India achieved a significant milestone in international food standard-setting with the adoption of three Codex standards for large cardamom, coriander and vanilla at the Forty-Ninth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC49), held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 6 to 10 July 2026. The Commission also accepted India's request to serve as Co-Chair of a newly constituted Electronic Working Group (EWG) on risk analysis for new food products, reflecting the country's growing leadership in the development of international food standards.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), established jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), is the international body responsible for developing science-based food safety and quality standards to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

India plays a key role in Codex activities by hosting the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH), one of the five Codex commodity committees, with the Spices Board serving as its Secretariat. The standards for large cardamom, coriander and vanilla were finalised during the Eighth Session of the CCSCH, held in Guwahati in October 2025. They were subsequently endorsed by the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS), the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) and the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) in their respective areas of competence before being adopted by the Commission.

The newly adopted standards establish harmonised international quality benchmarks for these spices and are expected to facilitate smoother trade by promoting consistency in quality requirements across global markets. For India, one of the world's leading producers and exporters of large cardamom and coriander, the standards are expected to improve market access, promote fair trade practices and enhance export competitiveness.

The adoption of the Codex Standard for Large Cardamom is particularly significant as the crop is indigenous to the North-Eastern Himalayan region of India. The Codex Standard for Coriander is also important in view of India's position as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of the spice. While India currently imports a substantial proportion of its vanilla requirement, the Codex Standard for Vanilla provides a globally accepted quality framework that will support consistency in international trade and strengthen consumer confidence.

During the session, the Commission established an Electronic Working Group (EWG) to develop policy guidance on risk analysis for new food products, with the European Union serving as Chair. India's request to serve as Co-Chair of the EWG was accepted, reflecting the country's increasing technical expertise and active contribution to the development of international food standards.

These developments reaffirm India's commitment to advancing science-based international food standards, promoting fair trade, safeguarding consumer interests and enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian agricultural and food products.

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Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas