“The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) was inaugurated yesterday in Guwahati by the Honourable Governor of Assam, Shri Laxman Prasad Acharya, reaffirming India’s leading role in shaping global food standards and trade practices”
Guwahati 14/10/2025 Report By Santosh Seth
The Session is being hosted by the Government of India, with the Spices Board of India serving as the Secretariat under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
The Commission is a joint intergovernmental body of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) that promotes food safety, quality, and fair practices in international trade.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Acharya emphasized the important role of CCSCH in conserving and enhancing India’s vast spice biodiversity.
He commended India’s proactive initiatives, such as promoting turmeric as a superfood and approving the export of over 200 spices, which reflect the country’s growing strength in the global spice sector.
Highlighting the potential of Assam and the Northeast region to emerge as spice hubs, the Hon’ble Governor emphasized that advanced processing facilities, value addition, and export promotion measures are significantly improving farmers’ incomes and contributing to the region’s social and economic development.
Furthermore, Mr. Acharya commended the collaborative efforts of the Government of India and the Spices Board in strengthening the Indian spice value chain, aligning domestic standards with global standards, and ensuring food safety and quality for consumers worldwide.
Delivering a special address, Mr. Rajit Punhani, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), underlined the economic and cultural importance of spices and said that the global spice industry, valued at US$28.5 billion in 2024, is projected to reach US$41.9 billion by 2033. He stressed the need for harmonized, science-based food standards to ensure consumer safety and promote equitable global trade.
Mr. Punhani also highlighted India’s leadership in international capacity-building initiatives under the Codex Trust Fund and the success of the Global Food Regulators Summit held in September 2025, which strengthened global cooperation on food safety and regulatory convergence.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Hilde Krause, Senior Food Safety Officer, Codex Secretariat, thanked the Government of India and the Spices Board for hosting the session and commended India’s continued support through FSSAI and the Spices Board in advancing harmonized global standards for spices and culinary herbs.
She commended the Committee’s progress over the past 11 years and the recent Global Food Regulators Summit organized by FSSAI in Delhi for underscoring the importance of harmonized international standards.
This session will deliberate on draft proposed standards for key spices and culinary herbs, including cardamom, coriander, and vanilla, and recommendations will be submitted to the Codex Alimentarius Commission for consideration and approval.
The event was also attended by Dr. Alka Rao, Advisor to FSSAI, Dr. M.R. Sudarshan, Chairman of CCSCH, and other senior officials from FSSAI, CCSCH, and the Spices Board of India.
The session concluded with enthusiastic participation from 140 delegates from 40 countries. This demonstrates the global commitment to harmonizing food standards and strengthening international cooperation in the spice sector.
