The Codex Alimentarius, or "Food Code" is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Commission, also known as CAC, is the central part of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and was established by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade. It held its first meeting in 1963. More details https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/home/de/

2. Development of Codex Standards

The development of the codex standards is detailed in the Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius, twenty seventh edition of 2019. This procedural manual describes the legal foundations and practical functioning of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies. The Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is intended to help Members Governments participate effectively in the work of the joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The manual is particularly useful for national delegation attending Codex meeting and for internationals organizations attending as observers. It sets out the basic Rules of Procedures, procedures for the elaboration of Codex standards and related texts, basic definitions and guidelines for the operation of Codex committees and also gives the membership of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

The Manual has been organized into seven sections and one appendix as follows:

1. Section I: Basic Texts and Definitions

2. Section II: Elaboration of Codex Standards and Related Texts

3. Section III: Guidelines for Subsidiary Bodies

4. Section IV: Risk Analysis

5. Section V: Subsidiary Bodies of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

6. Section VI: Membership

7. Section VII: Relations with other Organizations

Download the current procedural manual here: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/publications/de/

3.1 Location of the national codex contact point

Rwanda Standards Board acts and serves as the Codex Contact Point.

3.2 Responsibilities of the national codex contact point

The Codex Contact Point has the following responsibilities:

1. to act as the link between Rwanda and Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat, Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa, and other Regional Codex Fora;

2. to coordinate Codex activities at national, regional and international level within the country

3. to receive Codex texts (standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other advisory texts) and working documents of Codex sessions and ensure that they are circulated to those concerned within the country;

4. to compile and send national positions on Codex documents or proposals to the Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat and/or Codex regional fora;

5. to handle Committee of the National Codex secretariat, provide logistical facilities to Committee of the National Codex and its related technical committees’ activities;

6. to act as the liaison with the food industry, consumers, traders and other food related stakeholders to ensure that the government is provided with an appropriate balance of policy and technical advice upon which to base decisions relating to issues raised in the context of the Codex work;

7. to act as a channel for the exchange of information and the coordination of activities with other Codex Members;

8. to promote Codex activities throughout the country;

9. to initiate and develop procedural manual of the National Codex Committee.

3.3 National codex contact person

RSB has designated the codex contact person to ensure communication with codex alimentarius commission and coordinate codex activities at national level. The national codex contact point is reachable at:

 E-mail: codexcontactpoint@rsb.gov.rw;

  Phone: 0786561394