It’s bee day! The world is celebrating and raising awareness about these pollinators that are so vital to food and agriculture – for better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life! At Codex, Bee Day is also important for the honey that is produced by just 8 of the 20 000 species of bee. The safety and quality of honey produced by these honeybees is the subject of the Codex Standard for honey (CXS 12-1981). The Standard for honey, [...]

The third Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit (APFRAS), convened by the Government of the Republic of Korea, took place on 15 and 16 May 2025, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, under the theme "Exploring Sustainable Food Safety". It brought together senior representatives of food regulatory authorities in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss strategic cooperation with the goal of “promoting regulatory harmonization in response to global changes in the food environment”.  The Summit also heard about food safety innovation and ways [...]

The virtual 44th session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) has concluded with the adoption of the report and the hope on the part of the Committee Chairperson, Dr Attila Nagy, that CCMAS45 – planned for March 2026 – will meet physically in Budapest. In addition to expressing his hopes for next year, the Committee Chairperson wound up the session with thanks to the many people who worked behind the scenes to make this meeting [...]

FAO and WHO have launched the first ever World Food Safety Day poster competition! Launched on 7 May, the competition invites all students, from those at school to those studying for university degrees, to design a poster answering the question: “What makes food safe?” The competition acknowledges the key role of education in ensuring that the science of food safety continues to innovate and provide the basis of food safety advice. It also recognizes the enthusiastic engagement of schools and universities in [...]

To commemorate the 24th Food Safety Day, the Republic of Korea held an official ceremony on 8 May. Since 2002, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has designated 14 May as Food Safety Day each year to promote public understanding, raise awareness, and foster a shared commitment to food safety. To complement this day, the period 7–21 May has been designated as Food Safety Week, during which a wide range of events and activities are held. From 8 to 9 [...]

In Nepal, a recent study with a mixed approach of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) and behavioural science among the poultry farmers on antimicrobial use has helped researchers gather data that will help them understand not only where there are gaps in knowledge around antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but also the influences on relevant behaviours that will help authorities support farmers and veterinarians to work towards good practices. The study was carried out under the Action to support implementation of Codex AMR [...]

The 44th session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) has commenced in a virtual format, with an opening speech from the Codex Alimentarius Commission Chairperson, Allan Azegele, who emphasized the fundamental importance of CCMAS work to Codex texts. “CCMAS is a highly specialized committee and plays a critical role in the Codex system,” he said. “The soundness of food standards depends heavily on the reliability and comparability of analytical methods and the consistency of sampling [...]

The eleventh session of the Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes (CCCPL11) has concluded its work by correspondence, with agreement on the way forward for the development of a group standard for whole millet grains. The Committee agreed to form a new electronic working group (EWG), which will be chaired by India, and co-chaired by Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. The EWG will work to agree on an appropriate structure for the new group standard, noting that established Codex group standards [...]

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published the summary report of the Food Safety Foresight Framework Meeting, which took place from 1–3 April 2025 at FAO headquarters in Rome. Sixteen experts from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and Oceania participated in the meeting, from governments, the private sector, international organizations, universities and research institutes, as well as two colleagues from the UN World Food Programme. The summary report includes the executive summary [...]

The 44th session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS44) will be held in a virtual format from 5 to 8 May, with report adoption on 14 May. While time zone differences remain a logistical hurdle, the virtual setting opens doors for broader participation from Members, Observers and overall experts worldwide. We recently spoke with Attila Nagy to gain insights into the agenda of CCMAS44, including the review of methods of analysis and sampling plans in [...]