On Friday, Codex Alimentarius (CODEX, the world food code) initiated a major food fraud commitment by proposing an Electronic Working Group (EWG) to review other CODEX texts and to create a definition and scope for a number of related terms--food fraud, food integrity, and food authenticity. The recommendations of CODEX Committee on Food Import and Export Certification and Inspection will be submitted upwards to the Codex Alimentarious Commission for final approval. The Draft Discussion paper was widely supported at this conference during the formal open discussion by the member countries. Iran is leading the EWG with co-chairs from Canada and the European Union. A group from Michigan State University (MSU)--including food fraud expert John Spink--attended the Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems meeting as part of the U.S. Delegation.

Read more on MSU’s experience and what lies ahead for CODEX’s EWG.