Decree approving the Regulation relating to official controls carried out to ensure compliance with the food legislation and the health regulations and animal welfare

This Regulation is intended to create a new regulatory framework to ensure the necessary measures to protect public health. It transposes Regulation (CE) 882/2004 and, to this aim, it approves the Official Control Regulations, made to ensure the application of food legislation and animal health and welfare legislation.
The regulation requires that the competent authority ensure such compliance, monitor and verify that food business operators meet the requirements provided for by such regulations at all stages of production, processing and the distribution. Official controls must be arranged, according to operational criteria that guarantee impartiality and efficiency, including the availability of sufficient and properly trained human resources, particularly with respect to the application of the principles of analysis of hazards and critical control points (HACCP). Such controls also require to be complemented with controls on related subjects, such as additives, labeling, traceability, irradiation of food and materials entering in contact with food.