National Codex Contact Point: India’s Gateway to International Food Standards

When you purchase packaged food from a supermarket or enjoy a meal at a restaurant, you’re benefiting from decades of international cooperation on food safety standards. Behind this global food safety framework lies an essential but often overlooked entity in India-the National Codex Contact Point (NCCP). This organization serves as India’s official gateway to the Codex Alimentarius Commission, ensuring that the food standards governing what millions of Indians eat are both safe and aligned with international best practices.

What is the Codex Alimentarius Commission? 🔗

Before understanding the NCCP, it’s essential to grasp what it connects to. The Codex Alimentarius, meaning “Food Code” in Latin, is a collection of international standards, guidelines, and codes of practice designed to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in food trade. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop these standards.

The Commission currently comprises 188 member countries and one member organization (the European Union), along with more than 230 observers including intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and UN agencies. India became a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1964, making it one of the early participants in this global food standards body.

While Codex standards are voluntary and not legally binding, they carry significant weight. The World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures recognizes Codex standards as the international reference point for food safety, making them crucial for international trade and dispute resolution.

The role of the National Codex Contact Point in India 🔗

The National Codex Contact Point serves as the official communication channel between India and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been designated as the nodal point for liaison with Codex, known as the “National Codex Contact Point of India.”

The NCCP is located at FSSAI’s headquarters in FDA Bhawan, New Delhi. It coordinates and promotes Codex activities throughout India in association with the National Codex Committee and facilitates India’s input to the work of Codex through an established consultation process.

Core functions of the NCCP 🔗

The NCCP performs several critical functions that keep India connected to the global food standards ecosystem:

Communication and liaison: The NCCP acts as the primary link between the Codex Secretariat, the National Codex Committee, and Shadow Committees. It receives all Codex final texts including standards, codes of practice, and guidelines, ensuring these are circulated to relevant stakeholders in India.

Coordination of activities: The NCCP coordinates all relevant Codex activities within India and sends comments on Codex documents or proposals to the CAC or its subsidiary bodies within specified timeframes.

Delegation management: When Codex sessions are held internationally, the NCCP receives invitations and informs the relevant chairpersons and the Codex Secretariat of the names of participants representing India.

Knowledge repository: The NCCP maintains a library of Codex standards, Codes of Practice, Guidelines, and other related documents and publications.

Capacity building: One of its important responsibilities is building capacity within the country to effectively take up Codex work, including organizing training programs and workshops on Codex standards and procedures.

The National Codex Committee and Shadow Committees 🔗

The NCCP doesn’t work in isolation. It operates within a well-structured framework that includes the National Codex Committee (NCC) and various Shadow Committees.

National Codex Committee 🔗

The National Codex Committee has been constituted by FSSAI and is chaired by the Chairperson of FSSAI. The NCC advises the government on the implications of various food standardization, food quality, and safety issues arising from the work undertaken by the CAC, ensuring that national economic interests are considered when international standards are discussed.

The committee’s responsibilities include providing inputs to the government to ensure quality and safety of food for consumers while maximizing opportunities for industry development and expansion of international trade.

Shadow Committees 🔗

For each Codex Committee at the international level, India has constituted corresponding Shadow Committees. Currently, there are 12 Shadow Committees on various subject matters. These committees are chaired by officers in the rank of Joint Secretary or above in concerned Departments, Ministries, or Food Authority.

Shadow Committees perform several vital functions:

Technical analysis: They study Codex documents under consideration, collecting and analyzing relevant information relating to technology, economics, health, and control systems to support government decisions on accepting or modifying Codex standards.

Position formulation: They formulate India’s national position on agenda items under consideration of respective Codex Committees, coordinating with other Shadow Committees and concerned departments.

Delegation advice: They advise on the composition of Indian delegations attending international Codex meetings.

Stakeholders in India’s Codex process 🔗

India’s positions on various Codex texts are developed through extensive consultation with diverse stakeholders. According to the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius member profile for India, these include:

Government agencies: Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Food Processing, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairy, and various boards including the National Dairy Development Board, Export Inspection Council, APEDA, Spices Board, and Tea Board.

Research institutions: Scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and its subsidiary institutions like NDRI, IARI, and CIFT; the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) including the National Institute of Nutrition; and CSIR institutions like CFTRI.

Industry and consumers: Representatives from industry associations and consumer organizations also participate in the consultation process, ensuring that diverse perspectives are considered.

How the NCCP facilitates international participation 🔗

India’s effective participation in Codex extends beyond mere attendance at meetings. The NCCP coordinates India’s involvement in Electronic Working Groups (EWGs), which are established by Codex Committees to undertake work between physical sessions. These EWGs seek worldwide consensus for greater acceptability of Codex Standards.

Indian delegates nominated to attend Codex meetings internationally must possess specific characteristics: expertise in the respective subject matter, ability to carry nationally agreed positions, skills to negotiate both formally and informally with delegates from other countries, and the capability to respond to unforeseen issues that may arise during meetings while protecting India’s interests.

After attending international meetings, delegates must submit reports within 30 days covering the discussions held, interventions made by India, decisions taken, and recommendations for future work.

Impact on Indian food standards 🔗

The work of the NCCP has tangible impacts on food safety in India. Through its coordination, India has contributed scientific and technical data on various issues including monitoring data on contaminants like arsenic in rice, lead in mango chutney, and aflatoxin in ready-to-eat peanuts, as well as data on pesticide residues in food.

India has also been active in developing standards for products where it has significant interests, particularly in areas like spices and culinary herbs, fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition and foods for special dietary uses, and food hygiene.

The harmonization of Indian food standards with Codex standards helps Indian food producers access international markets more easily while ensuring that imported foods meet safety benchmarks that protect Indian consumers.

India’s leadership in the Asian region 🔗

India has taken a leadership role in Codex activities within the Asian region. As the Regional Coordinator for FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA), India is a member of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This position allows India to contribute to the strategic planning and management of Codex’s standard development program at the highest level.

The path forward 🔗

As global food trade continues to expand and food safety challenges become more complex, the role of the NCCP becomes increasingly important. Emerging issues such as antimicrobial resistance, novel foods, e-commerce in food sales, and climate change impacts on food safety require coordinated international responses that begin with effective national Codex structures.

The NCCP ensures that India remains an active participant in shaping the global food safety agenda rather than merely a recipient of standards developed elsewhere. This proactive engagement protects both Indian consumers and the interests of India’s food industry in international trade.

What do you think? How aware are consumers about the international standards that govern the food they eat? Should there be more public education about organizations like the NCCP and their role in ensuring food safety?

References

1. https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/about-codex/en/
2. https://www.fao.org/food-safety/food-control-systems/policy-and-legal-frameworks/codex-alimentarius/en/
3. https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/coher_e/wto_codex_e.htm
4. https://fssai.gov.in/cms/c-codexindia.php
5. https://fssai.gov.in/cms/nccpfaq.php
6. https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/about-codex/members/detail/en/c/15721/
7. https://fssai.gov.in/cms/codex.php