From stable to table:
food hygiene requirements in the EU
by Ron Dwinger
DG Health & Consumer Protection,
European Commission
Summary
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Introduction - why changes are necessary
New framework of food safety legislation
Characteristics of new legislation
Requirements of new legislation
Official feed and food controls
Conclusions
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Why changes are necessary - 1
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outside factors - major food safety scares
* BSE crisis (1996 - present)
* dioxine crisis (1999 - 2000)
* FMD crisis (2001)
 consumers lost confidence
 political repercussions
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Why changes are necessary - 2
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inherent factors: ante-mortem inspection
 lack of information (history, treatments)
 large number of healthy uniform animals
 unclear clinical symptoms
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Why changes are necessary - 3
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inherent factors: post-mortem inspection
 abnormalities detected are no threat
 bacteria isolated are no threat
 low sensitivity of current inspection
 routine incisions cross contamination
(Salmonella, Campylobacter)
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Food safety legislation
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General Food law – Regulation 178/2002
HACCP requirements (2001/471/EC)
H 1 - hygiene of foodstuffs
H 2 - hygiene rules for food of animal origin
H 3 - official controls (meat inspection)
H 4 – 2002/99/EC (animal health)
H 5 - repealing 17 directives
Official Feed & Food Controls
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General food law
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Regulation 178/2002
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general principles (definitions)
risk analysis
responsibility
traceability
precautionary principle
EFSA
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HACCP requirements
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Commission Decision 2001/471/EC
• 7 principles
• guides to good practice
• bacteriological sampling
 hygiene indicator for carcases
 hygiene indicator for food contact surfaces
• required in all meat establishments (June 2002/3)
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Characteristics of Hygiene 1
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Regulation (EC) No 852/2004
 all food (replaces 93/43/EEC)
 stable to table (integrated approach; GFP)
 all stages of production, processing,
distribution, exports
 not direct sale to consumer
 primary responsibility: food business operator
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Requirements in Hygiene 1
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 registration of all food businesses
 hygiene requirements
 HACCP
 guides to good practice
 microbiological criteria
 temperature control requirements
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Characteristics of Hygiene 2
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Regulation (EC) No 853/2004
 food of animal origin:
red and white meat, farmed and wild game,
MSM, meat products, live bivalve molluscs,
fishery products, raw milk & dairy
products, eggs (& products), frogs’ legs,
snails, rendered animal fat & greaves,
treated stomachs, bladders & intestines,
gelatine, collagen
 not for direct sale to consumer (retail)
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Requirements of Hygiene 2
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 (conditional) approval of establishments
 animals must be clean
 health mark for red meat carcase (by vet.)
 identification mark (by operator)
 (simplified) requirements for
slaughterhouses & cutting plants
 emergency slaughter
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Characteristics of Hygiene 3
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Regulation (EC) No 854/2004
• quantitative assessment of risks determining
the ante-mortem and p.m. examination
• food business operator is responsible
• verification by competent authority
• traceability of products
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Major changes
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(compared with 64/433/EEC; 71/118/EEC)
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clean animals
goal more important than the means
food chain information
visual inspection
use of company staff
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Flexibility
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 national measures to accommodate
- traditional methods
- low throughput
- regions (special geographic constraints)
- pilot projects
- transitional arrangements
 concerning: infrastructure, presence of CA, food
chain information, guides to good practice)
 notify Commission (details)
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HACCP for small businesses - 1
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 define small business (size, output, type
of product)
 prerequisite hygiene requirements
 guides to good practice
 generic guides for HACCP
 follow Codex - CAC/RCP 1-1969 (rev. 3-1997)
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HACCP for small businesses - 2
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Flexibility for HACCP
 hazard analysis
 critical limits
 proportionate monitoring
 corrective and preventive actions
 simplified recording (diary)
 standard processing procedures
 certification
 training
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FAT MELTER
OTHER
MS
9 FEED ESTABLISHMENTS
OTHER
MS
102 BEEF 239 DAIRY 431 POULTRY 1056 PIG
FARMS
FARMS
FARMS
FARMS
OTHER
MS
FOOD
FOOD
FOOD
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FOOD
OTHER
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MS
Lessons from food scares
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traceability
organisation/coordination of CA
laboratory capacity
contingency plans
administrative cooperation between MS
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Definition and scope
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Controls = verification of compliance with
• feed law
• food law
• rules on animal health, animal welfare and
certain aspects of plant health
Risks to humans and animals
Consumer interests: labelling, organic farming,
geographical indications, designation of origin
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Official controls
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• on a regular basis and with a frequency
based on risk
• without prior warning (as a general rule)
• at any stage of production, processing
and distribution
• including imports/exports
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Operational criteria - 1
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official controls must be effective
staff free from interest
adequate laboratory capacity
adequate facilities and equipment
legal powers
contingency plans
co-ordination
impartiality, quality and consistency
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Operational criteria - 2
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continuous training of staff
documented procedures
verification procedures
transparency
delegation of control tasks
internal audits
reports
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Sampling and analysis
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accredited labs (CEN standard)
validated methods
community reference labs (CRL)
national reference labs
second opinion (appeal/complaint)
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Import controls - 1
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food of animal origin (article 14):
checks Directive 97/78/EC
• border inspection posts
• advance warning
• documentary, identity, physical check
(Commission Decision 94/360/EC)
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Import controls - 2
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food of non-animal origin at present:
not harmonised
• at entry points, +/- declaration, checks: 5 MS
• market controls at importer’s premises and
wholesale markets + targeted checks at point
of entry: 7 MS
• self monitoring by importers +/- market
controls: 2 MS
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Import controls - 3
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food of non-animal origin (art. 15):
• regular controls (frequency based on risk)
• any place (point of entry, importer’s
premises, retail)
• documentary, identity, physical check
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Import controls - 4
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food of non-animal origin
– list of products with high risk profile
– entry via border inspection post
– prior warning
– frequency and nature of controls:
comitology
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Safeguard measures
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Decision 2000/49/EC – peanuts (Egypt)
Decision 2002/79/EC – peanuts (China)
Decision 2002/80/EC – figs, etc. (Turkey)
Decision 2003/493/EC – nuts in shell
(Brazil)
Decision 2005/85/EC – pistachios (Iran)
Decision 2004/92/EC – hot chilli products
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Imports: decisions
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• recall
• special treatment
• re - dispatch
• destruction
• regularisation
• official detention
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Imports: information from TC
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Commission responsible for asking info on:
• sanitary and phytosanitary regulations
• control procedures
• risk assessment procedures
• follow-up of FVO recommendations
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Import conditions - 1
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Food of animal origin (in H3):
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list of approved third countries
list of approved establishments
certificates
pre-export checks (approval after audit)
equivalence agreements
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Import conditions - 2
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Food of non-animal origin and feed
• where necessary: detailed rules
• detailed rules may include:
 list of third countries/establishments
 certificates
 special conditions
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Conclusions
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 food business operator is responsible
 veterinarian in charge of verification
 major implications for operator and CA
 flexible approach (small establishments,
animal species, supervision)
 consumer safety
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E-mail: ronald.dwinger@cec.eu.int
telephone: +32-2-298 73 25
contact
References:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex
http://www.cc.cec/home/menu_en.html