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Introduction
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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; at worst, they can be fatal. But there are also other
consequences. Outbreaks of foodborne illness can damage trade and
tourism, and tourism and lead to loss of earnings, unemployment and
litigation. Food spoilage is wasteful, costly and can adversely affect
trade and consumer confidence.
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| International
food trade and foreign 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 change
in many countries over the last two edcades and new food production,
preparation and distribution techniques have developed to reflect this. |
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hygiene control, therefore, is vital to avoid the adverse human health
and economic consequences of foodborne illness, foodborne injury and
food spoilage. Everyone, including farmers and growers, manufacturers
and processors, food handlers
and consumers, have a responsibility to
assure that food is safe and suitable for consumption. |
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Objectives
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The Codex
General Principles of Food Hygiene
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Identify
the essential principles of food hygiene applicable throughout the food
chain (including primary production through to the final consumer), to
achieve the goal of ensuring that the food is safe and suitable for
human consumption. |
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Recommend a
HACCP - based approach as a means to enhance food safety. |
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Indicate
how to implement those principles. |
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Provide
a guidance for specific codes which may be needed for - sectors of the
food chain; processes; or commodities; to amplify the
hygiene
requirements specific to those areas. |
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The food chain
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| This
document follows the food chain primary production to the final
consumer, setting out the necessary hygiene conditions for producing
food which is safe and suitable for consumption. The document provides
a base-line structure for other, more specific, codes applicable to
particular sectors. Such specific codes and guidelines should be read
in conjunction with this document and Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application (Annex). |
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Roles of
Government, industry and consumers
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| Government
can consider the contents of this document and decide how they should
encourage the implementation of these general principles to: |
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Protect
consumers adequately from illness or injury caused by food; policies
need to consider the vulnerability of the population, or of different
groups within the population.
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Provide
assurance that food is suitable for human consumption. |
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Maintain
confidence in internationally traded food. |
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Provide
health education programmes which effectively communicate the
principles of food hygiene to industry and consumers. |
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| Industry
should apply the hygienic practices set out in this document to: |
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Provide
food which is safe and suitable for consumption. |
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Ensure
that consumers have clear and easily-understood information, by way of
labeling and other appropriate mean, to enable them to protect their
food from contamination and growth/survival of foodborne pathogens by
storing, handling and preparing it correctly.
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Maintain
confidence in internationally traded food. |
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| Consumers
should recognize their role by following relevant instructions and
applying appropriate food hygiene measures. |
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