Codex Alimentarius

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1963 by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to develop international food standards to protect consumer health and to facilitate fair trading practices in foods. Today, there are 185 member governments including Canada. Canada's participation in Codex is coordinated through the Office of the Codex Contact Point for Canada, located in the Food Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada.

The Codex Program in Canada is managed by an interdepartmental Committee consisting of senior officials from Health Canada (including the Veterinary Drugs Directorate), The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, The Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Codex Canada Activities

• Canada's Strategic Framework for Participation in the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program
• Report of the 31^st Session (July 2008) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
• Codex Committee Reports
• Listing of Codex documents in circulation for comment.
• Forthcoming Codex Meetings
• Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

Canadian Delegations

• Guidelines for the Participation of Non-governmental Observers on Canadian Delegations to Sessions of the Codex Alimetarius Commission and its Committees
• Heads of Canadian Delegations to Codex Committees
• Terms of Reference for the Interdepartmental Committee on Codex

About Codex

• FAO Publications in Print
• Understanding the Codex Alimentarius