New strategic food safety package on hygiene rules
The European Commission is proposing a new strategic food safety package on hygiene rules in what it describes as 'the most radical shake up for 25 years'. Under the proposal, contained in four regulations, food operators throughout the food chain will bear primary responsibility for food safety. 'The new regulations will merge, harmonise and simplify very detailed and complex hygiene requirements previously scattered over 17 existing directives. The focus is on setting objectives while leaving business flexibility in deciding the safety measures to take, rather than prescribing them in great detail,' the Commission announced. The basic principles underlying the new hygiene rules are first the introduction of the farm to the table principle to hygiene policy. 'Currently there is no systematic and all embracing hygiene regime covering all food in all sectors,' says the Commission. Secondly, the Commission focuses on the primary responsibility of food producers for the safety of food through the use of self checking and modern 'hazard control techniques'. The implementation of a 'harmonised hazard analysis critical control point' (HACCP) system will become obligatory for all non-primary food operators. 'HACCP prescribes a logical series of steps to identify throughout the production chain points where control is critical to food safety and to focus on the specific hazards particular to the business concerned,' explains the Commission. A third key principle is the traceability of all food and food ingredients. To achieve this the Commission wants to introduce compulsory registration of all food businesses, with registration numbers following the products. 'Producers must also put in place procedures for the withdrawal from the market of products presenting a serious risk to consumer health,' says the Commission. The basic hygiene rules which are part of standard operating procedures of food businesses - such as having clean premises and washing hands - remain as before. The proposals take the form of Council and European Parliament regulations rather than Directives. This is to ensure 'uniform application, better transparency and to facilitate rapid updating in the light of new technical and scientific developments,' says the Commission. The proposals will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council will be adopted by the co-decision procedure. David Byrne, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer protection presents the proposals to the Agriculture Council for the first time on 17 July.