From December 15 to 19, 2025, Chile attended the 55th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH55) in Nashville, United States. Organized by the FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO), the meeting is considered one of the main international forums for setting food safety standards.
The country proposed an amendment to the Codex CXC 8-1976 Code of Practice to adjust the freezing temperatures for poultry, pork, and by-products from -18 °C to -15 °C, while maintaining effective and continuous control of the cold chain. The initiative was supported by technical and scientific data that backs its implementation without compromising product safety.
The proposal was presented by the Chilean delegation, led by Andrea Schain, technical advisor in the Ministry of Health’s Department of Nutrition and Food, and supported by ChileCarne, represented by Miguel Adasme, head of the Industrial Area, reflecting coordinated work between the public and private sectors.
Scope of the proposal
The goal of the initiative is to update the standard that has been in place since 1976, incorporating advances in cold chain management systems. Specifically, it proposes that poultry and pork meat, offal, and edible by-products be frozen, stored, transported, and marketed at -15°C or lower, rather than the traditional threshold of -18°C, and that this be done under strict monitoring.
This criterion would apply to all stages of the process, including initial freezing, cold storage, distribution centers, land and sea transport, and wholesale and retail.
Chile’s participation in CCFH55 and the presentation of this proposal reaffirm the country’s and ChileCarne’s commitment to food safety, applied science, and international regulatory standardization. This contributes to the Codex’s work to update global standards based on current scientific information and to make international food trade safer and more efficient.
Member countries attending the session were invited to review the complete technical document under Agenda Item 10, which sets out the technical basis for Chile’s proposal.
