Hygiene of foodstuffs:
In 2004, the European Parliament and Council reached an agreement on a new legislation for the hygiene of foodstuffs. This new regulation will have an impact on hygiene conditions applicable for the fresh produce sector. The new legislation will be applicable in the EU as of 1 January 2006 (European Parliament and Council Regulation 852/2004/EC on hygiene of foodstuffs).
Besides, the European Union also finalised a new text on official controls (European Parliament and Council Regulation 882/2004/EC).
The European Commission is also working on a range of guidelines to assist the food industry to implement the European hygiene legislation. The guidelines applicable to the fruit and vegetable sector are listed below and available for download:
- implementation provisions of hygiene legislation ;
- guidence document on food hygiene;
- requirements for imported products ;
- implementation HACCP and
· Scope
Ensuring that food is fit for human consumption and free from hazards is the objective of this hygiene Regulation, applicable after 1 January 2006. All stages from production to supply to the ultimate consumer are covered, to ensure that all processes are performed in a hygienic manner. To ensure adherence, it is laid down that food business operators bear primary responsibility for food safety. The implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and adherence to Codex Alimentarius are both required facilitating good food safety.
· Definitions
The following definitions are included in this Directive and can be consulted if required:
food hygiene, food safety, food business, food business operator, primary products, primary production, competent authority/ies, certification, equivalence, hazard, contamination, marketing, retail trade, final consumer, wrapping, packaging, products of animal origin, unprocessed product, processed product, hermetically sealed container, where necessary, where appropriate and sufficient.
· Ensuring good hygiene during primary production
The Regulation specifically details the following areas of primary production and subsequent stages of the chain:
1. General requirements
Potential hazards and their control shall be addressed in appropriate guides such as HACCP. Good practice shall always be adhered to including the monitoring of hazards and their elimination or reduction. This includes:
· ensuring food is produced under hygienic conditions;
· reducing the impact of environmental hazards;
· controlling contamination, pests, diseases and infections; and
· informing authorities if human health could be affected.
2. Specific plant product requirements
To facilitate the hygiene of food the following must be adhered to:
· correct use of pesticides and fertilisers;
· appropriate production, handling, storage and transport;
· avoidance of biological, chemical and physical hazards;
· the use of water in production;
· the use of organic waste in production; and
· cleaning and disinfecting transport machinery, equipment or vehicles.
Farmers must keep records or documentation on the specific health protection requirements of:
· pesticides and fertilisers; and
· results of any analyses undertaken on products or other non-specific analyses.
· Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP)
All food business operators excluding primary producers shall put into place, implement and maintain a permanent system to adhere to the principles of HACCP. The seven principles of HACCP are:
- Analyse hazards. Potential hazards associated with a food and measures to control those hazards are identified. The hazard could be biological, such as a microbe; chemical, such as a toxin; or physical, such as ground glass or metal fragments.
- Identify critical control points. These are points in a food's production- from its raw state through processing and shipping to consumption by the consumer- at which the potential hazard can be controlled or eliminated. Examples are cooking, cooling, packaging, and metal detection.
- Establish preventive measures with critical limits for each control point. For a cooked food, for example, this might include setting the minimum cooking temperature and time required to ensure harmful microbes are eliminated.
- Establish procedures to monitor the critical control points. Such procedures might include determining how, and by whom, cooking time and temperature should be monitored.
- Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met. This could include reprocessing or disposing of food if the minimum cooking temperature is not met, for example.
- Establish procedures to verify that the system is working properly. This involves regular testing, for example, testing time-and-temperature recording devices to verify that a cooking unit is working properly.
- Establish effective record keeping to document the HACCP system. This would include records of hazards and their control methods, the monitoring of safety requirements and action taken to correct potential problems. Each of these principles must be backed by sound scientific knowledge: for example, published microbiological studies on time and temperature factors for controlling foodborne pathogens.
· Registration of operators
Food business operators shall convey the following information to the relevant authorities:
§ nature of business; and
§ name and address of all premises where operations are carried out.
On receipt of this information, businesses may be inspected to ensure that premises comply with the contents of this Regulation, and only with compliance thereof, can they trade. If they are met, a registration number will be issued, which must be placed on all foodstuffs produced by the operator in question.
· Product withdrawal/traceability
Where food prevents a serious risk to the health of consumers, it is the responsibility of the food operator who placed the food on the market to withdraw it. Where this withdrawal has occurred, the authority shall be informed. Records of the source of all ingredients used shall be kept to facilitate traceability.
Further details of traceability can be found under General Food Law and Traceability.
· Imports and exports
Food business operators must be responsibility for food hygiene at every stage that they are responsible for when handling imported produce. All the requirements outlined below and the HACCP principles given above for Community produce must likewise be adhered to.
Exported produce must adhere to the same standards of that imported into the Community except where the importing country has special requirements. Any food business operator exporting food must register his facilities as outlined above.
· Requirements applicable to all food businesses
Food premises must be clean and in a good state of repair and condition and shall always:
· permit maintenance and cleaning/disinfection, avoid air-borne contamination, and of hygienic operation by being appropriately large;
· avoid the accumulation of dirt, condensation and mould on surfaces and ensure that food does not become contaminated with foreign matter;
· ensure good hygiene practices which include avoidance of cross-contamination of food with wrapping and packaging, water, equipment, materials, air supply or personnel, and external contamination (e.g. pests); and
· where appropriate, ensure monitored and recorded temperature controlled storage.
Food premises must always have:
· an adequate number of washbasins with hot and cold running water, located for easy use. They must be equipped with cleaning materials and drying facilities, and be separate from food washing facilities;
· flush lavatories which do not open into a food handing area;
· good natural or mechanical ventilation not contaminating clean areas and must be easy to clean;
· sanitary conveniences with adequate natural or mechanical ventilation;
· adequate natural or artificial lighting;
· functional drainage facilities not contaminating foodstuffs. Fully or partially open drains must never flow from contaminated areas to areas of food preparation; and
· adequate changing facilities where necessary.
· Requirements for moveable or temporary premises (e.g. market stalls)
Premises must be located, designed, constructed and kept clean to avoid contamination of foodstuffs and reduce the risk of harboured pests.
Foodstuffs must be placed where the risk of contamination is minimised.
· Transport
Containers in which foodstuffs are transported must be kept clean, in good repair and condition and not allow other products to become subsequently contaminated. They must be easily cleanable if they are to be re-used. Such containers must not be used for other purposes which could result in the contamination of foodstuffs.
Containers that are used to transport various product types must be segregated to ensure no product cross-contamination occurs. All containers must be cleaned before they can be used for other products.
Containers must be diligently laced and protected to avoid contamination of other food during transit.
· Food waste
Any food waste must be cleared from food rooms. Non-edible by-products or debris must be disposed of in closable containers, unless it can be demonstrated that other methods are appropriate. Any containers must be of appropriate construction, sound in nature, easy to clean and where necessary disinfect.
Refuse must be removed or adequately stored. If refuse is stored, storages areas must be kept clean and protected against pests.
Wastewater must be disposed of in a manner in which community legislation permits (Directive 91/271/EEC amended by Directive 98/15/EC).
· Water supply
To prevent foodstuffs from becoming contaminated, food premises must have adequate supply of potable water (Council Directive 98/83/EC) which can be used as necessary.
If non-potable water is used for non-food purposes it must be connected to a separate water supply, labelled as such. This water must not be in contact with potable water or supplies thereof.
Steam used in contact with food must be free of any contaminants which could come into contact with the food.
· Personal hygiene
Persons working in a food environment shall maintain a high state of personal cleanliness. Clothing should be clean, appropriate and where necessary protective.
If an employee is suffering from or carrying a disease which could be transmitted through food, they shall not enter food handling areas. Any persons suffering from infected wounds, skin infections, sores, diarrhoea or who are likely to contaminate food with micro-organisms, are likewise prohibited from these areas. Anyone suffering from any of above must report illness and symptoms to the food business operator.
· Provisions applicable to foodstuffs
Any raw materials contaminated with parasites, pathogenic micro-organisms or toxic,decomposed or foreign substances, which after normal procedure would be unfit for human consumption, are not to be accepted by an operator.
Raw materials should be stored under conditions that prevent deterioration and / or contamination of, or by, other foods.
Whilst food is handled, stored, packaged, displayed or transported, any contamination must be prevented which would render the food unfit for human consumption and or a hazard to food. Whilst the above processes are being undertaken, all efforts to control pests must be taken.
Any food product which could support the growth of micro-organisms or the formation of toxins in the food, must be stored at temperatures which ensure a high standard of food safety. Ideally, this storage should only be interrupted for handling during transport, storage and display.
Any produce, which has been frozen, must be thawed in such a way to prevent the development of pathogens and / or toxins in the food. Such processes should also be prevented from occurring in thawed food. Thawing of food should occur at temperatures which will not risk the health of the consumer of the food.
· Provisions applicable to wrapping and packaging of foodstuffs
Wrapping and packaging materials shall not be a source of contamination of foodstuffs. The transport and supply of these materials must occur in a manner which prevents their contamination.
All materials used for wrapping or packaging must be stored so as to avoid contamination with food, the storage environment, cleaning products and pests.
Where exposed products are packed these products must be protected against contamination. The room for packing must be clean, sufficient in size, constructed and designed to ensure thorough cleaning is possible and all operations can be carried out hygienically. The packaging materials should be assembled outside the main packing room in a hygienic manner and used immediately. If packaging is to contain a lining, it must be inserted hygienically.
Wr, ap, ping a, nd p, ac, , kaging, can only be re-used when they are made of materials which can easily be cleaned and where necessary disinfected.
For further information, please see our section on food packaging.
· Training
It is the responsibility of food operators to ensure that food handlers are suitably trained in food hygiene. Those persons whose responsibility it is to implement and maintaining HACCP must have also received adequate training in the principl, es of HACCP as described above.
Hygiene of foodstuffs:
In 2004, the European Parliament and Council reached an agreement on a new legislation for the hygiene of foodstuffs. This new regulation will have an impact on hygiene conditions applicable for the fresh produce sector. The new legislation will be applicable in the EU as of 1 January 2006 (European Parliament and Council Regulation 852/2004/EC on hygiene of foodstuffs).
Besides, the European Union also finalised a new text on official controls (European Parliament and Council Regulation 882/2004/EC).
The European Commission is also working on a range of guidelines to assist the food industry to implement the European hygiene legislation. The guidelines applicable to the fruit and vegetable sector are listed below and available for download:
- implementation provisions of hygiene legislation ;
- guidence document on food hygiene;
- requirements for imported products ;
- implementation HACCP and
· Scope
Ensuring that food is fit for human consumption and free from hazards is the objective of this hygiene Regulation, applicable after 1 January 2006. All stages from production to supply to the ultimate consumer are covered, to ensure that all processes are performed in a hygienic manner. To ensure adherence, it is laid down that food business operators bear primary responsibility for food safety. The implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and adherence to Codex Alimentarius are both required facilitating good food safety.
· Definitions
The following definitions are included in this Directive and can be consulted if required:
food hygiene, food safety, food business, food business operator, primary products, primary production, competent authority/ies, certification, equivalence, hazard, contamination, marketing, retail trade, final consumer, wrapping, packaging, products of animal origin, unprocessed product, processed product, hermetically sealed container, where necessary, where appropriate and sufficient.
· Ensuring good hygiene during primary production
The Regulation specifically details the following areas of primary production and subsequent stages of the chain:
1. General requirements
Potential hazards and their control shall be addressed in appropriate guides such as HACCP. Good practice shall always be adhered to including the monitoring of hazards and their elimination or reduction. This includes:
· ensuring food is produced under hygienic conditions;
· reducing the impact of environmental hazards;
· controlling contamination, pests, diseases and infections; and
· informing authorities if human health could be affected.
2. Specific plant product requirements
To facilitate the hygiene of food the following must be adhered to:
· correct use of pesticides and fertilisers;
· appropriate production, handling, storage and transport;
· avoidance of biological, chemical and physical hazards;
· the use of water in production;
· the use of organic waste in production; and
· cleaning and disinfecting transport machinery, equipment or vehicles.
Farmers must keep records or documentation on the specific health protection requirements of:
· pesticides and fertilisers; and
· results of any analyses undertaken on products or other non-specific analyses.
· Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP)
All food business operators excluding primary producers shall put into place, implement and maintain a permanent system to adhere to the principles of HACCP. The seven principles of HACCP are:
- Analyse hazards. Potential hazards associated with a food and measures to control those hazards are identified. The hazard could be biological, such as a microbe; chemical, such as a toxin; or physical, such as ground glass or metal fragments.
- Identify critical control points. These are points in a food's production- from its raw state through processing and shipping to consumption by the consumer- at which the potential hazard can be controlled or eliminated. Examples are cooking, cooling, packaging, and metal detection.
- Establish preventive measures with critical limits for each control point. For a cooked food, for example, this might include setting the minimum cooking temperature and time required to ensure harmful microbes are eliminated.
- Establish procedures to monitor the critical control points. Such procedures might include determining how, and by whom, cooking time and temperature should be monitored.
- Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met. This could include reprocessing or disposing of food if the minimum cooking temperature is not met, for example.
- Establish procedures to verify that the system is working properly. This involves regular testing, for example, testing time-and-temperature recording devices to verify that a cooking unit is working properly.
- Establish effective record keeping to document the HACCP system. This would include records of hazards and their control methods, the monitoring of safety requirements and action taken to correct potential problems. Each of these principles must be backed by sound scientific knowledge: for example, published microbiological studies on time and temperature factors for controlling foodborne pathogens.
· Registration of operators
Food business operators shall convey the following information to the relevant authorities:
§ nature of business; and
§ name and address of all premises where operations are carried out.
On receipt of this information, businesses may be inspected to ensure that premises comply with the contents of this Regulation, and only with compliance thereof, can they trade. If they are met, a registration number will be issued, which must be placed on all foodstuffs produced by the operator in question.
· Product withdrawal/traceability
Where food prevents a serious risk to the health of consumers, it is the responsibility of the food operator who placed the food on the market to withdraw it. Where this withdrawal has occurred, the authority shall be informed. Records of the source of all ingredients used shall be kept to facilitate traceability.
Further details of traceability can be found under General Food Law and Traceability.
· Imports and exports
Food business operators must be responsibility for food hygiene at every stage that they are responsible for when handling imported produce. All the requirements outlined below and the HACCP principles given above for Community produce must likewise be adhered to.
Exported produce must adhere to the same standards of that imported into the Community except where the importing country has special requirements. Any food business operator exporting food must register his facilities as outlined above.
· Requirements applicable to all food businesses
Food premises must be clean and in a good state of repair and condition and shall always:
· permit maintenance and cleaning/disinfection, avoid air-borne contamination, and of hygienic operation by being appropriately large;
· avoid the accumulation of dirt, condensation and mould on surfaces and ensure that food does not become contaminated with foreign matter;
· ensure good hygiene practices which include avoidance of cross-contamination of food with wrapping and packaging, water, equipment, materials, air supply or personnel, and external contamination (e.g. pests); and
· where appropriate, ensure monitored and recorded temperature controlled storage.
Food premises must always have:
· an adequate number of washbasins with hot and cold running water, located for easy use. They must be equipped with cleaning materials and drying facilities, and be separate from food washing facilities;
· flush lavatories which do not open into a food handing area;
· good natural or mechanical ventilation not contaminating clean areas and must be easy to clean;
· sanitary conveniences with adequate natural or mechanical ventilation;
· adequate natural or artificial lighting;
· functional drainage facilities not contaminating foodstuffs. Fully or partially open drains must never flow from contaminated areas to areas of food preparation; and
· adequate changing facilities where necessary.
· Requirements for moveable or temporary premises (e.g. market stalls)
Premises must be located, designed, constructed and kept clean to avoid contamination of foodstuffs and reduce the risk of harboured pests.
Foodstuffs must be placed where the risk of contamination is minimised.
· Transport
Containers in which foodstuffs are transported must be kept clean, in good repair and condition and not allow other products to become subsequently contaminated. They must be easily cleanable if they are to be re-used. Such containers must not be used for other purposes which could result in the contamination of foodstuffs.
Containers that are used to transport various product types must be segregated to ensure no product cross-contamination occurs. All containers must be cleaned before they can be used for other products.
Containers must be diligently laced and protected to avoid contamination of other food during transit.
· Food waste
Any food waste must be cleared from food rooms. Non-edible by-products or debris must be disposed of in closable containers, unless it can be demonstrated that other methods are appropriate. Any containers must be of appropriate construction, sound in nature, easy to clean and where necessary disinfect.
Refuse must be removed or adequately stored. If refuse is stored, storages areas must be kept clean and protected against pests.
Wastewater must be disposed of in a manner in which community legislation permits (Directive 91/271/EEC amended by Directive 98/15/EC).
· Water supply
To prevent foodstuffs from becoming contaminated, food premises must have adequate supply of potable water (Council Directive 98/83/EC) which can be used as necessary.
If non-potable water is used for non-food purposes it must be connected to a separate water supply, labelled as such. This water must not be in contact with potable water or supplies thereof.
Steam used in contact with food must be free of any contaminants which could come into contact with the food.
· Personal hygiene
Persons working in a food environment shall maintain a high state of personal cleanliness. Clothing should be clean, appropriate and where necessary protective.
If an employee is suffering from or carrying a disease which could be transmitted through food, they shall not enter food handling areas. Any persons suffering from infected wounds, skin infections, sores, diarrhoea or who are likely to contaminate food with micro-organisms, are likewise prohibited from these areas. Anyone suffering from any of above must report illness and symptoms to the food business operator.
· Provisions applicable to foodstuffs
Any raw materials contaminated with parasites, pathogenic micro-organisms or toxic,decomposed or foreign substances, which after normal procedure would be unfit for human consumption, are not to be accepted by an operator.
Raw materials should be stored under conditions that prevent deterioration and / or contamination of, or by, other foods.
Whilst food is handled, stored, packaged, displayed or transported, any contamination must be prevented which would render the food unfit for human consumption and or a hazard to food. Whilst the above processes are being undertaken, all efforts to control pests must be taken.
Any food product which could support the growth of micro-organisms or the formation of toxins in the food, must be stored at temperatures which ensure a high standard of food safety. Ideally, this storage should only be interrupted for handling during transport, storage and display.
Any produce, which has been frozen, must be thawed in such a way to prevent the development of pathogens and / or toxins in the food. Such processes should also be prevented from occurring in thawed food. Thawing of food should occur at temperatures which will not risk the health of the consumer of the food.
· Provisions applicable to wrapping and packaging of foodstuffs
Wrapping and packaging materials shall not be a source of contamination of foodstuffs. The transport and supply of these materials must occur in a manner which prevents their contamination.
All materials used for wrapping or packaging must be stored so as to avoid contamination with food, the storage environment, cleaning products and pests.
Where exposed products are packed these products must be protected against contamination. The room for packing must be clean, sufficient in size, constructed and designed to ensure thorough cleaning is possible and all operations can be carried out hygienically. The packaging materials should be assembled outside the main packing room in a hygienic manner and used immediately. If packaging is to contain a lining, it must be inserted hygienically.
Wr, ap, ping a, nd p, ac, , kaging, can only be re-used when they are made of materials which can easily be cleaned and where necessary disinfected.
For further information, please see our section on food packaging.
· Training
It is the responsibility of food operators to ensure that food handlers are suitably trained in food hygiene. Those persons whose responsibility it is to implement and maintaining HACCP must have also received adequate training in the principl, es of HACCP as described above.
Hygiene of foodstuffs:
In 2004, the European Parliament and Council reached an agreement on a new legislation for the hygiene of foodstuffs. This new regulation will have an impact on hygiene conditions applicable for the fresh produce sector. The new legislation will be applicable in the EU as of 1 January 2006 (European Parliament and Council Regulation 852/2004/EC on hygiene of foodstuffs).
Besides, the European Union also finalised a new text on official controls (European Parliament and Council Regulation 882/2004/EC).
The European Commission is also working on a range of guidelines to assist the food industry to implement the European hygiene legislation. The guidelines applicable to the fruit and vegetable sector are listed below and available for download:
- implementation provisions of hygiene legislation ;
- guidence document on food hygiene;
- requirements for imported products ;
- implementation HACCP and
· Scope
Ensuring that food is fit for human consumption and free from hazards is the objective of this hygiene Regulation, applicable after 1 January 2006. All stages from production to supply to the ultimate consumer are covered, to ensure that all processes are performed in a hygienic manner. To ensure adherence, it is laid down that food business operators bear primary responsibility for food safety. The implementation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and adherence to Codex Alimentarius are both required facilitating good food safety.
· Definitions
The following definitions are included in this Directive and can be consulted if required:
food hygiene, food safety, food business, food business operator, primary products, primary production, competent authority/ies, certification, equivalence, hazard, contamination, marketing, retail trade, final consumer, wrapping, packaging, products of animal origin, unprocessed product, processed product, hermetically sealed container, where necessary, where appropriate and sufficient.
· Ensuring good hygiene during primary production
The Regulation specifically details the following areas of primary production and subsequent stages of the chain:
1. General requirements
Potential hazards and their control shall be addressed in appropriate guides such as HACCP. Good practice shall always be adhered to including the monitoring of hazards and their elimination or reduction. This includes:
· ensuring food is produced under hygienic conditions;
· reducing the impact of environmental hazards;
· controlling contamination, pests, diseases and infections; and
· informing authorities if human health could be affected.
2. Specific plant product requirements
To facilitate the hygiene of food the following must be adhered to:
· correct use of pesticides and fertilisers;
· appropriate production, handling, storage and transport;
· avoidance of biological, chemical and physical hazards;
· the use of water in production;
· the use of organic waste in production; and
· cleaning and disinfecting transport machinery, equipment or vehicles.
Farmers must keep records or documentation on the specific health protection requirements of:
· pesticides and fertilisers; and
· results of any analyses undertaken on products or other non-specific analyses.
· Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP)
All food business operators excluding primary producers shall put into place, implement and maintain a permanent system to adhere to the principles of HACCP. The seven principles of HACCP are:
- Analyse hazards. Potential hazards associated with a food and measures to control those hazards are identified. The hazard could be biological, such as a microbe; chemical, such as a toxin; or physical, such as ground glass or metal fragments.
- Identify critical control points. These are points in a food's production- from its raw state through processing and shipping to consumption by the consumer- at which the potential hazard can be controlled or eliminated. Examples are cooking, cooling, packaging, and metal detection.
- Establish preventive measures with critical limits for each control point. For a cooked food, for example, this might include setting the minimum cooking temperature and time required to ensure harmful microbes are eliminated.
- Establish procedures to monitor the critical control points. Such procedures might include determining how, and by whom, cooking time and temperature should be monitored.
- Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met. This could include reprocessing or disposing of food if the minimum cooking temperature is not met, for example.
- Establish procedures to verify that the system is working properly. This involves regular testing, for example, testing time-and-temperature recording devices to verify that a cooking unit is working properly.
- Establish effective record keeping to document the HACCP system. This would include records of hazards and their control methods, the monitoring of safety requirements and action taken to correct potential problems. Each of these principles must be backed by sound scientific knowledge: for example, published microbiological studies on time and temperature factors for controlling foodborne pathogens.
· Registration of operators
Food business operators shall convey the following information to the relevant authorities:
§ nature of business; and
§ name and address of all premises where operations are carried out.
On receipt of this information, businesses may be inspected to ensure that premises comply with the contents of this Regulation, and only with compliance thereof, can they trade. If they are met, a registration number will be issued, which must be placed on all foodstuffs produced by the operator in question.
· Product withdrawal/traceability
Where food prevents a serious risk to the health of consumers, it is the responsibility of the food operator who placed the food on the market to withdraw it. Where this withdrawal has occurred, the authority shall be informed. Records of the source of all ingredients used shall be kept to facilitate traceability.
Further details of traceability can be found under General Food Law and Traceability.
· Imports and exports
Food business operators must be responsibility for food hygiene at every stage that they are responsible for when handling imported produce. All the requirements outlined below and the HACCP principles given above for Community produce must likewise be adhered to.
Exported produce must adhere to the same standards of that imported into the Community except where the importing country has special requirements. Any food business operator exporting food must register his facilities as outlined above.
· Requirements applicable to all food businesses
Food premises must be clean and in a good state of repair and condition and shall always:
· permit maintenance and cleaning/disinfection, avoid air-borne contamination, and of hygienic operation by being appropriately large;
· avoid the accumulation of dirt, condensation and mould on surfaces and ensure that food does not become contaminated with foreign matter;
· ensure good hygiene practices which include avoidance of cross-contamination of food with wrapping and packaging, water, equipment, materials, air supply or personnel, and external contamination (e.g. pests); and
· where appropriate, ensure monitored and recorded temperature controlled storage.
Food premises must always have:
· an adequate number of washbasins with hot and cold running water, located for easy use. They must be equipped with cleaning materials and drying facilities, and be separate from food washing facilities;
· flush lavatories which do not open into a food handing area;
· good natural or mechanical ventilation not contaminating clean areas and must be easy to clean;
· sanitary conveniences with adequate natural or mechanical ventilation;
· adequate natural or artificial lighting;
· functional drainage facilities not contaminating foodstuffs. Fully or partially open drains must never flow from contaminated areas to areas of food preparation; and
· adequate changing facilities where necessary.
· Requirements for moveable or temporary premises (e.g. market stalls)
Premises must be located, designed, constructed and kept clean to avoid contamination of foodstuffs and reduce the risk of harboured pests.
Foodstuffs must be placed where the risk of contamination is minimised.
· Transport
Containers in which foodstuffs are transported must be kept clean, in good repair and condition and not allow other products to become subsequently contaminated. They must be easily cleanable if they are to be re-used. Such containers must not be used for other purposes which could result in the contamination of foodstuffs.
Containers that are used to transport various product types must be segregated to ensure no product cross-contamination occurs. All containers must be cleaned before they can be used for other products.
Containers must be diligently laced and protected to avoid contamination of other food during transit.
· Food waste
Any food waste must be cleared from food rooms. Non-edible by-products or debris must be disposed of in closable containers, unless it can be demonstrated that other methods are appropriate. Any containers must be of appropriate construction, sound in nature, easy to clean and where necessary disinfect.
Refuse must be removed or adequately stored. If refuse is stored, storages areas must be kept clean and protected against pests.
Wastewater must be disposed of in a manner in which community legislation permits (Directive 91/271/EEC amended by Directive 98/15/EC).
· Water supply
To prevent foodstuffs from becoming contaminated, food premises must have adequate supply of potable water (Council Directive 98/83/EC) which can be used as necessary.
If non-potable water is used for non-food purposes it must be connected to a separate water supply, labelled as such. This water must not be in contact with potable water or supplies thereof.
Steam used in contact with food must be free of any contaminants which could come into contact with the food.
· Personal hygiene
Persons working in a food environment shall maintain a high state of personal cleanliness. Clothing should be clean, appropriate and where necessary protective.
If an employee is suffering from or carrying a disease which could be transmitted through food, they shall not enter food handling areas. Any persons suffering from infected wounds, skin infections, sores, diarrhoea or who are likely to contaminate food with micro-organisms, are likewise prohibited from these areas. Anyone suffering from any of above must report illness and symptoms to the food business operator.
· Provisions applicable to foodstuffs
Any raw materials contaminated with parasites, pathogenic micro-organisms or toxic,decomposed or foreign substances, which after normal procedure would be unfit for human consumption, are not to be accepted by an operator.
Raw materials should be stored under conditions that prevent deterioration and / or contamination of, or by, other foods.
Whilst food is handled, stored, packaged, displayed or transported, any contamination must be prevented which would render the food unfit for human consumption and or a hazard to food. Whilst the above processes are being undertaken, all efforts to control pests must be taken.
Any food product which could support the growth of micro-organisms or the formation of toxins in the food, must be stored at temperatures which ensure a high standard of food safety. Ideally, this storage should only be interrupted for handling during transport, storage and display.
Any produce, which has been frozen, must be thawed in such a way to prevent the development of pathogens and / or toxins in the food. Such processes should also be prevented from occurring in thawed food. Thawing of food should occur at temperatures which will not risk the health of the consumer of the food.
· Provisions applicable to wrapping and packaging of foodstuffs
Wrapping and packaging materials shall not be a source of contamination of foodstuffs. The transport and supply of these materials must occur in a manner which prevents their contamination.
All materials used for wrapping or packaging must be stored so as to avoid contamination with food, the storage environment, cleaning products and pests.
Where exposed products are packed these products must be protected against contamination. The room for packing must be clean, sufficient in size, constructed and designed to ensure thorough cleaning is possible and all operations can be carried out hygienically. The packaging materials should be assembled outside the main packing room in a hygienic manner and used immediately. If packaging is to contain a lining, it must be inserted hygienically.
Wr, ap, ping a, nd p, ac, , kaging, can only be re-used when they are made of materials which can easily be cleaned and where necessary disinfected.
For further information, please see our section on food packaging.
· Training
It is the responsibility of food operators to ensure that food handlers are suitably trained in food hygiene. Those persons whose responsibility it is to implement and maintaining HACCP must have also received adequate training in the principl, es of HACCP as described above.
