What : Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs

News : The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) has finalised and recommended quality standards for four spices; cloves, oregano, basil, and ginger.

Purpose : To form a body of reference for world spice trade and for member countries to align their national regulations

ABOUT CCSCH

• Youngest of the Codex Commodity Committees
• Chaired by India
• Secretariat: Spices Board India
• This committee is mandated to elaborate worldwide, science-based quality standards for spices and culinary herbs, in accordance with the Codex principles of consumer protection and fair trade practices
• Dr M.R. Sudharshan is the current Chairman of the Committee

About Codex Alimentarius Commission

• The term “Codex Alimentarius” is Latin and means “food code”.
• Codex standards are international food texts, i.e. standards, codes of practice, codes of hygienic practice, guidelines and other recommendations, established to protect the health of the consumers and to ensure fair practices in the food trade.
• The collection of food standards and related texts adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission is known as the Codex Alimentarius.
• Public concerns about food safety issues often place Codex at the centre of global debates.
• Veterinary drugs, pesticides, food additives and contaminants are some of the issues discussed in Codex meetings.
• Codex standards are based on sound science provided by independent international risk assessment bodies or ad-hoc consultations organized by FAO and WHO.