The CODEX recommended methods of analysis play an important role in checking compliance with provisions in Codex standards. Foundation texts developed by the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS), such as General Standard on Methods of Analysis and SamplingCX234, provide an essential reference for food business operators and analysts.

From the 23 to 25 November 2020, a webinar was organised by the secretariat of Codex and of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling. The session was presented by experts from the Standard Development Organizations (SDO’s), as well as IDF’s involvement on the first day to present the latest developments.

During his presentation, Steve Holroyd (NZ), chair of the IDF Methods Standards Steering Group that oversees the development of joint IDF/ISO standards for methods of analysis and sampling, emphasized: “Codex standards are so important for international trade of safe food, in particular, standardized methods of analysis and sampling are key in obtaining reliable, accurate and comparable results among parties”.

The webinar series was also an opportunity for countries leading the work on various topics to provide updates on the 2nd and 3rd day of the webinar (24-25 November) on the following topics:

 

Steve Holroyd also emphasized that the current review of the dairy methods listed in the standard 234 were a “priority for IDF”.

The webinars were an excellent opportunity and platform to engage with the up to 200 experts via live polls and question and answer sessions in order to learn more about each topic in preparation of the next full session of the committee, currently scheduled for May 2021 in Budapest, Hungary.