transported hygienically. Thistext is not very specific and gives general
instructions. The General Food Law makes retailers and food producers
responsible for the safetyof foodstuffstheysell on the market.Consequently,it
forcesretailers and foodproducers to demandfromtheirsuppliers (including
transport operators)that relevant hygiene proceduresare enforced.
However, from 1 January 2006 the European Union willenforce new
legislation in the field of food safety, with possibly also new rules and
implicationsfor transport operators.The totalof 16 currentDirectives dealing
withhygieneand foodsafetyhas been graduallydeveloped from 1964 to
regulatethe internal marketand to protectthe consumer. The EU is nowalso
convincedthat these 16 Directivesare too complex and intermingledand is
strivingto create a morestraightforward, transparent legislation. The discussions
and negotiationson this newlegislation(oftennamedthe Hygiene Package)
havebeengoingon for a numberof yearsand are nowbeingfinalised. The 16
Directives will be replaced by threelaws:852/2004,853/2004and 854/2004.
The first law will deal withfoodhygiene,the secondwithhygiene of foodsfrom
animaloriginand the thirdwill describehow the officialinspectionsfor foodsof
animaloriginshouldbe organised.For the momentrelatively few changes are
expected for the foodtransportsector;however, the lawsare not yet finaland
amendments can still be made.
Additionally, the CodexAlimentarius Commissionof the FAO/WHOhas
developedglobal standardsfor handlingand transportingfoodcommodities.
Standardshave beenestablishedfor many foodproducts, whichadviseon
transport temperatures,hygiene,packagingand labelling.^1
25.3 Implementation of the current legislation
The Dutch government implemented the food hygiene directive in the
`Warenwetregeling Hygie»ne van Levensmiddelen' on 14 December 1995.
Paragraph10 is completely devoted to transport hygiene.In summaryit states
that all unitsof transportequipment^2 usedfor foods:
Table25.1 The mostrelevantEuropeanlawsand directivesdealingwithtransportand
hygiene,in sequenceof importance
Number Name
93/43EEC FoodHygieneDirective
179/2002EC Generalfoodlaw
96/3/Euratom/ESCS/EC Derogationof certainprovisionsof 93/43EECas regards
the transportof bulkliquidoils and fats by sea
98/28/EC Derogationof certainprovisionsof 93/43/EECas regards
the transportby sea of bulkraw sugar
89/397/EEC Officialcontrolon FoodstuffsDirective
91/628/EC AnimalTransportDirective
2002/99/EC AnimalHealthDirective
Improvinghygienein foodtransportation 397