Codex Alimentarius approves global trade standard for ware potatoes proposed by India

Draft quality standards for ware potatoes proposed to the Codex Alimentarius Commission by India during its recent meeting in Mexico, were approved and will apply to global trade in potatoes. 

The Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international food standards body established jointly by the Food and Agriculture organization and the World Health Organization.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission has approved the submitted standards during its just concluded session in Nuevo León, Mexico. 

India’s Agriculture commissioner, SK Malhotra, who chaired the global working group for development of standards for potato, stated that standard and quality guidelines for potato would contribute to the safety, quality and fairness of this international food trade, according to the Economic Times. 

SK Malhotra, Agriculture commissioner of the government of India:

 

“Apart from protecting health of consumers from substandard food products, these standards are recognised as the reference food standards in any WTO dispute settlement under various agreements.”

The standard guidelines cover all the commercial varieties of potatoes, considering shape, skin colour and flesh colour. 

SK Malhotra:

 

“The shape varies from spherical to ovoid and oblong, elongated; the skin colour from white through yellow to tan and the flesh colour from white to yellow to blue.”

“The provisions concerning quality, sizing, minimum requirements and tolerances allowed in each class have been elaborated in standards.”

Globally, over 380 million tonnes of potato is produced in more than 100 countries and 50% of this is consumed fresh. The tuber is important for food security for millions of people across South America, Africa, Europe and Asia.