Codex was established in 1962 by two United Nations organizations with the purpose of developing international food standards, related codes of practice, and guidelines to protect consumer health and ensure fair practices in the food trade. Currently, there are 161 member countries in Codex that comprise more than 30 committees. The LPS Program actively participates in the activities of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification. The LPS Program assists U.S. agriculture by preparing comments on proposed draft revisions of the Committee based on its own perspective, as well as input from affected industries, other interested parties, and government sources.