The
Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare (MOH&FW) has been designated
as the nodal Ministry for liaison with the Codex Alimentarius
Commission.
It
is also responsible for framing and implementation
of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act,1954 and
Rules, 1955, http://www.mohfw.nic.in/pfa.htm
the statutory Act under which the quality and safety
of food at the national level is regulated.
The
National Codex Contact Point (NCCP) as well as the
National Codex Committee (NCC), constituted by the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for keeping
liaison with the CAC, have been functioning since
1971.
The
National Codex Contact Point
acts
as the liaison office to coordinate with the other
concerned government departments (at central and state
level), food industry, consumers, traders, research
and development Institutions and academia, through
the National Codex Committee and its Shadow Committees
to
ensure that
the government is backed with an appropriate balance
of policy and technical advice upon which to base
decisions relating to issues raised in the context
of the CAC and its Subsidiary Bodies.
Core
Functions of NCCP-INDIA
The
NCCP has to perform the following core functions,
established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for
National Codex Contact Points:
-
Act
as a link between the Codex Secretariat and India
Member Body;
-
Coordinate all relevant Codex activities within
India ;
-
Receive all Codex final texts (standards, codes
of practice, guidelines and other advisory texts)
and working documents of Codex Sessions and ensure
that these are circulated to those concerned;
-
Send
comments on Codex documents or proposals to the
CAC or its subsidiary bodies and /or the Codex
Secretariat within the time frame;
-
Work
in close cooperation with the National Codex Committee
and its Shadow Committees;
-
Act as a channel for the exchange of information
and coordination of activities with other Codex
Members;
-
Receive invitations to Codex Sessions and inform
the relevant chairpersons and the Codex Secretariat
of the names of participants representing India;
-
Maintain a library of Codex final texts ; and
-
Promote Codex Activities throughout India
Responsibilities
of NCCP -INDIA
In
order to be able to discharge its core functions,
the NCCP has the following responsibilities:
-
Undertake
secretariat responsibilities to the National
Codex Committee;
-
Act as the contact point for the country for
maintaining liaison with the CAC in elaborating
international food standards;
-
Collect, procure and analyze data for elaborating
international food standards with the CAC;
-
Keep track of international food standards work
and give comments and data to ensure that international
food standards elaborated are practicable for
local manufactures and do not to hinder exports
of food products;
-
Undertake the study and research work to solve
any problem resulting from the elaboration of
international food standards;
-
Encourage food manufacturers to improve quality
and hygiene management to meet requirements
of international food standards; and
-
Disseminate information of food standards and
food laws to relevant government agencies, primary
producers, manufacturers, exporters, consumers
and concerned organizations.
To
get in touch with NCCP, click
here
