Context:
Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC) has accepted India’s proposal for the development of global standards for millets during its 46th session held in Rome, Italy.
News Summary:
- CAC approved India’s proposal for global standards on millets, covering Finger millet, Barnyard millet, Kodo millet, Proso millet, and Little millet as group standards.
- FSSAI has set group standards which specify 8 quality parameters for 15 types of millets.
- Quality parameters include – moisture content, uric acid content, weevilled grains and immature and shriveled grains etc.
- This endorsement coincided with celebration of International Year of Millets (2023).
Millets are small-grained, annual, warm-weather cereals belonging to grass family. They are Known as nutri-cereals as they provide most of nutrients essential for human body’s functioning.
Must Read: Millets and International Year of Millets (IYM) – 2023
About Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC):
- An international food standards body established in 1963.
- Established jointly by – WHO and FAO.
- Headquarters – Rome
- Members – 189 members (including India).
- Objective – To protect consumer’s health and ensure fair practices in food trade.
- Codex Alimentarius (Food Code) – A collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the CAC.
- Codex standards are voluntary.
- Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) of WTO recognizes Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations for international trade and trade dispute settlement.
Codex currently has standards for Sorghum and Pearl Millet.
3 international standard-setting organizations recognised by WTO’s SPS:
- Kown as ‘three sisters’.
- Food safety – Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC)
- Plant health – International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
- Animal health – World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH):
- Establishment: 2013
- Set up under Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), Rome.
- Terms of Reference – To elaborate worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs in their dried and dehydrated state in whole, ground, and cracked or crushed form.
- Mandate – To consult, as necessary, with other international organizations in the standards development process to avoid duplication.
- Host country – India
- Secretariat – Spices Board India (Ministry of Commerce and Industry)
Source: PIB
Previous Year Question
With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies, and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with a cluster approach.
2. Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have a larger stake in this scheme.
3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro irrigation equipment.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2016 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c)
