Mastery of food safety: main standards

Since the early 2000s, changes in international trade rules and growing consumer demands have made food safety a major concern for players in the food industry. A number of food crises in recent years have inevitably led to increased demands for transparency and consumer confidence.

All operators in the food chain are subject to regulatory obligations concerning the conformity of the foodstuffs they place on the market.

Food safety regulations applicable to organizations are vast and extensive. The basic texts in this field are the European regulations making up the "hygiene package". They apply to all professionals in the food chain, from primary production to the consumer.

Over the years, the sanitary control plans and self-monitoring systems put in place by professionals have strengthened product safety and sanitary quality.

For any organization involved in the agricultural and agri-food sector, these basic regulatory texts can be supplemented by voluntary normative documents.

A list of abbreviations is given at the end of the article.