Codex Alimentarius is the international food standard setting body that was jointly created by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). About 185 countries, including Canada, participate in this critically important program designed to protect the health of consumers and facilitate global trade. 

FHCP has been a long-standing participant in Codex activities, both through advocacy directly to Health Canada, as well as membership in the International Council of Grocery Manufacturers Associations. FHCP also works closely with the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association in the U.S. 

FHCP is most active in four Codex Committees:

• Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA)
• Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF)
• Codex Committee on Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCFSDU)
• Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL)

FHCP has been highly effective advocate on behalf of its members, on a number of files, including achievable limits on the presence of certain fungal toxins in grains, the development of robust and practical codes of practice for arsenic levels in rice and limiting the presence of certain mycotoxins in foods. Additionally, FHCP has played a significant role in the recent debate over WHO influence in Codex activities, which put Codex at risk of becoming more politicized and less science-based. FHCP has hosted a number of special events over the years when CCFSDU meetings take place in Canada.

FHCP continues to be engaged in Codex on behalf of its members to ensure that Codex’s twin objectives of health and fair trade are achieved.