Food Law News - EU - 2016

Commission News, 30 August 2016

HYGIENE - Publication of guidance on food safety management systems including HACCP

A copy of the Commission Notice is available on this site. See Commission HACCP Notice

All food business operators from primary producer to retailer need to comply with good hygiene practices (part of so called prerequisite programs or “PRPs”) and, except primary producers, procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles (“HACCP”). They are the basis for a food safety management system in each business.

These requirements are the key elements to ensure the safe production of food, preventing contamination with biological, chemical or physical hazards but might sometimes be perceived as laborious and creating a disproportionate administrative burden, in particular HACCP in place in medium size establishments (SMEs).

The purpose of this notice is to facilitate and harmonise the implementation of EU requirements on PRPs and HACCP by providing practical guidance, taking into account the size and nature of the establishment on:

• the link between PRPs and HACCP-based procedures within an food safety management system;
• the implementation of PRPs;
• the implementation of HACCP-based procedures ;
• the flexibility provided for certain food establishments, in particular SMEs, by EU legislation related to the implementation of PRPs and HACCP).

It may be supplemented by guidance at sectorial and national level to be directly applicable in specific establishments.

More information:

• Commission Notice [Link provided by the Commission News Item]
• Web Platform on Food Safety Management Systems including HACCP