The United Nations food standards body Codex Alimentarius Commission is meeting in Geneva from 17 to 22 July 2017 to adopt food safety and quality standards.

Charged with protecting consumer health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade, the Codex Alimentarius is a joint initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Code of hygienic practice for fresh fruits and vegetables
Production, handling and preparation of all foods involves various risks. These can be reduced by following good agricultural and hygienic practices to help control microbial, chemical and physical hazards. This, in turn, minimizes the likelihood of foodborne diseases affecting consumers or negatively impacting public health. Such risks apply equally to fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission has adopted revisions updating its risk-based Code of Hygienic Practice for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 53-2003) to provide detailed guidance to stakeholders along fresh fruit and vegetable value chains - from producers through to final consumers.

The aim is to minimize microbial hazards, avoid risks to health, and maximize the safety of these nutritious food products, which are also of major economic importance for many countries in global trade.