countries can adopt or reference in their regulations. This framework helps harmonize regulatory measures so that food traded between countries meets consistent expectations, and its standards often influence national policies and WTO trade rules. It is not a global database of food safety incidents, not a formal binding treaty on its own, and not a program for approving veterinary medicines.