International Organizations

Below are information and links to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), International Dairy Federation (IDF), and World Trade Organization (WTO). Expanded information is available to members .

Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)

The United Nations solely entrusts Codex, an intergovernmental body, with the responsibility for developing international food standards. Codex consists of 23 commodity and subject committees. USDEC participates in nine of these committees.

Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP): Elaborates world-wide standards, codes and related texts for milk and milk products.

Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS): Develops principles and guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification systems with a view to harmonizing methods and procedures that protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trading practices and facilitate international trade in foodstuffs.

Codex Committee on Food Labeling (CCFL): Drafts provisions on labeling applicable to all foods.

Codex Committee on Food Additvies and Contaminants (CCFAC): Establishes or endorses permitted maximum or guideline levels for individual food additives, for contaminants (including environmental contaminants) and for naturally occurring toxicants in foodstuffs and animal feeds.

For more information about Codex click here.

International Dairy Federation (IDF)

IDF is an independent, non-governmental body that promotes the image, trade and consumption of milk and milk products. It is also the technical and scientific advisor to the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products (CCMMP).

The U.S. dairy industry is represented in the IDF through the United States National Committee of IDF (USNAC). USDEC staff provides input to USNAC and works with the U.S. dairy industry to identify conflicts between international and U.S. standards that could serve as international trade barriers.

IDF comprises 18 standing committees and three task force committees. USDEC staff participates in eight standing committees (listed below) and task forces, and tracks their activities in a special members-only section.

Standing Committee on Animal Health (SCAH): Informs the dairy sector about progress in the field of animal health and its impact on dairy economics, technology and animal welfare. Key topics include mastitis control schemes, antibiotic therapy, immunology, milk pathogens and animal diseases transmissible by milk and milk products.

Standing Committee on Food Additives (SCFA): Monitors, reviews, reports and advises on the regulation and use of additives, processing aids and flavors. Key topics include general standards for additives and processing aids for all food products.

Standing Committee on Food Labeling and Terminology (SCFLT): Monitors, reviews, reports, and advises on labeling principles and options as well as the correct use of dairy terms within the framework of the Codex General Standard for Use of Dairy Terms. Also assists Codex in adopting technically correct and feasible texts. Key topics include organic foods, nutrition and food for special dietary use, general standards for the use of dairy terms, legal aspects of biotechnology, health claims and labeling of transfatty acids.

Standing Committee on Microbiological Hygiene (SCMH): Monitors, reviews, reports, and advises Codex on hygiene management, its foundation, principles, procedures, options and measures. Their purview is the food chain and, where appropriate, achieving safe and suitable milk and milk products. Key topics include HACCP in small business and developing countries, hygienic practice for the transport of foodstuffs, reuse of processing water in food plants, antimicrobial resistant bacteria in food, export certificates, microbiological concerns of animal feeding and milk quality on the farm.

Standing Committee on Standards of Identify (SCSID): Elaborates on definitions and commodity standards for dairy products and related products and assists Codex in adopting technically correct and feasible Codex standards for these products. Key topics include standards for creams, fermented milks, dairy spreads, whey powders and milk protein products.

Task Force on Imitations of Milk and Milk Products: Assists Codex in considering the necessity to elaborate a standard for recombined products and derived products where milk components have been substituted by non-milk components. Key topics include proposed standards for products where milk fat has been replaced by vegetable fats.

Task Force on Codex Export Certificate for Milk and Milk Products: Assists Codex and, in particular, CCMMP in the development of a Codex Export Certificate for Milk and Milk Products. Monitors developments in other Codex committees, i.e., Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) and liaises with the International Office of Epizootics in relation to animal health requirements germane to the export certificate.

For more information about IDF click here.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. In 1995, the WTO identified the Codex Alimentarius Commission standards among the appropriate guidelines in resolving international trade disputes.

For more information about the WTO click here.