EU Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 - Hygiene of Foodstuffs

What it says

Food business operators must meet general hygiene requirements for premises, equipment, waste, water supply, personal hygiene, foodstuffs, wrapping and packaging, heat treatment and training, and, other than at primary production, must put in place, implement and maintain permanent procedures based on the HACCP principles. Establishments must be registered with the competent authority.

Paraphrased for plain-language clarity. Always verify against the current published regulation text.

What it means in practice

• This is the EU's baseline food hygiene regulation, and it applies across the food chain from production to retail.
• HACCP-based procedures require hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and records.
• Operators can use national or EU guides to good hygiene practice to help meet the requirements.

What inspectors look for

• Whether HACCP-based procedures exist, are current and are followed.
• Whether premises, equipment and personal hygiene meet the general requirements.
• Whether staff training is appropriate and documented.

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