Codex General Principles Of Food Hygiene (cxc 1-1969)

[Christina Smith]

Sept2022. The Codex Alimentarius Commission has published new and revised requirements regarding HACCP and its implementation in the industry[1]. A food safety culture, extended training requirements, enhanced good hygiene practices in operation and process controls, awareness of allergen management and validation of CCPs are some of the novelties we have summarised for you in this article.

The principles laid down in the Codex Alimentarius serve as guidelines for the application of Good Hygiene Practice (GHP) throughout the food chain. The aim is to ensure that only food that is safe and fit for human consumption is placed on the market. They also provide guidance on the application of HACCP principles and clarify the relationship between GHP and HACCP. In addition, CXC 1-1969 is a basis for the creation of sector and product-specific codes of practice.

According to the General Principles of Food Hygiene, a science-based, preventive approach is needed to control food safety. This can be, for example, a food hygiene system. In this context, the Codex describes Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) to ensure that food is produced and handled in an environment that minimises the presence of contaminants. Prerequisite programmes that include GHPs should provide the foundation for an effective HACCP system.

Depending on the type of food, the manufacturing process and the potential for adverse health effects, it may be sufficient to apply the general hygiene measures to contain hazards, including, where appropriate, those that require more attention than others because they have a greater impact on food safety. If the application of GHP alone is not sufficient, a combination of GHP and additional control measures should be applied at CCPs. All control measures that are essential to achieve an acceptable level of food safety should be scientifically validated. The application of control measures should be monitored, corrected, reviewed and documented, depending on the type of food and the size of the food business.

Food hygiene systems should also be reviewed on an ongoing basis to determine whether modifications are necessary. This should be done periodically and whenever there is a significant change that could affect the potential hazards and/or control measures (e.g. new process, new ingredient, new product, new equipment, new scientific knowledge).

GFSI-based standards such as IFS and FSSC are currently working on new versions in line with the new requirements of CXC 1-1969. BRCGS Food has already published the 9th version in August, which includes changes related to CXC 1-1969.

The responsibility of Food Business Operators (FBOs) includes knowledge and understanding of hazards associated with the food they produce, transport, store and sell. In addition, measures must be taken to control these hazards so that the food that reaches consumers is safe and fit for consumption. In this way, companies should help to maintain confidence in the food they sell both domestically and internationally. Accordingly, the Codex addresses various stakeholders from primary production and processing to packaging, transport and retail companies. Adequate communication about the food and the food process should take place among all relevant parties.

Eurofins Food Control Services GmbH is an approved certification body and can help manufacturers with a training on the new requirements in the General Principles of Food Hygiene CXC1-1969 in order to get ready for certification audits, supplier audits and regulatory requirements.

In addition, Eurofins laboratories for food and feed testing in Germany support you with a comprehensive analytical portfolio to ensure compliance with validation of HACCP system analyses, environmental monitoring, allergens and good hygiene practice analyses.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission has now published a revised Code of Practice (General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969)) and its Annex Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application. The new 2020 revision covers General Principles of Food Hygiene: Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System.

According to the Codex Alimentarius Commission* the 2020 Revision of the General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application this version of the code of practice: provides a common ground for the control of food safety worldwide and forms the basis for all other Codex hygiene texts and standards. The revision includes updates which will enable better application by food business operators, competent authorities and other stakeholders.

The Chairperson of CCFH clarified that work on the decision tree was currently at Step 2 of the procedure and would be considered at the next session. The decision tree is a useful tool for the application of the general principles document; and CAC43 adopted the revised GPFH at Step 5/8 and noted that work on the decision tree to identify critical control points (CCPs) will continue in CCFH so that once completed it could be included in the GPFH as an annex;

Fundamental to the successful functioning of any food hygiene system is the establishment and maintenance of a positive food safety culture acknowledging the importance of human behaviour in providing safe and suitable food.

The two definitions sections in the previous version have been combined and extended. There are new definitions included for Acceptable level, Allergen cross-contact, Competent Authority, Contaminant, Contamination, Food business operator (FBO), Food Hygiene System, Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs), Prerequisite Programme and Significant hazard. Other changes are that Validation has been changed to a new definition Validation of control measures and the definition of Verification has been changed from the application of methods, procedures, tests and other evaluations, in addition to monitoring, to determine compliance with the HACCP plan to whether a control measure is or has been operating as intended.

There is guidance that: personnel tasked to perform any activities used in food control should be trained adequately to ensure that they are competent to perform their tasks and are aware of the impact of their tasks on the safety and suitability of the food. Systems should be in place to ensure that food handlers and personnel associated with the food business, such as maintenance staff, remain aware of all procedures necessary to maintain the safety and suitability of food. Records should be kept of training activities

In addition, for retail and food service operations, whether personnel have direct customer interaction is a factor in training, since it may be necessary to convey certain information about products (such as allergens) to customers.

A traceability/product tracing system should be designed and implemented according to the Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing as a Tool within a Food Inspection and Certification System (CXG 60-2006), especially to enable the recall of the products, where necessary

Consumer education guidance has been enhanced, programmes should enable consumers to understand the importance of any product label information and following any instructions accompanying products, and to make informed choices. In particular, consumers should be informed of the relationship between time/temperature control, cross contamination and foodborne illness, and of the presence of allergens.

Before the HACCP plan can be implemented, its validation is needed; this consists of making sure that the following elements together are capable of ensuring control of the significant hazards relevant to the food business: identifying the hazards, critical control points, critical limits, control measures, frequency and type of monitoring of CCPs, corrective actions, frequency and type of verification and the type of information to be recorded.

Overall the changes are emphasizing the importance of using Good Hygiene Practices to Control Hazards in much the same way as the FSMA Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food -safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-preventive-controls-human-food with a requirements for Monitoring, Corrective Action and Verification.

Implementing a food safety culture effectively helps reduce a company's vulnerability to food fraud. This awareness is becoming more and more prevalent and has now also reached the highest political level. The EU Commission has now revised Regulation 852 and adopted it on 03 March 2021 - one of the legal bases for food safety in the EU. Here you will find all the information and background.

Food safety culture has entered the mainstream of hygiene requirements. After the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) updated its audit criteria to this effect in February 2020, the EU has now also given food safety culture a permanent place in legislation in March 2021. The new requirements are set out in EU Regulation 2021/382 amending the Annexes to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.

The introduction of food safety culture requirements at the EU level is related to the Codex Alimentarius. Codex Alimentarius is a collection of international food standards presented in a uniform form. It is based on the assumptions and decisions of the so-called Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint body of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations. The Codex standards serve as a reference for international food trade.

All EU member countries are members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. In 2003, the European Union also joined. It shares responsibilities with EU countries according to the degree of harmonization of their respective legislation.

In September 2020, the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted a revision of its global standard for general principles of food hygiene (CXC 1-1969). The revised CXC 1-1969 introduces the concept of food safety culture as a general principle. Food safety culture enhances food safety by increasing the awareness and improving the behavior of employees in food establishments. This impact on food safety has been demonstrated in several scientific publications.

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