Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs

Codex Committee on Spices recently held its 7th session in Kochi, Kerala, finalizing quality standards for five key spices.

Key highlights of the 7^th session on CCSH:

• The quality standards for 5 spices, namely small cardamom, turmeric, juniper berry, allspice, and star anise were finalized.
• The first group standard for ‘spices derived from fruits and berries’, covering 3 spices, juniper berry, allspice and star anise were formulated.
• The draft standard for vanilla progressed to step 5, after which a round of scrutiny would follow for a complete discussion on the standardization.
• Proposals for development of Codex standards for Dried Coriander Seeds, Large Cardamom, Sweet Marjoram, and Cinnamon were accepted by the committee.
• The electronic working groups (EWGs) would undergo multinational consultation for standardization based on scientific evidence, until next session.

About Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH):

• It was established as one of the Commodity Committees under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in 2013.
• India has been hosting this Committee since its inception in 2013.
• The Spices Board India serves as the secretariat that organizes the Committee’s sessions.

About Codex Alimentarius Commission:

• It is an intergovernmental body jointly established by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and WHO (World Health organization).
• It is based in Rome, Italy, and consists of 189 member countries.
• Membership of the Commission is open to all Member Nations and Associate Members of FAO and WHO, who are interested in international food standards.
• The Commission meets in regular sessions once a year, alternating between Geneva and Rome.
• The Funding for this program is received through the regular budgets of WHO and FAO.
• The standards of CAC are recognized by the WTO (World Trade Organization) as international reference points for trade disputes on food safety and consumer protection.
• The standards developed by the Committees under the CAC are voluntary in nature and can be used by members as reference standards to align their national standards.
• The food standards development work is assisted by its Executive Committee, subsidiary bodies like Commodity Committees, Coordinating Committees, and Task Forces.

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