The decision of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the international food standards-setting body jointly set up by the FAO and the WHO, to adopt three Codex standards for pepper, cumin and thyme, at its just concluded meeting in Geneva, is not only a recognition of India’s stellar role to benchmark and harmonise global spices trade but it could also herald the entry of more spices and herbs in the list for universal trading of safe and quality spices in various countries, the Spices Board has said.

Spices Board Chairman A Jayathilak, who convened a meeting of the officials and delegates involved with the work and functioning of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) at Bolgatty Palace Kochi, said the historic decision of the CAC signalled the fact that spices had been included for the first time as commodities having universal standards. “This feat was achieved after India’s relentless efforts to set up the CCSCH, which conducted its three sessions at Kochi (2014), Goa (2015) and Chennai (2017) to create a common standardisation process for global spices trade,” he noted.

Lauding the efforts of the officials and delegates for this major recognition of India’s initiatives to forge a universal agreement on identifying quality spices in various countries, Jayathilak said the Codex standards were adopted by consensus with an overwhelming support from the member-countries of the CAC.