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, established jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO), develops science-based food safety and quality standards to protect consumer health and ensure fair food trade practices.
The standards were finalized during the Eighth Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) hosted by India in Guwahati in October 2025, with the Spices Board serving as Secretariat. The standards underwent endorsement by three specialized Codex committees - the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS), Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA), and Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) - in their respective areas of competence before final adoption.
The newly adopted standards establish harmonized international quality benchmarks expected to facilitate smoother trade by promoting consistency in quality requirements across global markets. For India, a world-leading producer and exporter of large cardamom and coriander, these standards are anticipated to improve market access, promote fair trade practices, and enhance export competitiveness. The Codex Standard for Large Cardamom is particularly significant as the crop is indigenous to India's North-Eastern Himalayan region, while the coriander standard supports India's position as one of the world's largest producers and exporters. Although India currently imports substantial vanilla requirements, the vanilla standard provides a globally accepted quality framework that will support international trade consistency and strengthen consumer confidence.
Additionally, 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 and India's request to serve as Co-Chair being accepted. This appointment reflects India's growing technical expertise and active contribution to international food standards development, reaffirming the country's commitment to advancing science-based standards, promoting fair trade, safeguarding consumer interests, and enhancing global competitiveness of Indian agricultural and food products.