Dozens of new and amended food standards were adopted during the Codex Alimentarius Commission's annual meeting, held from 2 to 7 July 2007 at the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy. Some 133 countries attended the 13th session of the world's highest body on international food standards, which helps countries establish their own regulations, including standards in reducing various harmful chemicals in food products, such as wines, infant formulae and eggs and egg products.

The Commission was established in 1963 by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) to administer international food standards, ensure fair practices in the international food trade and maintain the Codex Alimentarius, which means "food code" or "food book" in Latin, often referred to simply as "Codex". It is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and recommendations relating to food items, production and safety. Along with standards for specific foods, the Codex contains general standards on food labelling, hygiene, additives and pesticide residues, as well as procedures for assessing the safety of foods derived from modern biotechnology and guidelines for the management of official and/or State food import and export inspection and certification systems.

Codex codes adopted during the session included: a measure that would reduce contamination of "Ochratoxin A", toxic to the kidneys, in wines; a revised standard for infant formulae, including those for special medical purposes to save babies' lives; and a revised code of hygiene for eggs and egg products to protect people from bacteria, such as "Salmonella Enteritidis". Codex also developed guidelines to reduce salmonella and campylobacter, which together cause a large proportion of food-borne diseases worldwide.

Participants witnessed two emerging developing countries-Brazil and Malaysia-stating their intentions to contribute to the Codex Trust Fund, which helps other developing countries to be involved in the Commission's meetings. This is the first example of developing economies supporting others in the realm of food safety. Dr. Jorgen Schlundt of the Department of Food Safety, Zoonoses and Foodborne Diseases at WHO hoped that the contributions by Brazil and Malaysia would "lead several more major emerging economies to follow suit, enabling a more efficient global food safety system".

Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretary Kazuaki Miyagishima stated that "it is important that extra safety measures are taken, using the same rigorous and internationally recognized principles, not only to protect consumers but to ensure they are consistent with multilateral trade rules." WHO and FAO praised the efforts by Codex to prevent antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in food and stated their readiness to support the Commission in the use of nanotechnology and in risk-benefit assessment of fish consumption, among other areas. They also launched the Global Initiative for Food Safety Scientific Advice (GIFSSA) in the hope to raise funds by spurring support among donors and civil society.
The Commission hopes to use this session's progress to implement new standards and boost cooperation and safety in the international food trade. Its next meeting will be in Geneva, starting on 30 June 2008.