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Guidelines and Codex

Codex Alimentarius and Food Safety Guidelines

Every Codex standard, guideline and code of practice a South African manufacturer works from, with what actually changed at the July 2026 Commission, and a link straight to the official document.

Last verified against the FAO Codex catalogue on 10 September 2026

Codex changed in July 2026, and most of what is written about it online is wrong. The July session was CAC49, not CAC48, and its biggest outcome was the first international rule on when a “may contain” statement may be used. This page carries all 382 documents, 378 of them linked to the official source, and a change log of the 21 things that moved at the November 2025 and July 2026 sessions.

322Codex texts listed
38changed in 2025 or 2026
60other guidance documents
378linked to the official source

Which Codex texts this register updated for 2025 and 2026

The Commission meets once a year and adopts everything its committees have forwarded in a single batch, so Codex moves in large annual steps. Two sessions fall inside the period most South African manufacturers still have not caught up with.

  • CAC48, 10 to 14 November 2025, FAO headquarters, Rome. Lead limits added for dried spices and herbs, the peanut aflatoxin code rewritten for the first time in over twenty years, more than 500 additive provisions revised, and five pesticides stripped of all Codex residue limits.
  • CAC49, 6 to 10 July 2026, Geneva. Precautionary allergen labelling brought into CXS 1-1985 for the first time, the Listeria and chicken meat guidelines revised, water reuse extended to fish, INS 475 cut across 19 food categories, and six new commodity standards adopted.

Below is each change, what it is, and what it means for a manufacturer. Items marked Act on this change something you are probably doing today.

  • CXC 1-1969General Principles of Food HygieneAct on this
    Unchanged · No change · still the 2022 revision

    Neither CAC48 nor CAC49 changed the General Principles of Food Hygiene. The published text still reads Adopted 1969. Amended 1999. Revised 1997, 2003, 2020, 2022. A revision is in progress at the Committee on Food Hygiene but has not been adopted.

    Why it matters to you. Worth stating plainly, because a 2026 edition of CXC 1-1969 is regularly claimed and does not exist. The 2022 revision, with its HACCP annex, remains the current text.

  • CXC 55-2004Code of Practice for the Prevention and Reduction of Aflatoxin Contamination in PeanutsAct on this
    Revised · CAC48 · November 2025

    The first revision in more than twenty years. It adds a table of peanut reproductive growth stages to guide harvest timing, extends the scope to feed made from peanut by-products, and adds a section on the part roasting plays in reducing aflatoxin.

    Why it matters to you. South Africa grows and imports groundnuts, and aflatoxin is the country's most persistent mycotoxin problem. This is the current control reference.

  • CXC 80-2020Code of Practice on Food Allergen Management for Food Business OperatorsAct on this
    Amended · CAC49 · 2026

    The introduction, the scope at 2.1 and the definitions at 2.3 were amended so the list of allergenic foods and the related definitions match the revised CXS 1-1985. The published text carries AMENDED 2026.

    Why it matters to you. If your allergen policy quotes the 2020 definitions, the wording is now out of step with the standard your customer audits against.

  • CXG 100-2023Guidelines for the Safe Use and Reuse of Water in Food Production and ProcessingAct on this
    Revised · CAC49 · July 2026

    New annexes were adopted on fish and fishery products and on fit for purpose assessment, safety management and technologies for recovering reusable water, with consequential amendments to the existing sections.

    Why it matters to you. Water reuse is a live issue for South African sites under water restriction. These annexes are the defensible basis for a reuse decision.

    Adopted at the Commission. The consolidated text had not been republished on the FAO site when we checked on 10 September 2026, so the adopted wording is not yet in the downloadable PDF.
  • CXG 61-2007Guidelines on the Application of General Principles of Food Hygiene to the Control of Listeria monocytogenes in FoodsAct on this
    Revised · CAC49 · July 2026

    A full modernisation, with a new ready to eat definition built on what consumption is reasonably foreseeable. It now reaches products such as diced cantaloupe, frozen vegetables and cold smoked fish. The published text carries REVISED 2026.

    Why it matters to you. If you make a product a consumer might eat without cooking, this revision may have pulled it into scope for the first time. Environmental monitoring programmes need re-scoping.

  • CXG 78-2011Guidelines for the Control of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Chicken MeatAct on this
    Revised · CAC49 · July 2026

    The first full revision since 2011, incorporating JEMRA scientific advice and adding coverage of antimicrobial resistance and storage temperatures.

    Why it matters to you. The reference text for poultry processors and for anyone writing a Salmonella control plan for chicken.

    Adopted at the Commission. The consolidated text had not been republished on the FAO site when we checked on 10 September 2026, so the adopted wording is not yet in the downloadable PDF.
  • CXS 1-1985General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged FoodsAct on this
    Amended · CAC49 · July 2026

    A new annex, Guidelines on the use of precautionary allergen labelling, was added, and sections 4.2.2, 4.3.4, 4.7.1(vii) and 8.1.3.1 were revised. The published text now carries AMENDED 2026 on its cover.

    Why it matters to you. This is the first international rule on when a may contain statement is allowed. It is the biggest labelling change in this cycle and it reaches every exporter writing allergen copy.

  • CXS 192-1995General Standard for Food AdditivesAct on this
    Revised · CAC49 · July 2026

    Permitted use levels of polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, INS 475, were reduced across 19 food categories after JECFA advice that the acceptable daily intake could be exceeded.

    Why it matters to you. A reformulation risk for emulsified products and bakery. Check every recipe that uses INS 475 against the new levels.

  • CXS 193-1995General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and FeedAct on this
    Amended · CAC48 · November 2025

    New maximum levels for lead were added: 2.5 mg per kg in dried bark spices such as cinnamon, and 2.0 mg per kg in dried culinary herbs. Outdated radionuclide guidance was removed. The cover now reads last amended in 2025.

    Why it matters to you. Directly relevant to South African spice blenders, herb packers and importers. Lead in spices is a recurring rejection reason in export markets.

  • Codex pesticide maximum residue limitsCodex MRLs for pesticidesAct on this
    Revoked and adopted · CAC48 · November 2025

    Around 200 new pesticide and commodity MRLs were adopted across roughly 27 pesticides. All Codex MRLs were revoked for fenthion, methyl parathion, dinocap, amitraz and bitertanol, and methamidophos MRLs were revoked for cottonseed, fodder beet, potato and sugar.

    Why it matters to you. If you relied on a Codex MRL as an import tolerance fallback for any of those five actives, that fallback is gone.

    Reported from the session outcome rather than read out of the adopted report. Confirm the exact figure against the Codex text before you rely on it.
  • CXG 108-2026Guidelines on the Application of Food Labelling Provisions in EmergenciesWorth knowing
    New text · CAC49 · July 2026

    A new guideline letting a competent authority temporarily permit departures from specific labelling requirements during a supply disruption or emergency, provided the flexibility is risk based, proportionate and does not mislead the purchaser or endanger vulnerable groups.

    Why it matters to you. The text a manufacturer would point to when asking a regulator for labelling relief during a shortage.

  • CXG 85-2014, CXG 86-2015, CXG 88-2016The three Codex parasite control guidelinesWorth knowing
    Amended · CAC49 · July 2026

    The guidelines on Taenia saginata in cattle meat, Trichinella in meat of Suidae and the control of foodborne parasites were amended to align with the general principles of food hygiene.

    Why it matters to you. Relevant to abattoirs and meat processors, and to anyone whose HACCP plan lists a parasite hazard.

    Adopted at the Commission. The consolidated text had not been republished on the FAO site when we checked on 10 September 2026, so the adopted wording is not yet in the downloadable PDF.
  • CXM 2Maximum Residue Limits and Risk Management Recommendations for Residues of Veterinary Drugs in FoodsWorth knowing
    Amended · CAC49 · July 2026

    The first camelid MRLs were adopted, covering tetracyclines in camelid kidney, liver, milk and muscle and ivermectin in camelid milk, together with action levels for lasalocid and nicarbazin in chicken eggs.

    Why it matters to you. The egg action levels matter to South African egg producers and packers using coccidiostats.

    Reported from the session outcome rather than read out of the adopted report. Confirm the exact figure against the Codex text before you rely on it.
  • CXS 1-1985General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged FoodsWorth knowing
    Amended · CAC49 · July 2026

    Amendments were also adopted on multipacks and joint presentations, covering ingredient lists, net contents and date marking where several packages are sold as one unit.

    Why it matters to you. Affects anyone selling shrink wrapped multipacks, promotional twin packs or gift packs.

  • CXS 192-1995General Standard for Food AdditivesWorth knowing
    Revised · CAC48 · November 2025

    More than 500 additive provisions were revised, most of them colours. Bixin based annatto extracts were revoked in fermented milks and norbixin based annatto extracts were newly adopted in pasteurized, canned or bottled fruit.

    Why it matters to you. Colour provisions move more often than any other part of the GSFA. Anyone specifying annatto needs the current table.

  • CXS 234-1999Recommended Methods of Analysis and SamplingWorth knowing
    Amended · CAC49 · 2026

    The standard was restructured and republished. Its cover now reads AMENDED 2026.

    Why it matters to you. This is the text a laboratory or a customer cites when arguing about which method is acceptable. Quoting the old structure will cost you the argument.

  • CXG 106-2025Guidelines for Monitoring the Stability and Purity of Reference Materials and Related Stock Solutions of Pesticides During Prolonged StorageFor reference
    New text · CAC48 · November 2025

    New guidelines letting a laboratory keep using a pesticide reference material past its expiry date where purity is demonstrated to remain acceptable.

    Why it matters to you. A cost saving for residue laboratories, and the justification an assessor will want to see.

  • CXS 363-2025Standard for Fresh DatesFor reference
    New text · CAC48 · November 2025

    The first international standard for fresh dates, after about a decade of development, setting quality categories by size, colour, shape and uniformity, packaging requirements and minimum safety provisions.

    Why it matters to you. A specification reference for date importers and packers.

  • CXS 366-2026, CXS 367-2026, CXS 368-2026, CXS 369-2026Four new spice standardsFor reference
    New texts · CAC49 · July 2026

    New standards for fresh curry leaves, vanilla, large cardamom and coriander seed.

    Why it matters to you. Specification references for spice importers, blenders and packers.

  • CXS 370-2026Standard for Baker's YeastFor reference
    New text · CAC49 · July 2026

    A new commodity standard for baker's yeast, and the first commodity standard ever developed by the Codex Committee on Food Additives.

    Why it matters to you. A specification reference for bakeries and yeast suppliers.

  • Codex Strategic Plan 2026 to 2031Codex Alimentarius Commission Strategic Plan 2026 to 2031For reference
    In force · CAC48 · published 7 August 2026

    The current strategic period is 2026 to 2031. The plan was adopted at CAC47 in 2024, its monitoring framework was adopted at CAC48 in November 2025, and the plan was published online in all six United Nations languages on 7 August 2026.

    Why it matters to you. Tells you where Codex work is heading, which is useful when you are deciding what to build into a system now.

Not sure which of these changes reaches your product?

Send us your product list and your export markets. One of our consultants will tell you exactly which of the November 2025 and July 2026 Codex changes touches what you make, and what has to change on the label, in the specification or in the HACCP plan. Consultation from R480 an hour.

Ask us what applies to youBrowse the toolkitsTrain the team on what changed

The may contain annex, and where the full analysis sits

This is the change with the widest reach, so it is worth setting out properly. Until July 2026 there was no international rule on precautionary allergen labelling. A manufacturer could print “may contain nuts” on anything, and many did, as cheap insurance. The consequence was that consumers with a genuine allergy learned to ignore the warning, which made the warning worthless to the people it was meant to protect.

The annex adopted at CAC49 changes the logic. Precautionary labelling is now the last step, not the first. You put allergen management measures in place, you carry out a risk assessment, and only where the assessment shows the residual risk cannot be adequately controlled may you apply a precautionary statement. Where you do, it must begin with “may contain” or an equivalent phrase, so that consumers see one form of words rather than a dozen.

The assessment is anchored to reference doses, expressed as milligrams of total protein from the allergenic source. These are the figures printed in the annex.

Reference doses in the annex to CXS 1-1985, adopted July 2026
Reference doseAllergenic foods
1.0 mg total proteinAlmond, Brazil nut, cashew, pistachio, macadamia, pine nut, walnut, pecan, celery, mustard
2.0 mg total proteinPeanut, egg, milk, sesame
3.0 mg total proteinHazelnut
5.0 mg total proteinWheat, fish
10.0 mg total proteinBuckwheat, lupin, soy
200.0 mg total proteinCrustacea
4.0 mg total glutenCereals containing gluten, for coeliac disease

Two practical consequences. First, a precautionary statement you cannot justify with a risk assessment is now a labelling defect rather than a safe default, and a GFSI auditor reading the 2026 texts will ask to see the assessment. Second, CXC 1-1969 is unchanged, so the allergen controls you validate against remain those in the 2022 revision and in CXC 80-2020, which was itself amended in 2026 to match the new definitions.

Open the 2026 amended CXS 1-1985, including the precautionary allergen labelling annexPDF hosted by ASC

Your allergen risk assessment now has to carry the may contain decision

The new annex makes an unjustified precautionary statement a defect, and the justification is a documented risk assessment against the reference doses above. ASC supplies an allergen risk assessment built for exactly this, and our consultants carry them out on site. Risk assessments and clause mapped toolkits from R699, each with an hour of premium consultation.

Get the allergen risk assessmentAllergen Management course, R1,450Have ASC do it with you

How to use this register

Search by code, by product or by subject. CXC 1-1969, allergen, Listeria, aflatoxin, cinnamon, canned fish and labelling all work. The coloured buttons narrow the register by what you make, the hazard you are controlling, the part of the site or system involved, or the legal duty behind it.

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Find the texts for your product or your hazard

Green: what you makeBurgundy: the hazard on itGrey: the site and the systemAmber: the legal duty
Document links open the official FAO Codex PDF or the publishing body’s own page, not an ASC page.Red blocks are ASC services and products.

Jump to a group of Codex texts

26Food hygiene, HACCP and pathogen control26 texts, 2 changed recentlyJump to this section →12Labelling, claims and consumer information12 texts, 1 changed recentlyJump to this section →25Contaminants, toxins and mycotoxins25 texts, 2 changed recentlyJump to this section →9Food additives and processing aids9 texts, 3 changed recentlyJump to this section →14Pesticide residues, veterinary drugs and antimicrobial resistance14 texts, 1 changed recentlyJump to this section →14Methods of analysis and sampling14 texts, 1 changed recentlyJump to this section →17Inspection, certification, import and export17 textsJump to this section →19Nutrition, special dietary uses and biotechnology19 textsJump to this section →11Meat, poultry and eggs11 texts, 2 changed recentlyJump to this section →26Fish and fishery products26 texts, 4 changed recentlyJump to this section →31Milk and milk products31 textsJump to this section →55Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables55 texts, 2 changed recentlyJump to this section →22Cereals, pulses, legumes and vegetable proteins22 texts, 7 changed recentlyJump to this section →18Spices and culinary herbs18 texts, 8 changed recentlyJump to this section →16Fats, oils, sugars, honey, cocoa and beverages16 texts, 5 changed recentlyJump to this section →7Regional standards7 textsJump to this section →

The Codex Alimentarius register

All 322 texts: 50 codes of practice, 84 guidelines and 185 commodity standards, grouped by what they are for. Every Codex text is a free download from FAO, so each entry links straight to the official PDF rather than to a summary of it.

Food hygiene, HACCP and pathogen control26 texts, 2 changed in 2025 or 2026

The texts every manufacturer works from. CXC 1-1969 is the parent of every HACCP system in the world.

Labelling, claims and consumer information12 texts, 1 changed in 2025 or 2026

What must appear on a pack, what may be claimed, and the new rules on may contain statements.

Contaminants, toxins and mycotoxins25 texts, 2 changed in 2025 or 2026

Maximum levels for contaminants and the codes of practice for staying below them.

Food additives and processing aids9 texts, 3 changed in 2025 or 2026

The General Standard for Food Additives, the numbering system and the additive specifications.

Pesticide residues, veterinary drugs and antimicrobial resistance14 texts, 1 changed in 2025 or 2026

Residue limits, the commodity classification, and the antimicrobial resistance texts.

Methods of analysis and sampling14 texts, 1 changed in 2025 or 2026

What a laboratory is expected to use, and what a customer can insist on.

Inspection, certification, import and export17 texts

The texts a competent authority and an importing country rely on. Read these before an export dispute.

Nutrition, special dietary uses and biotechnology19 texts

Infant formula, foods for special dietary uses, nutrient reference values and foods derived from biotechnology.

Meat, poultry and eggs11 texts, 2 changed in 2025 or 2026

Hygiene and commodity texts for red meat, poultry and egg products.

Fish and fishery products26 texts, 4 changed in 2025 or 2026

The code of practice and the commodity standards, including the canned fish standards.

Milk and milk products31 texts

Cheese, butter, milk powders, fermented milks and the dairy commodity standards.

Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables55 texts, 2 changed in 2025 or 2026

Quality standards for fresh produce and for canned, frozen and dried products.

Cereals, pulses, legumes and vegetable proteins22 texts, 7 changed in 2025 or 2026

Grain and pulse standards, including the maize, wheat, rice, sorghum and peanut standards updated in 2026.

Spices and culinary herbs18 texts, 8 changed in 2025 or 2026

The fastest growing part of the Codex catalogue, with four new standards adopted in July 2026.

Fats, oils, sugars, honey, cocoa and beverages16 texts, 5 changed in 2025 or 2026

Edible fats and oils, sugars and honey, cocoa and chocolate, natural mineral waters and soups.

Regional standards7 texts

Standards adopted for one region rather than the whole world, including the Africa region.

Reading the Codex text is free. Turning it into a system that passes an audit is the work.

Every document on this page costs nothing to download. What costs money is discovering during an audit that your HACCP plan, your specifications or your labels were built on a superseded edition. ASC supplies clause mapped document toolkits and risk assessments, or implements the system with you.

Browse the toolkits and risk assessmentsHACCP Mastery Pathway, R6,300Have ASC implement it with you

Training on the texts on this page

Reading a Codex text and being able to work to it are different things, and an auditor tests the second one. Every course below is delivered by ASC, a FoodBev SETA Accredited Provider, No. 587/00337/1900. They are self paced online with lifetime access and a QR verifiable certificate, and ASC does not charge VAT on training, so the price you see is the price you pay.

What you are working fromThe ASC course that covers it
The new precautionary allergen labelling annex to CXS 1-1985, and CXC 80-2020 as amended in 2026Allergen risk assessment, cross contact control, cleaning validation and how to justify a may contain statement.Allergen Management in Food Supply Chain Course, R1,450
CXS 1-1985 labelling, CXG 1-1979 claims and CXG 23-1997 nutrition and health claimsReading a label against the standard and the South African regulations, and defending a claim.Essentials of Food Labelling Claims for Food Manufacturing Course, R1,250
Advanced Food and Beverage Labelling Course, R2,950
Labelling Claims & Regulatory Framework Course, R1,750
CXC 1-1969 General Principles of Food Hygiene and its HACCP annex, still the 2022 revisionFrom what a hazard is through to building, validating and verifying a full HACCP system.Introduction to HACCP Course, R1,195
HACCP for Supervisors and HACCP Teams Course, R2,730
Advanced HACCP System Implementation Course, R3,950
HACCP Mastery Pathway: Fundamentals to Advanced HACCP System Implementation, R6,300
The prerequisite programme chapters of CXC 1-1969, and the codes of hygienic practiceGood manufacturing practice and the prerequisite standard an auditor checks first.Implementation of Good Manufacturing Practices Course, R1,950
ISO22002-100:2025 The PRP Standard Requirements, R2,100
CXG 61-2007 Listeria, CXG 78-2011 Campylobacter and Salmonella, CXG 21-1997 microbiological criteriaWhat the organisms actually do, how to sample for them, and how to read a laboratory result.Introduction to Food Microbiology (for Non-microbiologists) Course, R1,195
Intermediate Food Microbiology: Principles and Application Course, R1,450
Advanced Food Microbiology Course, R1,750
The ready to eat scope in the revised CXG 61-2007, and shelf life justificationHow to design and defend a shelf life study, which is what the new ready to eat definition forces.Overview of Conducting a Shelf-Life Study, R799
CXG 69-2008 validation of control measures, and the internal audit clause in every schemePlanning and running internal and supplier audits, and writing findings that stand up.Internal and Supplier Auditing Practices based on FSMS Course, R3,500
Corrective action and root cause, which every Codex code of practice assumes you can doGetting past the symptom to the cause, and closing a non conformance so it does not return.An Overview of Root Cause Analysis Course, R649
Root Cause Analysis 1, Day Course, R1,250
Food fraud and food defence, the vulnerability and threat assessments schemes now requireVACCP and TACCP assessments, and the mitigation plan that follows from them.Food Fraud (VACCP) and Food Defence (TACCP) Course, R1,450
Food safety culture, a requirement in every GFSI recognised schemeFor managers and supervisors, who are the people the culture requirement actually measures.Food Safety and Quality Culture Course for Management and Supervisors, R1,195
The people on the floor, who are what the codes of hygienic practice are really aboutShort, practical food handler training, priced so you can put a whole shift through it.Basic Food Hygiene Awareness for Food Handlers Course, R420
Basic Food Safety Practices for Food Handlers Course, R899
Persons in charge of food premises, for the Certificate of Acceptability under R.638SAATCA and HPCSA accredited. The course an environmental health practitioner expects to see.SAATCA & HPCSA Accredited Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises Course, R1,699

Prices as at 10 September 2026. Group and site licence rates are available for teams, and bundles carry a discount against the individual course prices.

Put the whole team through the texts, not just the food safety manager

A Codex text only protects you once the people doing the work understand it. ASC courses run online, at each person’s own pace, with lifetime access, and there is no VAT on the price. Start a team on the HACCP Mastery Pathway at R6,300, or put a shift through food handler training from R420 a person.

Browse all ASC coursesHACCP Mastery Pathway, R6,300Ask about group rates

Where a Codex text can reach you in South Africa

Not on its own. Codex texts are voluntary international reference standards, adopted by governments through the Commission rather than enacted by any parliament. In practice they reach you along three routes, and it is worth knowing which one applies before you argue with a customer or a regulator.

Read the full answer on whether a Codex text binds you in South Africa.

RouteWhat it meansWhat to do about it
South African law adopts the limitA regulation sets a limit taken from a Codex text, or refers to Codex directly. The limit is then law, and the Codex text is the explanation behind it.Work from the regulation, and keep the Codex text as the reasoning. See our legislation register.
World tradeUnder the WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, a measure that follows Codex is presumed justified. A measure that departs from Codex must be defended with science.If an importing country blocks your consignment, check the Codex position first. It is often the strongest argument you have.
Customer and scheme requirementsA certification scheme or a customer specification requires compliance with a named Codex text. This is the most common route by a wide margin.Read the specification, then read the Codex text it names. See our standards and certification register.

A fourth situation catches people out. Where South African law is silent, Codex is what an expert witness, an insurer or an importing authority will reach for. Silence in the regulations is not permission.

Guidance beyond Codex

Codex is the international reference, but it is not the only guidance a South African manufacturer needs. The Department of Health publishes its own food control guidelines, the FAO and WHO expert bodies publish the science that Codex limits rest on, and the European Union, United States and United Kingdom publish the guidance your export customers work from.

11South African guidance11 textsJump to this section →22FAO, WHO and international scientific advice22 textsJump to this section →11European Union11 textsJump to this section →11United States11 textsJump to this section →5United Kingdom5 textsJump to this section →
South African guidance11 documents
  • South AfricaFood Control (National Department of Health)Open on health.gov.zaFree
    Department of Health · portal

    The home page of the Directorate Food Control, the national authority for food safety under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, and the gateway to South African food acts and regulations.

  • South AfricaFood Control documents and guidelines (National Department of Health)Open on health.gov.zaFree
    Department of Health · portal

    The Department of Health page carrying its published food control documents including the food labelling guidelines, pesticide residue amendments and the fortification mix supplier list.

  • South AfricaFood Control resources (IEC materials and guidelines)Open on health.gov.zaFree
    Department of Health · portal

    The Department of Health resources page hosting food safety posters in all official languages plus its list of food control guidelines for environmental health practitioners.

  • South AfricaFood Labelling Guidelines 2023Open on health.gov.zaFree
    Department of Health · guidance · 2023

    The Department of Health's own labelling guideline document explaining how it interprets the South African labelling and advertising regulations, useful when a label claim is disputed.

  • South AfricaNRCS Food and Associated Industries (FAI)Open on nrcs.org.zaFree
    NRCS · portal

    The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications business unit that inspects and approves food products, issues export health guarantees and administers the compulsory specifications for canned fish, processed meat and related products.

  • South AfricaConsumer Product Safety Recall GuidelinesOpen on thencc.org.zaFree
    National Consumer Commission · guidance · 2012

    The National Consumer Commission's guidelines under the Consumer Protection Act setting out how a supplier must plan, notify and carry out a product recall in South Africa.

  • South AfricaGuidelines to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicines (SAHPGL-INSP-02 v9)Open on sahpra.org.zaFree
    SAHPRA · guidance · 2025

    SAHPRA's current GMP guideline, which adopts the PIC/S GMP guide with South African specific annexes, and is the document a local pharmaceutical manufacturer is inspected against.

  • South AfricaFood Safety and Quality Assurance directorate (DALRRD)Free
    DALRRD · portal

    The Department of Agriculture directorate responsible for food safety and quality assurance of regulated agricultural products and export certification, but the departmental site could not be fetched during verification.

    The document is published but the download link was not working when we checked. Ask us for a copy.
  • South AfricaGuidelines for HACCP for Environmental Health PractitionersFree
    Department of Health · guidance

    A Department of Health guideline listed on its own food control resources page to help environmental health practitioners assess HACCP systems, but the download link on the official page is currently broken.

    The document is published but the download link was not working when we checked. Ask us for a copy.
  • South AfricaGuidelines for Food Borne Illness Investigations by Environmental Health PractitionersFree
    Department of Health · guidance

    A Department of Health guideline listed on its food control resources page covering how foodborne illness outbreaks should be investigated, but the download link on the official page is currently broken.

    The document is published but the download link was not working when we checked. Ask us for a copy.
  • South AfricaGuidelines for Certification of ExportsFree
    Department of Health · guidance

    A Department of Health guideline listed on its food control resources page dealing with export certification of foodstuffs, but the download link on the official page is currently broken.

    The document is published but the download link was not working when we checked. Ask us for a copy.
FAO, WHO and international scientific advice22 documents
European Union11 documents
United States11 documents
United Kingdom5 documents

Train the team on the texts, rather than hoping they read them

HACCP, allergen management and internal auditing are where sites lose marks, and all three moved in 2026. ASC is a FoodBev SETA Accredited Provider, No. 587/00337/1900. The courses are self paced online with lifetime access and a QR verifiable certificate, and ASC does not charge VAT on training, so the price shown is the price paid.

Browse the ASC coursesAsk which course fits your team

BRCGS position statements, effective 10 August 2026

Certification scheme position statements are not guidelines in the Codex sense, but they change what an auditor expects on the day, so they belong here. The current BRCGS position statements took effect on 10 August 2026.

Scheme versions, issue numbers and effective dates for every certification scheme are kept in our standards and certification register.

Frequently asked questions

Did Codex Alimentarius change anything in July 2026?
Yes. The 49th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission met in Geneva from 6 to 10 July 2026 and adopted a new annex to CXS 1-1985 on precautionary allergen labelling, a revision of the Listeria guidelines CXG 61-2007, a revision of the chicken meat guidelines CXG 78-2011, new annexes to the water reuse guidelines CXG 100-2023, a cut to permitted levels of INS 475 in the food additive standard, new veterinary drug limits and six new commodity standards.
Was the July 2026 Codex session CAC48 or CAC49?
It was CAC49. This trips people up. The 48th Session, CAC48, was held at FAO headquarters in Rome from 10 to 14 November 2025. The 49th Session, CAC49, was held at the Centre International de Conferences in Geneva from 6 to 10 July 2026. Both produced changes, and both are covered on this page.
What is the new Codex rule on may contain allergen labelling?
CAC49 added an annex to CXS 1-1985 titled Guidelines on the use of precautionary allergen labelling. Precautionary labelling is only permissible once allergen management measures are in place and a risk assessment shows the residual risk cannot be adequately controlled. Where it is used, the statement must begin with may contain or an equivalent phrase, and the decision is anchored to published reference doses.
What are the Codex allergen reference doses?
The annex to CXS 1-1985 gives reference doses in milligrams of total protein from the allergenic source: 1.0 mg for almond, Brazil nut, cashew, pistachio, macadamia, pine nut, walnut, pecan, celery and mustard; 2.0 mg for peanut, egg, milk and sesame; 3.0 mg for hazelnut; 5.0 mg for wheat and for fish; 10.0 mg for buckwheat, lupin and soy; and 200.0 mg for crustacea. For coeliac disease the reference dose is 4.0 mg of total gluten.
Has the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene been updated in 2026?
No. CXC 1-1969 still reads adopted 1969, amended 1999, revised 1997, 2003, 2020 and 2022. The 2022 revision, with its HACCP annex, remains the current text. A further revision is in progress at the Committee on Food Hygiene but has not been adopted, so anyone offering you a 2026 edition of the General Principles is mistaken.
What changed in the Codex contaminants standard CXS 193-1995?
CAC48 in November 2025 added maximum levels for lead of 2.5 mg per kg in dried bark spices such as cinnamon and 2.0 mg per kg in dried culinary herbs, and removed outdated radionuclide guidance. The published standard now carries last amended in 2025 on its cover. This matters to South African spice blenders, herb packers and importers.
Which Codex pesticide maximum residue limits were revoked?
At CAC48 in November 2025 all Codex MRLs were revoked for fenthion, methyl parathion, dinocap, amitraz and bitertanol, and methamidophos MRLs were revoked for cottonseed, fodder beet, potato and sugar. About 200 new MRLs were adopted across roughly 27 other pesticides. If you relied on a Codex MRL as an import tolerance fallback for any of those five actives, that fallback is gone.
Is Codex Alimentarius legally binding in South Africa?
Not by itself. Codex texts are voluntary international reference standards. They bind you in three practical ways: where South African law incorporates a Codex limit, where the World Trade Organization SPS Agreement treats Codex as the benchmark in a trade dispute, and where a certification scheme or a customer specification requires compliance. South African legal duties sit in our legislation register.
Where do I download Codex standards, and do they cost anything?
Every Codex text is a free download from the FAO Codex Alimentarius website. There is no charge, no login and no licence fee. Each entry on this page links straight to the official PDF. Anyone selling you a copy of a Codex standard is selling you something you can get for nothing, which is not true of ISO or SANS standards.
What is the difference between a Codex standard, a guideline and a code of practice?
A standard, coded CXS, sets requirements for a named product, such as composition, limits and labelling. A guideline, coded CXG, gives advice on how to do something, such as control Listeria or conduct a risk assessment. A code of practice, coded CXC, describes good practice across a process or sector, such as the General Principles of Food Hygiene.
What should a South African exporter do about the July 2026 Codex changes?
Four things. Re-read your may contain statements against the new annex to CXS 1-1985, because unjustified precautionary labelling is now a defect. Check every recipe using INS 475 against the reduced levels. Re-scope your Listeria environmental monitoring against the new ready to eat definition. Check whether any Codex MRL you relied on for a pesticide was revoked in November 2025.
How often does Codex update its texts?
The Commission meets once a year and adopts everything its committees have forwarded, so the practical answer is annually, in a single large batch. Between sessions the individual committees meet on their own cycles. That is why a page listing Codex texts goes out of date quickly, and why the date this page was last verified is stamped at the top.

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How this page is kept current, and what it does not claim

Codex codes, titles and revision years are taken from the FAO Codex committee catalogues and, where a change was recent, from the cover page of the published document itself. The date of the last check is stamped at the top of this page.

Two honest limitations. First, FAO republishes a consolidated text some months after the Commission adopts a change, so a few July 2026 revisions are adopted but not yet in the downloadable PDF. Those entries say so rather than pretending otherwise. Second, a handful of session outcomes are recorded from the published session summaries rather than read out of the adopted report, and those are marked too. Where an entry carries a caution, confirm the figure against the Codex text before you build a specification around it, or ask us and we will confirm it for you.

Published by ASC Food Safety Consultants, South African food safety, labelling and regulatory consultants. SAATCA registered, FoodBev SETA Accredited Provider No. 587/00337/1900, B-BBEE Level 1. Offices in Gqeberha, Johannesburg and Cape Town. ASC is not a certification body and does not issue certificates, and this page is general guidance rather than a substitute for the Codex text itself. Last verified 10 September 2026.

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