India Leads Adoption of Seven Codex Food Safety Standards at 49th CAC Session

Key Facts

• The 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 6 July to 10 July 2026.
• India led the adoption of seven Codex standards and guidelines during this session.
• The Indian delegation was headed by Rajit Punhani, Chief Executive Officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
• Two standards covering Dried Coriander Seeds and Fresh Curry Leaves were developed and adopted under India's direct chairmanship.
• Five other standards were adopted under India's co-chairmanship and related to Vanilla, Large Cardamom, safe water use in food processing, control measures for Campylobacter and Salmonella in chicken meat, and prepackaged food labelling.
• India's proposal to begin work on a dedicated Codex Standard for Cashew Kernels was approved at CAC49.
• India was elected Co-Chair of the Electronic Working Group on New Food Sources and Production Systems (NFPS), a Codex mechanism for technical work on emerging food systems.

Background & Context

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is a joint intergovernmental body established in 1963 under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It develops international food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice focused on food safety, quality, and fair trade practices to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, responsible for regulating and supervising food safety in India.

Campylobacter and Salmonella are significant foodborne pathogens associated especially with poultry products, which makes the Codex guidelines on control measures in chicken meat adoption critically important for public health and international trade.

Cashew kernels, the edible seeds of the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale), are globally traded nut products. Establishing a dedicated Codex standard for cashew kernels will help harmonize quality parameters, labelling requirements, and enhance market access internationally.

Why This Matters for Exams / Exam Relevance

This development underlines India’s proactive leadership in global food safety regulation and international standard-setting bodies, a pertinent topic for competitive exams focusing on international relations, trade, and science & technology sectors. Key dates like the year of CAC establishment (1963), details of FSSAI’s creation (2006), and India’s role in CAC49 are important factual points.

Understanding the significance of Codex standards as international reference points for food safety and trade can be useful for questions related to global governance and regulatory frameworks.

Points to Remember

• Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1963 under FAO and WHO.
• The 49th CAC session took place in Geneva from 6-10 July 2026.
• India led the adoption of seven international food safety and quality standards at CAC49, with two standards directly chaired and five co-chaired by India.
• The Indian delegation was led by Rajit Punhani, CEO of FSSAI.
• The adopted standards relate to Dried Coriander Seeds, Fresh Curry Leaves, Vanilla, Large Cardamom, safe water use in food processing, control of Campylobacter and Salmonella in chicken meat, and prepackaged food labelling.
• India’s proposal for a Codex Standard on Cashew Kernels was endorsed to initiate work, supporting trade of cashew nuts worldwide.
• India was elected Co-Chair of the Electronic Working Group on New Food Sources and Production Systems (NFPS), enhancing its role in evolving food science regulatory frameworks.
• Campylobacter and Salmonella are major foodborne bacteria in poultry, underscoring the importance of related control standards.
• FSSAI operates under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and is India’s food safety regulator.