The United Nations food standards body Codex Alimentarius Commission is meeting in Rome from 27 to 30 June 2016 to examine food safety and quality standards.

Charged with protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade, the Codex Alimentarius is a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Decisions taken at the 39th session of the Commission will be published below as they are made.

For more information on the upcoming Codex session, visit the links listed at right.

Guidelines for the control of Salmonella in beef and pork AGREED - 27 June 2016 Beef and pork meat can be contaminated with various bacteria including non-typhoidal Salmonella. Salmonella, which causes diarrhoeal disease, is one of the most frequent causes of foodborne illnesses around the world, with tens of millions becoming sick each year. Although most cases are mild, Salmonella causes an estimated 60 000 deaths annually. The guidelines adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission focus on practices from primary production to processing to prevent, reduce, or eliminate Salmonella in fresh beef and pork. In addition, the best way for consumers to avoid becoming sick from eating meat that may be contaminated with Salmonella is to cook it thoroughly.

Related links: • Relevant Codex document (paras 15-23 & Appendix II) • WHO fact sheet on non-typhoidal Salmonella

Guidelines on food hygiene to control foodborne parasites AGREED – 27 June 2016

Foods including meat, milk, fish, fruit and vegetables can be contaminated with different parasites. Examples include Toxoplasma gondii and Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) which can be carried by animals and transmitted to humans when they eat contaminated meat that is raw or undercooked. Humans infected with Taenia solium can develop brain cysts, and this is the most frequent preventable cause of epilepsy in the world. Three key ways to control foodborne parasites are to prevent infection in farmed food animals, prevent contamination of fresh and processed foods, and inactivate parasites in foods during processing (e.g. freezing, heat treatment). The guidelines adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission provide information on hygienic production of various types of foods to control parasites and protect health.

Related links • Relevant Codex document (paras 24-30 & Appendix III) • WHO fact sheet on food safety