The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) was inaugurated in Guwahati by Assam Governor Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya, highlighting India’s leadership in global spice standards. The event, hosted by the Government of India and the Spices Board under the Codex Alimentarius Commission, witnessed participation from 140 delegates across 40 nations. Leaders from FSSAI and Codex emphasised harmonised, science-based food standards to ensure food safety, fair trade, and enhanced farmer income through spice processing and export promotion.
The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) opened in Guwahati, reaffirming India’s pivotal role in shaping global food standards and trade in the spice sector.
Key points include:
- Assam Governor Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya emphasised India’s achievements in promoting turmeric as a superfood, approving over 200 spices for export, and enhancing farmers’ income through value addition, processing, and export initiatives. He also underlined the North-Eastern region’s potential as a growing hub for spice cultivation and trade.
- FSSAI CEO Shri Rajit Punhani stressed the importance of harmonised, science-based global standards to ensure food safety and fair trade, citing the global spice industry’s value at USD 28.5 billion (2024) and projected growth to USD 41.9 billion by 2033. He highlighted India’s leadership in global food safety collaborations, including the Codex Trust Fund and the 2025 Global Food Regulators Summit.
- Dr. Hilde Kruse of the Codex Secretariat acknowledged India’s strong support in developing international spice standards and praised the FSSAI and Spices Board for their continued contributions.
The session included deliberations on draft standards for key spices such as cardamom, coriander, and vanilla, to be recommended to the Codex Alimentarius Commission.