Key-note address of the Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Dr Allan Azegele

We stand exactly at the intersection of animal health, food safety, and international trade. Today, I speak to you in an interconnected capacity: as Kenya’s Director of Veterinary Services, as a WOAH Delegate, and as the Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Wearing these hats gives me a unique view of how closely the work of WOAH and Codex intertwines. Our mandates differ, but our shared purpose is crystal clear. We use science-based international standards to protect health, facilitate safe trade, and improve livelihoods. As Chairperson of Codex, my vision is simple: Codex must remain the bedrock of the global food system. We must ensure every Member country, regardless of development level, can participate in and benefit from international standards. This workshop is a perfect expression of that vision.

The Core Principle: Healthy Animals to Safe Food

People often ask me: “What is the actual difference between Codex and WOAH?”

My answer is direct: WOAH begins with healthy animals. Codex ends with safe food. Since its establishment in 1963 by FAO and WHO, Codex has developed hundreds of globally recognized food standards.

The frameworks developed by WOAH and Codex do not compete. They complement.

[ WOAH: On-Farm Health ] ➔ ➔ ➔ [ CODEX: Safe Food Supply Chain ]

• Disease surveillance
• Hygienic processing
• Biosecurity & zoning
• Microbiological criteria
• Veterinary certification
• Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)

WOAH focuses on preventing and controlling devastating diseases like High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease.

Through Section 10 of the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code (specifically Chapters 10.4 and 10.9), WOAH establishes the standards for surveillance, biosecurity, compartmentalization, zoning, and certification. This ensures that poultry entering the food chain originates from healthy populations. Codex takes the baton the moment food enters the processing and supply chain. Together, these standards provide a seamless continuum from farm to fork. This continuum is the very foundation of consumer confidence and global trade. Why Codex Matters to Veterinary Services There is a common misconception that Codex belongs only to food inspectors or public health authorities. In reality, Veterinary Services are central to implementing Codex standards.

Every single decision made on the farm dictates food safety further down the value chain. The prudent use of veterinary medicines, strict biosecurity, animal identification, and traceability all dictate whether finished food complies with Codex standards. Veterinary professionals are not just implementers of WOAH standards; you are the frontline guardians of Codex food safety outcomes.

This deep relationship is most vivid in three critical areas:

1. Antimicrobial Resistance  (AMR)

AMR is one of the greatest public health challenges of our generation. It compromises our ability to treat infectious diseases, undermines food production, and threatens global health security. To combat this, the Quadripartite collaboration (FAO, WHO, WOAH, and UNEP) developed the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance using a coordinated One Health framework. In this global fight, our standard-setting bodies divide and conquer through aligned, harmonized texts:

• WOAH handles the live animal phase through Chapter 6.10 of the Terrestrial Code (Responsible and Prudent Use of Antimicrobial Agents in Terrestrial Animals), alongside Chapter 6.8 for monitoring the quantities of agents used.
• Codex targets foodborne risk using the Codex Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance (CXC 61-2005) and the Guidelines for Risk Analysis of Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance (CXG 77-2011).

I congratulate the many nations represented here that are actively implementing National Action Plans. Kenya is currently executing its NAP 2023–2027, strengthening multisectoral collaboration across human, animal, plant, and environmental sectors using these exact international frameworks.

2. Residues of Veterinary Medical Products

Appropriate medical treatment is essential for poultry health and welfare. However, medicines must be used responsibly, and withdrawal periods must be strictly respected. Here, the alignment is seamless:

• WOAH sets the on-farm parameters for veterinary governance under Chapter 3.4 (Veterinary Legislation) of the Terrestrial Code.
• Codex establishes the safety limits through the Codex Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CXM 2).

These MRLs are developed through rigorous scientific evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). They provide the harmonized international benchmarks that protect consumers while keeping trade pathways open. In Kenya, we bring these benchmarks to life through integrated residue monitoring programmes. This requires seamless coordination between the Directorate of Veterinary Services, KEBS, the Ministry of Health, the Pest Control Products Board, and KEPHIS.

3. Chemical Contaminants and Food Hygiene

Safe food is a public health imperative. The latest data reveals the staggering scale of our challenge. According to the WHO Foodborne Disease Estimates, foodborne hazards cause an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.52 million deathsglobally from 42 infectious and chemical hazards. While global burdens have gradually declined over the past two decades, the African Region still bears the heaviest brunt. Tragically, children under five years of age experience a 2.7 times higher incidence of illness and 4.3 times higher disability rates (DALYs) than older populations. To counter this, we rely heavily on the Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CXS 193-1995). This standard establishes maximum allowable levels for heavy metals and environmental toxins, ensuring they do not breach the food chain through contaminated poultry feed or water systems. These numbers remind us of a profound truth: food safety standards are not just bureaucratic technicalities to smooth out trade. They are vital, life-saving public health interventions.

The Role of Codex in Poultry Food Safety

Importantly, Codex standards are recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the definitive international benchmarks under the SPS Agreement. This gives Codex a central legal role in resolving food safety disputes and eliminating unnecessary trade barriers. For the poultry meat sector specifically, Codex drives safety through four distinct pillars:

1. Hygiene Frameworks: We operationalize the Code of Hygienic Practice for Meat (CXC 58-2005). This text provides the mandatory baseline for modern, risk-based meat hygiene from the moment the bird arrives at the abattoir through processing and distribution.
2. Microbiological Guidance: Codex provides actionable toolkits to manage biological hazards through the Guidelines for the Control of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Chicken Meat (CXG 78-2011). These guidelines help countries establish specific process control interventions to minimize pathogen counts.
3. General Food Safety: All poultry processing facilities must anchor their quality management systems in the General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 11969), incorporating robust Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems.

4. Animal Feed Security

Because food safety begins on-farm, we utilize the Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding (CXC 54-2004) to ensure that feed controls prevent the introduction of chemical or biological hazards into the poultry production environment. Conclusion and Call to Action Distinguished colleagues, the alignment between Codex and WOAH is not just a theoretical preference. It is a practical necessity. If we fail to align our standards at the farm level using WOAH guidelines, our food safety systems at the slaughterhouse under Codex protocols will fail as well. This workshop is a strategic opportunity to change that narrative for the poultry sector in Africa. Over the next three days, you are not simply reviewing text or discussing trade compliance.

“You are building the architecture of a safer, more prosperous continent”.

As we deliberate on facilitating safe international trade for poultry meat, I leave you with three urgent calls to action:

• Break Down the Silos: I urge every Competent Authority here to bridge the gap between animal health departments and public health agencies. Let us ensure that our national delegations to WOAH and Codex speak with one unified, coherent voice.
• Adopt and Enforce: Use the benchmark texts available to you. Do not let CXC 61-2005 for AMR, CXG 78-2011 for poultry pathogens, or the WOAH Terrestrial Code gather dust on shelves. Integrate them directly into your national poultry regulatory laws.
• Drive Africa’s Voice: Participate actively in international standard-setting. Africa must not merely be a consumer of global standards; we must be their co-authors. Our unique production systems, challenges, and regional trade aspirations under the AfCFTA must shape the future of global trade.

Let us carry this workshop’s momentum forward. Let us ensure that our poultry value chains are defined by healthy animals, safe food, and fair trade.

Thank you for your kind attention, and I wish you all highly productive deliberations.