Millets are an essential source of nutrition, are widely traded and consumed in some regions, and are an important food for infants and young children.

The 11th session of the newly re-activated Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes met during month of April by correspondence and agreed to start work on a group standard for whole millet grains. The aim is to integrate existing Codex standards relevant to whole millet grains into a single group standard to enhance the quality and safety of all millets in global trade. The Committee will consider factors such as contaminants, hygiene, labelling, packaging, and others.

Chaired by USA, the Committee agreed to form a new electronic working group (EWG), which will be chaired by India, and co-chaired by Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. The EWG will work to agree on an appropriate structure for the new group standard, noting that established Codex group standards for some spices and for fruit juices may serve as a reference model for this work. The Committee noted that the aim of this work is to provide a text that will be practical for international markets and that will reflect and accommodate the diversity of millets produced around the world. Looking to the future, the Committee also acknowledged and noted that this work may also serve as a guide for future CCCPL group standards. The EWG will also seek to determine minimum quality and safety requirements for whole millet grains, while ensuring this work aligns with Codex principles and global trade practices.

The electronic working group formed to do the initial text of the group standard for whole millet grains, and will report back to the next session of this Committee, CCCPL12 next year.

Action: Gafta has observer status at Codex, should you wish to contribute to this work please reach out to junearnold@gafta.com

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