DUSHANBE, February 27, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajikistan has become member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which is engaged in developing food standards, according to Tajikistan’s State Center for Sanitary and Epidemiologic Supervision.

This brings membership of the Commission to 180 members (179 member countries and one member organization).

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The main purposes of this Programme are protecting health of the consumers and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organizations.