Briefly: Regulation (EC) 178 / 2002 – Traceability

Why regulation? 

• to avoid crisis
• to establish a comprehensive system of traceability within food and feed business
• to target  and accurate withdrawals / recall
• to protect consumer
• to inform control officials

Concerning who?

The traceability of food and feed, food-producing animals, and any other substances intended to be or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed shall be established at all stages of production, processing and distribution.

• producers
• transporting
• storing
• processing
• catering
• retailers

Do not concern operators on Third countries and consumers.

What does traceability mean?

It’s necessary to ensure food and feed business including an importer can identify at least the business from which the food, feed, animal or substance that may be incorporated into a food or feed has been supplied, to ensure that on investigation, traceability can be assured at all stages.

Demands and labelling

Food and feed which is placed on the market or is likely to be placed on the market in the Community shall be adequately labelled or identified to facilitate its traceability, though relevant documentation or information in accordance with the relevant requirements of more specific provisions. Demands of traceability do not give more information to consumers.

Any demands for suppliers and customers?
Food and feed business operators shall be able to identify any person from whom they have been supplied with a food, a feed and a food-producing animal, or any substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food or feed and shall have in place system and procedures to identify the other business to which their products have been supplied.
One step behind – One step forward.

What are those traceability systems?

• no answers from the regulation
• can be different; “paper and pen” – data system
• description of system includes to Self Control Plan
• bookkeeping of the information
• the information have to be given to authority when demanded

Internal traceability?

Without prejudice to more detailed rules, the Regulation does not compel operators to establish a link between incoming and outgoing products - so called internal traceability.

How wide bookkeeping is necessary – Types of information to be kept?

• necessary information of traceability
• demands of systematic bookkeeping

The First category: so called must be information – includes any information which shall be made available to the competent Authorities in all cases:

• name, address of supplier, nature of products supplied from him
• name and address of customer, nature of products delivered to that customer
• date of transaction / delivery
  The information should be immediately available to the competent authorities.
   

The second category – highly recommended to be kept:

• volume and quantity

• batch number

• More detailed description of the product (pre-packed or bulk product, variety of fruit / vegetable, raw or processed product…)
  The information should be available ASAP, within deadlines appropriate to circumstances.

Time of records keeping: 5 years

• General rule for products without self life (sugar, salt, vinegar)
• The other products (flours, spices, drinks)

Shelf-life + 6 month

• fresh products with a use by date destined directly to final consumer (packed meat of chicken)
• products without specified use by date and destined directly to final consumer (fruits, vegetables and non-packed products)
• some canned food