OVER 275 participants from 65 member countries met during the fifth session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) and finalised quality standards for cloves, oregano, basil and ginger.

The discussions, hosted by India, were held virtually from April 20-29, underlining the importance of safe and quality food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The quality standards of the four spices were forwarded to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), an intergovernmental body established jointly by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), for adoption.

"These standards [dried/dehydrated forms of cloves, oregano, basil and ginger] will shortly join the ranks of the other four standards adopted earlier [dried or dehydrated forms of black/white/green pepper, cumin, thyme, and garlic], to form a body of reference for world spice trade and for member countries to align their national regulations," said the committee.

The committee also started to develop Codex standards for small cardamom and turmeric, and to develop the first group standard for spices that fall under the 'dried fruits and berries' grouping.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCSCH witnessed the highest participation ever with 275 participants from 65 member countries, one member organisation (European Union) and 11 international observer organisations.