EU to review food hygiene laws

By Ahmed ElAmin, 10-Jan-2007

Related topics: Legislation

The European Commission plans to review the EU's new hygiene laws to determine
whether further amendments are needed to strengthen provisions related to meat
inspection, gelatine, good food safety practices and cold stores.

The EU's package of hygiene laws came into force at the start of 2006, with some measures
beingphased in over the year. While the package has lead to higher costs for food processors,
it has thepotential to make cross-border trading in the bloc simpler for them by establishing a
common set ofrules.

According to a report issued by the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Commission
announcedthe review and possible changes at the 11 December meeting of the working group
on veterinary legislation.The Commission plans to seek comments from member states and
other affected parties via a meeting ofthe food chain committee on 12 January.

The FSA reported that the Commission discussions related to the need for further legislation
onmeat inspection, gelatine manufacture, proposed Community guides to good hygiene
practice and cold stores.

The Commission said the review would probably resulting in legislative proposals emerging
at the end of 2008. The Commission explainedit had no definitive strategy yet, but was
considering three broad options for the review.

One option, described as "minimal", would result in a report and no proposals. Aproposal to
extend HACCP-based principles to primary production could be part of this first option.

A second strategy would be to target amendments requiring co-decision from the EU

Parliament andthe Council of Ministers. The third option would be to conduct a thorough
review, with majorlegislative amendments proposed.

Currently the Commission favours the first two options, the FSA reported.

"The Commission is likely to favour one of the first two options and plans to engage with
stakeholders early in the newyear," the FSA stated. "The indication is that member states will
also be asked for their views at a meeting early in the new year. The UK does not consider
that the legislation needs a major overhaul."

The Commission has asked the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) to report any issues
arising from its round of missions tomember states.

At the December meeting the Commission reported that it was currently proposing minor
amendmentsto the law on the inspection of meat. The Commission said that references to
'veal calf', 'lamb' and 'goat kid' had been replaced bythe description 'young
bovine/ovine/caprine animal' to bring into line with definitions used inthe EU's agriculture
department. The definition of 'young ovine animal' had been amended to refer to dentition.

The Commission said the changes would form an annexe to Regulation 2074/2005, one of
theimplementing measures of the current food hygiene legislation.

Representatives from member states also asked the Commission to clarify the requirement for
the official veterinarian (OV) to be present during post-morteminspection of meat. Some
member states want criteria a derogation from the legislation for specifiedslaugherhouses.

The Commission noted that a risk analysis would be necessary by the competent authority to
determine which slaughterhouses could benefit from this derogation.

The Commission stated the proposal had been introduced at the request of FVO which had
encountered different interpretations during missions tomember states, and had requested
clarification. The Commission said that its intention is to reduce the costs of official controls
at small slaughterhouses to preserve their financial viability.

A discussion on 'small' and 'discontinuous slaughter' resulted in a decision not to include

these terms in thearticles of the regulation, the FSA reported. The UK stated that the criteria
were not related to food safety risks and opposed the Commission's text. An amended version
of the Article, tabled by UK, was rejected.

further revision will be circulated for discussion at the next meeting, the FSA stated.

In relation to gelatine manufacture, the Commission outlined a European Federation's request

for changes toSection XIV of Regulation 853/2004. The industry's wish was to allow for an
alternative method of equivalent effect until the legislation could be changed to include a
specific reference.

Other updates were being sought which would bring the legislation into line with the
pharmacopeia. The industry also queried the need to label product with its date of
manufacture and wanted a change to the documentation requirements for raw materials.The
FSA noted there was a lack of support from some member states for the industry proposals.

Participants at the meeting also discussed the issue of hygiene controls in coldstores .
Theyasked whether the Commission intended to take any further action. The Commission
said it was concernedabout increasing regulatory burdens on industry.

"The Commission stated that the problem was wider than meat alone and expressed a view
that it is the responsibility of the recipient of goods to ensure that they received the
correctinformation," the FSA reported.

The package of five laws introduced by the EU on 1 January 2006 merged, harmonised and
simplifiedcomplex food hygiene requirements that had been scattered over seventeen EU
directives.

European consumers have become increasing concerned about food safety, mainly due to the
bovinespongiform encephalopathy (BSE) scare in cattle beginning in the late 1980s, a foot
and mouthdisease outbreak in 2001 and of avian flu in 2003 and this year. As a result the EU
and regulatoryauthorities in member states have been increasing their regulation of the
industry, resulting inmore costs and greater public scrutiny of manufacturers' operations.