RIYADH — The Presidency, Secretariat as well as the board members of the Codex Alimentarius (CODEX) supported appointing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, as the coordinator and a host to the Coordinating Committee for the Near East Region countries of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This was revealed during the meetings of the main committee of the commission that concluded on Tuesday. Appointing the Kingdom to the post, follows the role of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority as it permanently contributes to drawing relevant policies and procedures for consolidating the general principles for food safety and their impacts on the countries of the region. This is in addition to taking part in drafting the Codex commission standards, as the Kingdom chairs and takes part in a number of international electronic working groups. — SPA