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Source-This post on Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs has been created based on the article “7th session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs held at Kochi, 31 countries attended the meet Quality standards for 5 spices finalized” published in “PIB” on 3 February 2024.
Why in the news?
The 7th session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) was held from 29th January 2024 to 2nd February 2024 at Kochi.
About Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs
Background– The Indian officials had asked for the establishment of an exclusive Committee for Spices, Culinary Herbs. This was demanded to ensure harmony and transparency in fixing global quality standards for spices, herbs and formulations.
Established-It was established as one of the Commodity Committees under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in 2013.
Secretariat-India hosts this prestigious Committee since the beginning and Spices Board of India serves as the secretariat organization.
Outcome of 7th session-The quality standards for 5 spices, namely small cardamom, turmeric, juniper berry, allpice and star anise were finalised.
About Codex Alimentarius Commission
| Aspect | Details |
| Established by | FAO and WHO. Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is also called “Food Code”. |
| Members | It consists of 189 member countries. |
| Headquarter | It is an international, intergovernmental body which is based in Rome |
| Funding | The programme of work of the Commission is funded through the regular budgets of WHO and FAO. |
| Nature of standards | The standards developed by the Committees under the CAC, including the CCSCH, are voluntary in nature. |
| Significance | 1) Its standards are recognized by the WTO to resolve trade disputes concerning food safety and consumer protection. 2) It contributes to harmonization of food standards across the globe. This facilitates fair global trade in food. 3) It ensures food safety to safeguard the health of global consumers. |
About Spice Board Of India
1) Established– This is a statutory body constituted under Spices Board Act 1986.
2) Mandate– It has the responsibility of production/development of cardamom and export promotion of 52 spices shown in the schedule of the Act.
3) Headquarter– The board is headquartered in Kochi.
4) The board has a state-of-the-art testing laboratory at its headquarters in Kochi. There are also regional laboratories at Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Tuticorin, Kandla and Guntur.
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