The General Food Law or Regulation 178/2002/EC contains the basic principles of European food legislation.
Other European food safety legislation concerning hygiene, contaminants and controls is based upon the principles in this law.

Traceability
The General Food Law prescribes that food and feed products operators have to know from whom they bought their products and to whom they sold their products. Operators have to be able to report this information to the competent authorities within a short period of time.

Responsibilities food business operators
The General Food Law divides responsibilities in the food chain. Feed business operators are primarily responsible for safe food. They have to ensure that food and feed under their control meets all the safety requirements of European food and feed law. If food or feed is unsafe, they shall not place it on the market.

Obligation to withdraw/report
If an operator has reason to believe that a food or feed under his or her control does not meet the standards, he or she has to withdraw a product from the market and when the food or feed has left his or her immediate control he has to withdraw the product and report to the competent authorities.

Imported products
To ensure a high level of protection all imported food and feed has to meet the European food law standards or equivalent conditions.

Commission document
The Commission has made a "Guidance document on the General Food Law and Traceability". It contains detailed and useful information on the interpretation of the different articles of the General Food Law and the traceability requirement.

For the text of the General Food Law click here.

More information
More information about the General Food law can be found at the website of the European Commission, Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection.