Concerns About Hygiene: Codex Alimentarius Efficiency (Essay Sample)

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In view of the radical transformation of European Food Hygiene Regulations, the Codex Alimentarius no longer has any relevance to food safety in Europe.
Introduction
The Codex Alimentarius refers to a set of internationally documented standards, practice codes, and guidelines that have been established in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). A key role for the guidelines is to ensure the production and trade of health and safe food in order to protect consumer rights. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, on the other hand, facilitates in the coordination of food standard procedures carried out by international state and private organizations. The implementation of food guidelines and safety practices by the FAO and WHO has increased the consumer safety in the purchase of food products. Therefore, consumers can trust the quality and safety of food products imported since Codex Alimentarius guarantees consumers for the exact food product specifications ordered CITATION Fao98 \l 1033 (Fao, 1998). The Codex Alimentarius has 186 members, as of 2012, with one organization, the European Union (EU). On the other hand, there are 49 intergovernmental organizations, 150 non-state organizations, 16 United Nations organizations, and 215 Codex observers.
About Codex Alimentarius
The Codex Alimentarius has been relevant in ensuring food security in Europe. However, there have been myriad concerns about the efficiency of Codex Alimentarius and its reliability in the provision of safe and health products to consumers. According to some members of the Codex commission, issues of pesticides, food additives, and biotechnology have been of significant concern about the Codex Alimentarius. On the contrast, Codex guidelines are usually set by independent organizations such as independent international risk assessment agencies or some consultations managed by FAO and WHO. The Codex Alimentarius has created global awareness of the consumer food as a result of increased number of consumers around the world. Therefore, there have been various campaigns by the commission in concert with governments to ensure people acknowledge and select proper food type that they consume CITATION Joi07 \l 1033 (Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2007). In the past, Codex Alimentarius Commission has emphasized on food security issue across the world, significantly assisting in the inclusion of food issues in political agendas.
Codex Alimentarius efficiency
Over the past 20 years, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has emphasized on the issue of food security through international conferences, and successive meetings that have had an imperative role in the commission's activities. There have various national representatives from the FAO and WHO, United Nations General Assembly, Chemicals in Food and Food Trade, among others that have encouraged the adoption of Codex Alimentarius in ensuring food security and quality among consumers. According to the Global Fora of Food Safety Regulators, the codex system has provided a platform through which consumer rights around the globe are observed. Codex standards have been recommended in myriad cases when implementing certain national legislations in developing and developed world CITATION Joi07 \l 1033 (Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2007). The World Trade Organization made reference to the Codex guidelines concerning Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS) implying that the Codex Alimentarius plays a significant role in settling trade disputes CITATION Joi96 \l 1033 (Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, 1996). Therefore, WTO members wishing to apply for more stern food security methods more the Codex standards may be necessitated to justify their processes scientifically. The codex system has been utilized in the food trade industry in order to provide health and fair food trade practices.
Examples
The Codex Alimentarius has been effective in its operations over the last 50 years in the protection of consumer health and safe food trade practices. There have been various incidences that Codex has effectively dealt with in the past. For instance, Codex Alimentarius dealt with the China's incidence where children had fallen ill as a result of melamine-contaminated infant formula. According to the Codex experts, high melamine concentrations in food substances can result into kidney failure and also lead to death CITATION Fao98 \l 1033 (Fao, 1998). As a result of the aforementioned incidence, World Health Organization (WHO) took necessary steps in settling the melamine problem. In 2008, the Codex Alimentarius Commission came up with the standard level of melamine required for infant formula and also for other food substances. Therefore, the issue of melamine illust...