Standardization is a method by which quality control can be maintained. This is done to maintain the minimum standard necessary for foodstuffs. Standard is something that is set up and established by authority for ensuring quantity, weight, extent, the value of quality, etc.
International Food Standards
1. ISO Standards
ISO stands for ‘International Organisation for Standardisation is an independent non-government organization, name of which is derived from Greek word ‘isos’ (equal). ISO standards are developed by groups of experts within technical committees (TCs) which deals with a different subject, like food safety or specific food products. Approx. 247 TCs of ISO is made by the representatives from industry, international or inter-governmental organizations (CAC, OIE), governments, and other stakeholders who are put forward by ISO’s members. The ISO has 21500 International Standards addressing issues relevant to consumers such as food safety, nutritional labeling, hygiene, food additives, etc.; out of which 1600 related to the food sector. For example, ISO 9000 and 22000 set out good management systems for ‘Quality Assurance and requirements for a ‘Food Safety Management system’, respectively and can be certified to. It can be used by any organization regardless of its size or position in the food chain. ISO covers :
Milk and milk products: With a portfolio of over 180 standards, ISO plays an important role in the safety, quality, and reliability of milk products throughout the dairy chain, from primary production to final consumption. The standards also include methods and guidelines for testing and analyzing the quantities of components in milk and products, like ISO-20633 specifies test methods for the quantitative determination of vitamins and other micronutrients in infant formula.
Cereals and pulses: The ISO has over 60 standards for cereals and pulses covering terminology, sampling, methods of test and analysis, product specifications, requirements for packaging and storage, and transportation. For example, the four-part series of ISO-21415 is for the determination of gluten content in wheat and the three-parts series of ISO-6322 is for safe and hygienic storage of cereals and pulses.
Food safety management systems: ISO also has a number of international standards for food safety management system aimed at ensuring food safety throughout the supply chain. ISO-22000 family addresses ‘Food Safety Management’ by providing guidelines and standards for managing risks in all areas of food production like catering, food manufacturing, packaging, farming including animal foodstuffs and feed. It defines the steps an organization must take to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards and ensure that food is safe for human consumption.
Fisheries and aquaculture: This ISO technical committee aims to promote sustainable development in the sector and has a number of standards, like ISO-12875 related to traceability and the environmental monitoring of impacts from fish farming.
Microbiology of the food chain and Method validation: This standard was developed to provide a common reference protocol for the validation of alternative methods against a reference method. Two-parts series of ISO-16140, describes, the terminology used in microbial testing (Part 1) and guidelines for the validation of microbiological test methods (Part 2). These standards are designed to help food and feed testing laboratories, test kit manufacturers, competent authorities, and food and feed business operators in implementing microbiological.
2. Codex Standards
Codex Alimentarius or Food Code is a collection of international food standards, codes of practice, and guidelines to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade. Codex standards, guidelines, and codes of practice (together referred to as Codex Texts) are voluntary recommendations made by the members of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) in all areas related to food safety and quality. The member countries need to take legal steps at the national level to incorporate the guidance into their legislation or regulations for it to be enforceable. The CAC is the principal organ of a worldwide food standards program. under the joint auspices of FAO and WHO. Codex Committees are the subsidiary bodies of the CAC and include nine general subject committees, fifteen specific commodity committees. six regional coordinating committees and time-limited ad-hoc Intergovernmental task forces on specific subjects.
General Principles of Codex Alimentarius
The Commission’s main task is to prepare an international codex alimentation, based on principles outlined in the statement prepared by the commission itself:
1. Purpose of the Codex Alimentarius
The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of internationally adopted food standards presented in a uniform manner. These food standards aim at protecting consumer’s health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. The publication is intended to guide and promote the elaboration and establishment of definitions and requirements for foods, to assist in their harmonization, and in so doing to facilitate international trade.
2. Scope of Codex Alimentarius
The Codex Alimentarius is to include standards for all the principal foods, whether processed, semi-processed, or raw for distribution to the consumer. The Codex Alimentarius is to include provisions in respect of food additives, pesticides residues, contaminants, labeling and presentation, methods of analysis and sampling.
3. Nature of Codex Standards
Codex standards contain requirements for food aimed at ensuring for the consumer, a sound, wholesome food product free from adulteration, correctly labeled and presented. A codex standard should, therefore, for any food or foods:
(i) Incorporate by reference to the applicable hygiene, labeling, method of analysis, and other general provisions adopted by the commission; and
(ii) Specify in whole or in part the following criteria, as appropriate :
(a) Product designation, definition, and composition: These should describe and define the food and cover compositional requirements which may include quality criteria.
(b) Hygiene requirements: These should include such factors as specific sanitary and other protective measures and safeguards to assure a sound, wholesome and marketable product.
(c) Weight and measure requirement: Such as fill of container, weight, measure, or count of units based on an appropriate method or criterion.
(d) Labeling requirements: These should include a specific requirement for labeling presentation.
(e) Sampling, testing, and analytical methods: These should cover specific sampling, testing, and analytical procedures.
4. Acceptance of Codex Commodity Standards
(i) Full acceptance
(a) Full acceptance means that the country concerned will ensure that a product to which the standard applies will be permitted to be distributed freely, in accordance with (c) below, within its territorial jurisdiction under the name and description laid down in the standard, provided that it complies with all the relevant requirements of the standard.
(b) The country will also ensure that products not complying with the standard will not be permitted to be distributed under the name and description laid down in the standard.
(c) The distribution of any sound products conforming with the standard will not be hindered by any legal or administrative provisions in the country concerned relating to the health of the consumer or to other food standard matters except for considerations of human, plant, or animal health which are not specifically dealt with in the standard.
(ii) Acceptance with specified deviations
Acceptance with specified deviations mean that the country concerned gives acceptance, as defined in paragraph 4. (i), to the standard with the exception of such deviations as are specified in detail in its declaration of acceptance; it being understood that a product complying with the standard as qualified by these deviations will be permitted to be distributed freely within the territorial jurisdiction of the country concerned. The country concerned will further, include in its declaration of acceptance a statement of the reasons for these deviations, and also indicate :
(a) whether products fully conforming to the standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction in accordance with paragraph 4.A(i);
(b) whether it expects to be able to give full acceptance to the standard and, if so, when.
(iii) Free distribution
A. A declaration of free distribution means that the country concerned undertakes that products conforming with a Codex commodity standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction insofar as matters covered by the Codex commodity standard are concerned.
B. A country that considers that it cannot accept the standard in any of the ways mentioned above should indicate:
(i) whether products conforming to the standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction;
(ii) in what ways its present or proposed requirements differ from the standard, and, if possible the reasons for these differences.
C. (i) A country which accepts a Codex standard according to one of the provisions of 4.A is responsible for the uniform and impartial application of the provisions of the standard as accepted, in respect of all home-produced and imported products distributed within its territorial jurisdiction. In addition, the country should be prepared to offer advice and guidance to exporters and processors of products for export to promote understanding of and compliance with the requirements of importing countries that have accepted a Codex standard according to one of the provisions of 4.A.
(ii) Where, in an importing country, a product claimed to be in compliance with a Codex standard is found not to be in compliance with that standard, whether in respect of the label accompanying the product or otherwise, the importing the country should inform the competent authorities in the exporting country of all the relevant facts and in particular the details of the origin of the product in question (name and address of the exporter), if it is thought that a person in the exporting country is responsible for such non-compliance.
5. Acceptance of Codex General Standards
A Codex general a standard may be accepted by a country in accordance with its established legal and administrative procedures in respect of the distribution of products to which the general standard applies, whether imported or home-produced, within its territorial jurisdiction in the following ways:
(i) Full acceptance
Full acceptance of a general standard means that the country concerned will ensure, within its territorial jurisdiction, that a product to which the general standard applies will comply with all the relevant requirements of the general standard except as otherwise provided in a Codex commodity standard. It also means that the distribution of any sound products conforming with the standard will not be hindered by any legal or administrative provisions in the country concerned, which relate to the health of the consumer or to other food standard matters and which are covered by the requirements of the general standard.
(ii) Acceptance with specified deviations
Acceptance with specified deviations mean that the country concerned gives acceptance, as defined in paragraph 5.A(i), to the general standard with the exception of such deviations. as are specified in detail in its declaration of acceptance. The country concerned will further include in its declaration of acceptance a statement of the reasons for these deviations, and also indicate whether it expects to be able to give full acceptance to the general standard and, if so, when.
(iii) Free distribution
A. A declaration of free distribution means that the country concerned undertakes that product conforming with the relevant requirements of a Codex general a standard may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction insofar as matters covered by the Codex general standard are concerned.
B. A country which considers that it cannot accept the general standard in any of the ways mentioned above should indicate in what ways its present or proposed requirements differ from the general standard, and if possible, the reasons for these differences.
C. (i) A a country that accepts a general standard according to one of the provisions of paragraph 5. A is responsible for the uniform and impartial application of the provisions of the standard as accepted, in respect of all home produced and imported products distributed within its territorial jurisdiction. In addition, the country should be prepared to offer advice and guidance to exporters and processors of products for export to promote understanding of and compliance with the requirements of importing countries that have accepted a general standard according to one of the provisions of paragraph 5.A.
(ii) Where, in an importing country, a product claimed to be in compliance with a general standard is found not to be in compliance with that standard, whether in respect of the label accompanying the product or otherwise, the importing the country should inform the competent authorities in the exporting country of all the relevant facts and in particular the details of the origin of the product in question (name and address of the exporter), if it is thought that a person in the exporting country is responsible for such non-compliance.
6. Acceptance of Codex Maximum Limits for Residues of Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs in Food
A Codex maximum the limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food may be accepted by a country in accordance with its established legal and administrative procedures in respect of the distribution within its territorial jurisdiction of (a) home-produced and imported food or (b) imported food only, to which the Codex maximum limit applies in the ways set forth below. In addition, where a Codex maximum limit applies to a group of foods not individually named, a country accepting such Codex maximum limit in respect of other than the group of foods, shall specify the foods in respect of which the Codex maximum limit is accepted.
(i) Full acceptance
Full acceptance of a Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food means that the country concerned will ensure, within its territorial jurisdiction, that a food, whether home-produced or imported, to which the Codex maximum limit applies, will comply with that limit. It also means that the distribution of a food conforming with the Codex maximum limit will not be hindered by any legal or administrative provisions in the country concerned which relate to matters covered by the Codex maximum limit.
(ii) Free distribution
A. A declaration of free distribution means that the country concerned undertakes that product conforming with the Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food may be distributed freely within its territorial jurisdiction insofar as matters covered by the Codex maximum limit are concerned.
B. A country which considers that it cannot accept the Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in foods in any of the ways mentioned above should indicate in what ways its present or proposed requirements differ from the Codex maximum limit and, if possible, the reasons for these differences.
C. A country which accepts a Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in the food according to one of the provisions of paragraph 6. A should be prepared to offer advice and guidance to exporters and processors of food for export to promote understanding of and compliance with the requirements of importing countries that have accepted a Codex maximum limit according to one of the provisions of paragraph 6.A.
D. Where, in an importing country, a food claimed to be in compliance with a Codex maximum limit is found not to be in compliance with the Codex maximum limit, the importing country should inform the competent authorities in the exporting country of all the relevant facts and, in particular, the details of the origin of the food in question (name and address of the exporter), if it is thought that a person in the exporting country is responsible for such non-compliance.
7. Withdrawal or Amendment of Acceptance
The withdrawal or amendment of acceptance of a Codex standard or a Codex maximum limit for residues of pesticides or veterinary drugs in food by a country shall be notified in writing to the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s Secretariat who will inform all Member States and Associate Members of FAO and WHO of the notification and its date of receipt. The country concerned should provide the information required under paragraphs 4.A(iii), 5.A(iii), 4.B, 5.B or 6.B above, whichever is appropriate. It should also give as long notice of the withdrawal or amendment as is practicable.
8. Revision of Codex Standards
The Codex Alimentarius Commission and its subsidiary bodies are committed to revision as necessary of Codex standards and related texts to ensure that they are consistent with and reflect current scientific knowledge and other relevant information. When required, a standard or related text shall be revised or removed using the same procedures as followed for the elaboration of a new standard. Each member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is responsible for identifying, and presenting to the appropriate committee, any new scientific and other relevant information which may warrant revision of any existing Codex standards or related texts.
