Eu Food Law – Regulation (ec) No. 178/2002

EU Food Law - Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002
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A regulation which lays down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishes the European Food Safety Authority and lays down procedures in matters of food safety.

This new Food Law takes effect from 1st January 2005.

With regard to tracebaility article 18 states that:

1. The traceability of food, feed, food-producing animals and any other substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food or feed shall be established at all stages of production, processing and distribution.

2. Food and feed business operators shall be able to identify any person from whom they have been supplied with a food or feed, a food-producing animal, or any substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food or feed.

To this end, such operators shall have in place systems and procedures which allow for this information to be made to the competent authorities on demand.

3. Food and feed shall have in place systems and procedures to identify the other businesses to which they their products have been supplied. This information to be made to the competent authorities on demand.

4. Food or feed which is placed on the market or is likely to be placed on the market in the Community shall be adequately labelled or identified to facilitate its traceability, through relevant documentation or information in accordance with the relevant requirements of more specific provisions.

Articles 19 and 20 deal with the responsibilities of food and feed business operators respectively and state that, if an operator considers, or has reason to believe, that a food which it has imported, produced, processed, manufactured or distributed is not in compliance with the food safety requirements, it shall immediately initiate procedures to withdraw the food in question from the market. Where it has left their immediate control they must inform the competent authority. Where it may have reached the consumer, the operator shall effectively and accurately inform the consumers of the reason for its withdrawal and if necessary recall products already supplied to them.

Extract from a summary prepared by Jim Bracken, Director, EAN Ireland
Source: http://www.ean.ie/tr...?sid=13&ssid=69

Regards,
Simon

Traceability law under 178/2002 dooes not require registration of food operator's facility unlike as required under The Bio-Terrorism Act or the Belgian Royal Decree.

Is this a good idea or just an improvement of other systems (that require facility registration) adopted by other countries probably riddled with too much administrative issues.

It does not deal with the response time as well. Does this mean that without a maximum time factor thrown in - traceability of product may take as long as one wishes?

Charles Chew

Would we be expecting confusion come 1st Jan 2005. I remember, one of the major countries that initiated a similar move had to "unofficially" grant a cooling period known as an "educational period" before sending the regulatory whip in again.

178/2002 will certainly affect a lot of food processors and a lot are still coming to terms with it particualarly those that do not embrace any form of industrial standards at all.

EC Regulation 852-2004 will come into force by 1st January 2006 and this one is MANDATORY. More should be discussed on this emerging enforcement. Global trade is getting very tough indeed.

CHarles CHew

EC Regulation 852-2004 will come into force by 1st January 2006 and this one is MANDATORY. More should be discussed on this emerging enforcement. Global trade is getting very tough indeed.

Hi Charles,

178/2002 is mandatory too as EU Regulation.

Guidelines provided from Food Safety Authority of Ireland are enclosed and of course are not mandatory, but they may be a good starting point.

Rgds. Franco

Hi Franco,

Thank you. I am doing an awareness program on 178-2002 and this will definitely add more weight to the subject.

Regards
Charles Chew