General information about the Codex Alimentarius
What is the role of WHO in the Codex?
In May 1963, recognizing the importance of WHO's role in all health aspects of food and considering its mandate to establish food standards, the Sixteenth World Health Assembly approved the establishment of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and adopted the statutes of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
The primary objectives of the Codex are protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. In this role, WHO has continued to do its part to assist Codex in arriving at decisions within the framework of sound science and appropriate risk analysis. For many years, WHO have been convening expert meeting such as JECFA, JMPR, JEMRA and ad hoc FAO/WHO expert consultations to advise the Codex Alimentarius Commission as well as Member countries.
WHO also provides administrative, managerial and financial support to the operation of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its committees, particularly those responsibilities assigned to WHO in the Codex Procedural Manual.