The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH8), successfully hosted by India in Guwahati, concluded with the finalization of three new global standards for large cardamom, vanilla, and coriander. These standards have now been recommended for formal adoption by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).
Established in 2013 at the request of India, the CCSCH acts as a joint body of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), focusing on harmonizing spice quality and safety worldwide. India’s Spices Board, operating under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, serves as the Committee’s Secretariat.
Expanding the Global Spice Benchmarks
With the completion of these three standards, the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs has now finalized standards for a total of 19 spices, including complex commodities such as pepper, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, cardamom, and saffron.
The vanilla standard, in particular, required intensive deliberation across multiple sessions due to the technical challenges of flavor chemistry and processing variations, highlighting the committee’s commitment to scientific rigor.
The Secretary of the Spices Board, noted the substantial benefit of these standards:
“With uniform benchmarks in Codex now established, farmers, processors, and exporters of large cardamom, vanilla and coriander around the world will have globally accepted reference points enabling them to operate with greater clarity and confidence, which also benefits the global consumer in turn.”
Boosting India’s Export Competitiveness
As a leading global producer and exporter of large cardamom and coriander, India is poised to benefit directly from these harmonized global benchmarks. The standards are expected to facilitate smoother market access and strengthen export competitiveness for domestic producers. While India is a major importer of vanilla, the new standards will ensure consistency and enhanced consumer confidence in global trade.