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National Codex Committee to Be Launched Officially

Monday, October 29, 2007 - Food is life and its provision and sustained availability is a primary concern for all societies. Fundamental to this task of provision are issues of safety and quality which are paramount to the health and wellbeing of citizens. It is in this context that the establishment of the National Codex Committee assumes such significance. The official launching ceremony takes place this Wednesday October 31, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at the offices of the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS).

Codex, formally known as the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is an intergovernmental body jointly sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Its mandate is to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice, under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The main objectives of this programme include protecting consumer health; ensuring fair trade practices in world food trade and the promotion and coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international, governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Codex Alimentarius Commission is recognized in several World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements as the international body able to provide these guarantees. In the event of a trade dispute, Codex standards would become accepted reference documents for its settlement.

Given the increasing importance of Codex in international trade, Saint Lucia‘s participation in the work of Codex and adherence to Codex standards must be clearly defined and strategic. Consequently, the National Codex Committee was set up as a means of reviewing Codex standards and related texts and make recommendations concerning Saint Lucia’s participation in the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. It will operate under the auspices of the SLBS, the National Codex Contact point for Saint Lucia. The National Codex Committee is comprised of representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as well as the food and tourism industries, the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce and the local agri-business community.

Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards
Bisee Industrial Estate
Castries, St. Lucia
Tel: 758 453 0049/4560545

Fax: 758 452 3561

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