FAO-WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission adopts new standards | FAO News

The United Nations food standards body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is meeting on 25–30 November 2024 to adopt food safety & quality standards.

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

Brief descriptions of some of the standards adopted at the 47th session of the Commission will be published below as they are approved.

For more information on the session, visit the CAC47 information page. 

Revision to the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (CXS 210-1999): inclusion of Avocado Oil

ADOPTED – 25.11.2024

CAC has agreed to the inclusion of avocado oil in the Standard for Named Vegetable Oils (CXS 210-1999), establishing science-based quality & purity as well as food safety criteria for this increasingly traded product. While it has been consumed in certain regions for millennia, recent growth in demand for healthier food products globally has seen a high value market develop for avocado oil. International agreement on the criteria included in the standard will help protect consumer health, facilitate trade, & provide a basis for determining the authenticity of the product.

In the relevant discussion paper reviewed by the Codex Committee on Fats & Oils, it is recognized that avocado oils are a natural source of vitamin E, & other bioactive compounds. The oils are usually cold pressed & filtered, & result in oils that are naturally free from trans fatty acids.