India wins adoption of 7 Codex standards at Geneva meet

Five more texts were adopted under India's co-chairmanship. The Codex Standards for Vanilla and Large Cardamom establish harmonized quality requirements for those commodities. The Annexes to Guidelines for the Safe Use and Reuse of Water in Food Production and Processing aim to promote sustainable water management without compromising food safety. The Guidelines for the Control of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Chicken Meat target foodborne illnesses linked to poultry. The Provisions Relevant to Joint Presentation and Multipack Formats under the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods seek to clarify labelling rules.

The cashew kernel proposal received broad support from Codex members, FSSAI said. It will be developed under the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables. India is the world's second-largest producer of cashews and a major exporter, and the standard is expected to reduce technical barriers to trade and strengthen market access for Indian shipments.

India was also elected co-chair of the Electronic Working Group on New Food Sources and Production Systems. That group will review existing regulatory frameworks, identify gaps in Codex risk analysis principles, and assess whether new Codex guidance is needed.

FSSAI said the outcomes reinforce India's commitment to the global food standards system through scientific cooperation and consensus-building. The agency said the standards should benefit Indian farmers, food businesses, exporters and consumers by making international trade more predictable.