Food Standards Agency
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The aim of the food industries' guides is to support effective application of the food hygiene legislation. The Agency will assess any national guide developed in accordance with the guidelines and will recognise those that it considers are suitable and practicable guides to compliance with the legislation.
Article 7 of Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs provides for the development of national guides to good hygiene practice and the application of HACCP principles. These guides are developed by individual food sectors, in consultation with interested parties. The Agency has published guidelines for the food industry setting out the process and criteria for the development and recognition of these guides available at the link below.
Food business operators may choose to use recognised guides to help them comply with the requirements of Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Regulation (EC) 853/2004 and related measures, including relevant national food hygiene regulations. Where a food business is following the guidance in a recognised guide, the enforcement authority must take this into account when assessing compliance with the regulations. However, use of the guides is voluntary, so businesses may demonstrate compliance with the legislation in other ways.
Back to topThe Agency will consider guides for recognition with the help of an Assessment Panel. The appointment of external members of the panel has been made and includes both the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee and Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS).
The panel will be supplemented and chaired by Agency officials as well as representatives of small and local businesses. At this time we have been unable to recruit a consumer representative. However, industry must seek the views from consumers during the consultation stage of development in line with the Agency's guidelines. Temporary members, who are required for the technical knowledge of a specific industry sector, are recruited on an ad-hoc basis.
Back to topTwo guides have now been published. The first guide is for the mail order food sector and covers the sale of perishable foods by mail order, when delivered to the final consumer by post. The second covers the wholesale distribution sector and includes ‘cash and carry’ companies.
Guides for other sectors are being developed and will become available over the next few years. A full list of guides and their progress is attached below.
Back to topA framework arrangement has been agreed for The Stationary Office to publish the guides. An external link below will take you to the TSO website.
Back to topRegulation (EC) No 852/2004 says that guides developed in accordance with the previous hygiene Directive (93/43/EEC) shall continue to apply after 1 January 2006 if they remain compatible with the objectives of the new rules. These older guides can still be used, but anyone doing so should bear in mind that they do not necessarily cover all of the requirements.
Legislation on butchers licensing has been revoked. The advice on legal compliance in the old 'Butchers guide' will no longer be relevant. Nevertheless, that advice, especially on the development of food safety management procedures, will be useful in helping butchers selling unwrapped raw and ready-to-eat foods to comply with the regulations. It also contains guidance on good practice that remains pertinent.
Back to topArticle 9 of Regulation (EC) 852/2004 provides for the development of community guides. These will have EU-wide status and be approved at EU level. The Commission has published guidelines describing the process for developing and assessing community guides (see the link below). Details of any community guides developed will be included in the Agency's list of guides. Food industry sectors interested in proposing a community guide would be advised to contact the FSA in the first instance.
For further information please contact:
Simon Petty
email:
simon.petty@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
tel: 020 7276 8976
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