This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 32004R0852
Food safety — from farm to fork
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs
The key principle is that everyone working in the food business must ensure food is dealt with in a hygienic and safe way, i.e. free of contamination from foodborne hazards, at every stage of the production process. This is achieved through:
Good hygiene practices
Annex I lays down good hygiene practices applicable during the primary production stage (i.e. farming, hunting or fishing) and during the transport, handling and storage of primary products and the transport of live animals.
The good hygiene practices set out in Annex II apply to food operators after primary production (slaughterhouses, processing plants, retailers, etc.) and cover areas such as:
Procedures based on the HACCP principles
Businesses in the food sector (except those involved in primary production) should apply procedures based on HACCP principles in line with the general principles of food hygiene of the Codex Alimentarius. These principles include:
The development of national and EU guidance to implement the good hygiene practices and HACCP procedures in a specific food sector is encouraged.
Other requirements of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004
Where required by national or EU legislation, businesses in the food sector must be approved and all premises registered with the appropriate authority, allowing this authority to visit them and verify compliance with the hygiene requirements.
Food imported into the EU and exported food of animal origin must comply with EU standards or their equivalent, as well as any requirements which the importing country may impose.
Closely related EU legislation
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 (see summary) sets out additional specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin, for example meat, fishery products and cheeses.
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 on the general principles and requirements of EU food law (see summary), also supplements the hygiene requirements by laying down obligations on the traceability* of food and requiring that when discovering that a food consignment presents a serious health risk, a food business must immediately withdraw that food from the market and inform users and the relevant authority.
Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004
The regulation has been amended several times, including by the following regulations.
It has applied since 1 January 2006.
For more information, see:
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (OJ L 139, 30.04.2004, pp. 1–54). Text republished in corrigendum (OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, pp. 3–21).
Successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs (OJ L 338, 22.12.2005, pp. 1–26).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin (OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, pp. 55–205). Text republished in corrigendum (OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, pp. 22–82).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1–24).
See consolidated version.
last update 25.10.2021