The objections or suggestions, if any, may be addressed to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, 03rd Floor, Food and Drug Administration Bhawan, Kotla road, New Delhi – 110002 or emailed to codex-india@nic.in up to 31st August 2017.

PROPOSED DRAFT REVISION OF THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE

(CAC/RCP 1-1969)

(For comments at Step 3 through CL2017/69-FH)

Revised text on General Principles of Food Hygiene has been developed by the EWG following direction provided by CCFH48 and the PWG (November 2016). Notes have been included to provide explanation for major changes to the text and highlight areas where further discussions are required. Further consideration of some fundamental principles is required, in particular, whether all food businesses should carry out a hazard analysis and whether additional concepts e.g. enhanced GHPs should be introduced. The text will be further developed as agreement on these principles has been reached. Development of supporting definitions and changes to the structure of the document including the relationship with ISO 22000 should also be considered as the text develops.

INTRODUCTION

  1. People have the right to expect the food they eat to be safe and suitable for consumption. Foodborne illness and foodborne injury are at best unpleasant and in some circumstances can be severe or fatal or have a negative impact on human health over the long term. Furthermore, outbreaks of foodborne illness can damage trade and tourism, and lead to loss of earnings, unemployment and litigation. Food spoilage is wasteful, costly, threatens food security and can adversely affect trade and consumer confidence.
  2. International food trade and travel are increasing, bringing important social and economic benefits. But this also makes the spread of illness around the world easier. Eating habits too, have undergone major changes in many countries and new food production, preparation, storage, and distribution techniques have developed to reflect this. Effective food hygiene practices, therefore, are vital to avoid the adverse human health and economic consequences of foodborne illness, foodborne injury, and food spoilage. Everyone, including primary producers, importers, manufacturers and processors, food warehouse/logistics operators, food handlers, retailers, and consumers, has a responsibility to assure that food is safe and suitable for consumption.
  3. This document outlines the general principles that should be understood and followed by food business operators (FBOs) at all stages of the food chain and that provide a basis for competent authorities to oversee food safety and suitability. Taking into account the point in the food chain; the nature of the operation; the relevant contaminants; and whether the relevant contaminants adversely affect safety, suitability or both; these principles will enable food businesses, to develop their own food hygiene practices and appropriate food safety control measures, while complying with requirements set by competent authorities.
  4. [A. Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs), which include Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), as appropriate, lay the foundation for producing safe and suitable food.] [GHPs apply broadly to all food businesses without the need for conducting a hazard analysis. Referring to external resources (existing models, references, standards, regulations, or Codes of Practice provided by the competent authority, Codex or food industry), it may be determined that GHPs are sufficient for some FBOs to control all food safety hazards. Yet, since not all hazards pose the same risk, there may be a need to pay particular attention to certain hazards determined as significant by a site-specific hazard analysis and to apply [control measures at critical control points (CCPs) and/or at places other than CCPs] OR [HACCP control measures] within a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system (see Comparison Table below).
  5. [Chapter One] of this document describes GHPs, which are the basis of all food hygiene systems to support the production of safe and suitable food. GHPs can be stand-alone food hygiene measures or programs prerequisite to HACCP. [Chapter Two] describes HACCP. Though certain types of FBOs may face difficulties in implementing HACCP, HACCP principles can basically be applied throughout the food chain from primary production to final consumption and their implementation should be guided by scientific evidence of risks to human health.