Why in news?

• The 8th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) successfully concluded in Guwahati, Assam, India in October 2025.
• At this session, the committee finalized Codex standards for three spices: vanilla, large cardamom, and coriander.

Key points about the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs

• CCSCH is a subsidiary committee under the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which is a joint body of the FAO and WHO for food standards.

• It was established in July 2013 at the 36th CAC meeting in Rome, largely due to India's initiative and proposal.
• India hosts the committee and the Spices Board of India acts as its secretariat.
• The committee's mandate is to develop worldwide science-based standards for spices and culinary herbs in dried and dehydrated forms.
• The standards aim to protect consumer health, ensure fair trade practices, and facilitate international trade by harmonizing spice quality requirements globally.
• CCSCH has finalized standards for 19 spices so far, including pepper, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, cardamom, saffron, vanilla, large cardamom, and coriander.

CCSCH promotes quality, safety, fair trade, and scientific rigor in spices and culinary herbs trade worldwide.

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