Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the hygiene of foodstuffs.

This Regulation lays down general rules for food business operators on the hygiene of foodstuffs. It shall apply to all stages of production, processing and distribution of food and to exports, and without any prejudice to more specific requirements relating to food hygiene. The following principles are taken into special account: (a) primary responsibility for food safety rests with the food business operator; (b) it is necessary to ensure food safety throughout the food chain, starting with primary production; (c) it is important, for food that cannot be stored safely at ambient temperatures, particularly frozen food, to maintain the cold chain; (d) general implementation of procedures based on the HACCP principles, together with the application of good hygiene practice, should reinforce food business operators' responsibility; (e) guides to good practice are a valuable instrument to aid food business operators at all levels of the food chain with compliance with food hygiene rules and with the application of the HACCP principles; (f) it is necessary to establish microbiological criteria and temperature control requirements based on a scientific risk assessment; (g) it is necessary to ensure that imported foods are of at least the same hygiene standard as food produced in the Community, or are of an equivalent standard.
This Regulation sets out provisions on general and specific hygiene requirements; hazard analysis and critical control points; and official controls, registration and approval of the establishments of food businesses; and the hygiene requirements of imported, exported and re-exported food. The Member States shall encourage the development of national guides to good practice for hygiene and for the application of HACCP principles in accordance with Article 8 and community guides shall be developed in accordance with Article 9.