Regulatory Perspective in Translating Science into Policy: Challenges in Utilizing Risk Assessment for the Elaboration of Codex Standards of Shellfish Safety

摘要

The Codex Alimentarius Commission or Codex is an intergovernmental food standard setting organization. Its importance increased after the formal recognition of the Codex as the reference international organization for food safety standards in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS agreement). The SPS agreement includes provisions that require the use of science, including risk assessment, in standard setting. The specific provisionsare as follow:Article 2.2 Members shall ensure that any sanitary and phytosanitary measure is based on scientific principles.Article 5 Members shall ensure that their sanitary or phytosanitary measures are based on an assessment, as appropriate to the circumstances, of the risks to human, animal or plant life or health, taking into account risk assessment techniques developedby the relevant international organizations.