Draft Food Hygiene (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007

The Commission adopted at the meeting of the EU Standing Committee on Food Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH) on 17-18 July, five Commission regulations that amend certain aspects of the EU food hygiene regulations and their implementing and transitional measures. A report of the meeting can be accessed from the link below.

The new Commission regulations are now subject to consultation with the European Parliament. This process is likely to be completed and the measures published in the Official Journal in November 2006. They will enter into force on the seventh day following publication and apply from that same date. A brief description of the measures is included below.

The Commission regulations will apply directly and, as such, need no further transcription into national legislation. It will, however, be necessary to provide for them being enforced as part of the other EU food hygiene regulations. This will be achieved by amending within the national legislation the definitions of various community regulations to include appropriate references to these latest measures. A draft of amending regulations is attached below.

In order to provide for a full period of public consultation, we are consulting now on the basis of the latest drafts of the Commission regulations. The final titles and references will be adjusted once the texts have been published in the Official Journal.

Description of the Commission legislation
Draft Commission Regulation [SANCO/2372/2006 rev.1] amending Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin:

• clarifies the requirement for further identification marking where wrapping or packaging of animal products is removed
• makes minor amendments to fresh meat requirements and amends the requirements for collagen in relation to an extrusion process
• clarifies the position of fish oil within the hygiene legislation and the requirement for approval of establishments
• extends the requirements for dairy products to include colostrum and colostrum-based products (not significant in the UK)

Draft Commission Regulation [SANCO/2375/2006 rev.1]amending 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:

• makes changes to the official control requirements for fresh meat and dairy products as a consequence of the changes noted above
• makes a minor change to the requirements concerning the language in which import certification has to be provided

Draft Commission Regulation [SANCO/2376/2006 rev.1] amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 2074/2005 of 5 December 2005 as regards implementing measures for certain products of animal origin intended for human consumption:

• establishes analytical methods to check compliance with plate count and somatic cell count requirements for raw milk and the pasteurisation of dairy products
• replaces the requirement for paralytic shellfish poisoning detection methods to include a reference to the Lawrence method
• amends the model health certificates for certain products of animal origin including honey
• repeals named Decisions with effect from 1 May 2007

Draft Commission Regulation [SANCO/2378/2006 rev.1] amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 2075/2005 of 5 December 2005 laying down specific rules on official controls for Trichinella in meat:

• amends the arrangements under which pigmeat may be permitted to leave slaughterhouses before the results of Trichinella examination

Draft Commission Regulation [SANCO/2379/2006 rev.1] amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005 of 5 December 2005 laying down transitional arrangements for the implementation of Regulations (EC) No 853/2004, (EC) No 854/2004 and No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council:

• provides that fish oil may be imported from currently approved third country establishments until 31 October 2007. Current documentary arrangements apply until 1 May 2007
• provides for imports of fishery products and live bivalve molluscs from listed countries under certain conditions
• provides the continued use of the 90% limit for E. coli for the classification of Class B production and laying areas for live bivalve molluscs

This consultation has been prepared in accordance with the HM Government Code of Practice on Consultation, which states that a consultation must follow better regulation best practice, including carrying out an Impact Assessment (Regulatory Impact Assessment in Scotland). The assessment is included in the consultation documents.

We are interested in what you thought of this consultation and would therefore welcome your general feedback on both the consultation package and overall consultation process. If you would like to assist us to improve the quality of future consultations, please feel free to share your thoughts with us by using the consultation feedback questionnaire.

Consultation feedback questionnaire (Word)

Consultation feedback questionnaire (pdf)

In accordance with the FSA principle of openness our Information Centre at Aviation House will hold a copy of the completed consultation. Responses will be open to public access upon request. The FSA will also publish a summary of responses, which may include personal data, such as your full name and contact address details. If you do not want this information to be released, please complete and return the Publication of Personal Data Form. Return of this form does not mean that we will treat your response to the consultation as confidential, just your personal data.

Data protection form (Word)

Data protection form (pdf)

Within three months of a consultation ending we aim to publish a summary of responses received and provide a link to it from this page.

If, after three months, the summary is still not showing, please contact the person who was responsible for the original consultation. Alternatively, you can contact the FSA Consultation Co-ordinator by email: consultationcoordinator@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk