(US Federal Register)  – The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sponsored a public meeting on March 19, 2015. The objective of the public meeting was to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that will be discussed at the 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking place in San Jose, Costa Rica, from April 27-May 1, 2015.

The Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety and the Food and Drug Administration recognize the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 22nd Session of CCRVDF, and to address items on the agenda.

The Codex Alimentarius (Codex) was established in 1963 by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by its committees, and by promoting their adoption and implementation by governments, Codex seeks to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.

The CCRVDF is responsible for determining priorities for the consideration of residues of veterinary drugs in foods, recommending maximum levels of such substances; developing codes of practice as may be required, and considering methods of sampling and analysis for the determination of veterinary drug residues in foods.

Coordinating in Costa Rica with the U.S. government will be the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC) and the National Animal Welfare Service. The main goal of the meeting will be to update and prioritize the list of veterinarian medications and pesticides that can be respectively used in livestock and crops raised for human consumption.

The Codex Alimentarius is also a favorite topic among fans of conspiracy theories, who believe that business conglomerates (such as Monsanto) and governments confabulate to regulate the global food supplies.

The meeting will take place at the Hotel Real Intercontinental in Escazu.