Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH]

Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] was constituted as a result of the focussed effort on the Spice Board of India, with the Ministry of Commerce actively supporting the effort. The commit was set up in 2013 to elaborate the worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs in their both dried and dehydrated condition, cracked, grounded, or crushed form. The Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] is the youngest of the Codex Commodity Committees. The current chairperson of the Committee is Dr M.R Sudharshan.

India is to serve as the host country, and the Spice Board of India will serve as the secretariat for the sessions of the committees. Spice Board is the flagship organization under the Minister of Commerce and Industry responsible for developing and promoting Indian Spices worldwide. Till now, Spice Board has organized five successful sessions of CCSCH. The first session was held in Kochi in 2014, the second in Goa in 2015, the third in Chennai in 2017, and the fourth in Thiruvananthapuram in 2019. The fifth session was held virtually due to the Covid-protocols.

Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] - Identifying the Purpose

Given that the international spice trade was getting affected due to the lack of any worldwide harmonized standards, the proposal for the setting up a new committee for Spices and Culinary herbs was initiated in 2012 at the initiative of the Spices Board of India.

And finally, the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] was approved during the 36th Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) Session held in the FAO headquarters in Rome in July 2013.

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Responsibilities of Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH]

• CCSCH is to consult as required with international level organizations in developing a standard process to avoid duplication. Since its inception, the committee has established globally equal and harmonized Codex standards for the Indian spices.
• Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH], formed under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), identifies the risk of unscrupulous and intended adulteration of spices by substitutes, given their high market value.
• It is also responsible for establishing and extending global standards for the covered spices and culinary herbs and maintaining collaboration with international organizations during the production process.

Recent Session of Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH]

The most recent and fifth session of CCSCH was held virtually for the COVID-19 pandemic challenges. The Fifth session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] was inaugurated by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India. The fifth virtual session was inaugurated by the Chairperson of FSSAI, Ms Rita Teaotia, IAS (retd.).

The committee on 20th -29th April 2021, during the fifth session, has finalized and also recommended the quality of four spices which are clove oregano, basil, and ginger. The committee also undertook the task of developing CODEX standards for turmeric and small cardamom. The committee also developed the first group standard for spices that comes under the definition of ‘dried fruits and berries.

FAQs on Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH]

Q.1 What is the full form of CCSCH?

The full form of CCSCH is Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs.

Q.2 Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] was created under CAC. What is CAC?

In 1963, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) created the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) as an intergovernmental body. It was created to protect consumer health and ensure fair trade practices as a part of the Joint Food Standards program.

Q.3. What is the gap between the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] sessions?

Ans. The sessions of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] are conducted at a gap of 18 months.

Q.4. When and where was the first session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] held?

Ans. The first session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs [CCSCH] was held in 2014 at Kochi.