After many years of negotiation, the “Hygiene Package” has been finalised during the Irish presidency of the European Union. This Package which consists of three new Regulations and two Directives aims to create a single, transparent hygiene policy applicable across the entire food chain.  It will replace the current general Directive 93/43/EEC on food hygiene and the many sector-specific Directives on foods of animal origin which have developed gradually since 1964. The multiplicity of these existing Directives, the intermingling of different disciplines, (hygiene, animal health, official controls) and the existence of different hygiene regimes for products of animal origin and other food have led to the detailed and complex situation currently in existence. The situation should be improved with this new legislation which recasts the legal requirements and separates aspects of food hygiene from animal health and official control issues.  

The new hygiene legislation will be applicable as of 1^st January 2006 and consists of the following:

1) Regulation on the hygiene of foodstuffs

This Regulation, often referred to as Hygiene 1, sets out the rules applicable to all food; from the farm to the point of sale to the consumer, and places primary responsibility for the safety of food on food producers.

·         Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs.

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_139/l_13920040430en00010054.pdf

(2) Regulation laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin

This Regulation, often referred to as Hygiene 2, includes specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin in addition to the general rules in Hygiene 1.

·         Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules on the hygiene of foodstuffs.

http://europa.eu.it/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_139/l_13920040430en00550205.pdf

(3) Regulation laying down detailed rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption

This Regulation, often referred to as Hygiene 3, sets down detailed rules for official controls on products of animal origin.

·        Regulation (EC) No. 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of official controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption.

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2004/l_139/l_13920040430en02060320.pdf

(4) Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 ( OJ L18, p.11, 23.01.2003) laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption

This Directive (sometimes referred to as Hygiene 4) results from the recasting exercise but is not directly related to hygiene.  However, the benefit now is that the animal health rules are in one instrument instead of being scattered over seven different texts.  The basic principle involved is preventing the spread of animal diseases as a result of the placing of animal produce on the market.

·        Council Directive 2002/99/EC of 16 December 2002 ( OJ L18, p.11, 23.01.2003) laying down the animal health rules governing the production, processing, distribution and introduction of products of animal origin for human consumption.

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_018/l_01820030123en00110020.pdf

(5) Directive repealing certain Directives concerning food hygiene and health conditions for the production and placing on the market of certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption and amending Council Directives 89/662/EEC and 92/118/EEC and Council Decision 95/408/EC

This Directive, often referred to as Hygiene 5, repeals the 17 existing Directives while leaving the implementing Decisions in force.

Directive 2004/41/EC (OJ L157, p33, 30/04/2004) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 repealing certain Directives concerning food hygiene and health conditions for the production and placing on the market of certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption and amending Council Directives 89/662/EEC and 92/118/EEC and Council Decision 95/408/EC.