Enhancing dairy sector export competitiveness - International Trade ...

ENHANCING DAIRY SECTOR EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS IN PAKISTANthe food supplies and associated food safety risks. For this, the process of developing international ruleson food safety was accelerated to shape them as multilateral agreements and standards. At present, theCodex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and the (WTO are two most important organizations covering ruleson food safety. The two organizations have presented comprehensive food safety strategies that influencedomestic regimes of the countries around the world.In the forthcoming paragraphs, role and functions of the Codex Alimentarius and the two multilateralagreements of the WTO on SPS and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) will be discussed to analyse impactof international rules on food safety.The Codex AlimentariusThe Codex Alimentarius consists of collection of internationally recognized food safety standards, codes ofpractice, general guidelines and other recommendations relating to food products and food production. Thestandards are developed and maintained by a body called the CAC, established by the FAO and theUnited Nations in 1961, while the World Health Organization (WHO) joined in 1962. The standards are alsorecognized by the WTO as international benchmark in food safety rules and are used as reference forresolving disputes among the member countries.The standards cover all types of food including raw, semi-processed or fully processed food which aredirectly marketed to the consumers. The text contains specific standards on food items including meatproducts (fresh, frozen, processed meat and poultry), milk and milk products, fish and fisheries (marine,freshwater and aquaculture), food for special dietary requirements (infant formula and baby foods) etc. andgeneral guidelines on matters such as food labelling, food additives, contamination of food, pesticide andveterinary residues in food (maximum residue limits), and food hygiene etc. In addition to the above, theCodex standards also contain recommendations for the governments on how to establish import andexport inspection services and a domestic certification system for food products. This implies that theCodex standards are scientifically justified and are accepted as benchmarks against which nationalmeasures and regulations on food safety are evaluated.In international trade, the CAC goes a step further beyond removing barriers to trade. It rather encouragestraders to adopt and accept ethical practises voluntarily that protect consumers’ health and promote fairtrade. The CAC contains a Code of Ethics for International Trade in Food, the general principles of whichare stated as following:(i) “International trade in food should be conducted on the principle that all consumers are entitled tosafe, sound and wholesome food and to protection from unfair trade practices.”(ii) “No food should be in international trade which:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)has in it or upon it any substance in an amount which renders it poisonous, harmful orotherwise injurious to health; orconsists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, rotten, decomposed or diseased substance orforeign matter, or is otherwise unfit for human consumption; oris adulterated; oris labelled, or presented in a manner that is false, misleading or is deceptive; oris sold, prepared, packaged, stored or transported for sale under insanitary conditions.”The code is currently being updated to reflect the impact of the WTO agreements on SPS and TBT oninternational trade. The main objective is that exporting countries should be stopped from dumping foodproducts of substandard quality and safety in international markets.58