The safety of food is of critical importance. Consumers must have confidence and assurance that the food they buy will do them no harm or have an adverse effect.
The General Food Law Regulation establishes that only safe food and feed can be placed on the Union market or fed to food-producing animals. It also establishes basic criteria for establishing whether a food or feed is safe.
Tracing food and feed throughout the food chain is very important for the protection of consumers, particularly when food and feed are found to be faulty. The General Food Law Regulation defines traceability as the ability to trace and follow food, feed, and ingredients through all stages of production, processing and distribution.
More detailed traceability requirements in the context of the General Food Law Regulation are laid down for certain specific sectors:
Primary responsibility for ensuring compliance with food law - and in particular the safety of the food - rests with the food (or feed) business operators. To complement and support this principle, the competent authorities of the EU countries must assure adequate and effective controls.
When food or feed is unsafe, business operators are obliged to withdraw or recall it. They are also obliged to notify the competent national authorities so as to be able to monitor whether the appropriate measures have been taken or require that additional measures be taken for reducing or eliminating a food safety risk.
A guidance document (HR version under development) on the implementation of the General Food Law aims to assist all players in the food chain to better understand the Regulation and to apply it correctly and in a uniform way. It provides guidance on main food law requirements:
As a rule, the guidelines do not address specific issues faced by particular types of businesses. However, following a request form the European Parliament, the Commission presented its position on the way the traceability requirements apply to charities.
For more information check the Question (available in French and German) and the Reply (available in French and German) regarding the traceability requirements.