The Codex Alimentarius Commission, a United Nations organization that develops international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice, convened in Geneva this week to consider several recommendations from its committees and task forces. Of particular interest to IDFA members is the Commission’s decision to adopt the proposed draft processed cheese standard at Step 5 of the Codex standard development process, and continue work to move it toward finalization by July 2016.
IDFA opposes the work on the standard because Codex has tried for more than a decade to revise the standard without reaching consensus on several key provisions, and IDFA believes Codex resources could be used more effectively in other important areas where standardization is more needed and feasible.
IDFA also is concerned that a new Codex processed cheese standard would allow lower-quality “processed cheese” to be covered by the same international standard as high-quality American processed cheese.
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