The Codex Alimentarius Commission, established in 1962 by the Food and Agriculture Orgaization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), is a United Nations body that sets international food standards. With more than 170 member countries, the Commission is a worldwide forum on food safety, consumer protection and fair practices in the food trade. The Codex Alimentarius is a continuously updated guide for governments and other interested parties on the regulatory framework needed for food control systems, food safety and consumer protection. The international standards contained in the Codex Alimentarius are recognized as benchmarks by the World Trade Organization (WTO). Over 400 standards, guidelines and codes of practice have been adopted to date on: Food labelling and crop hygiene Commodities Food safety assessment for food derived from biotechnology Methods of analysis and sampling, food inspection and certification procedures