HACCP
A global approach to food product safety implies the use of an efficient auto-control system based on the principles of the HACCP system.

The European Community directive 43/93/EEC "food product hygiene" (replaced by Reg 852/2004), implemented in Italy by legislative decree N°. 155, issued 26th May 1997, requires that all companies and local producers involved in food preparation implement an auto-control program and indicates the system that such companies should refer to in order to activate it.

The aim of the current general legislation (Reg 178/2000; Dir. 2000/13; Reg. 852/853/854), which is continuously being augmented and updated, is to reinforce the measures intended to control and prevent possible risks to the consumer, ranging form traceability to continuously updating the microbiological and chemical-physical labelling requirements.

The directive requires food sector companies to implement an auto-control program based on the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) method, which is used to identify potential dangers, evaluate their seriousness and the probability that they may occur, and identify and apply critical point control procedures.

Legislative Decree 155/97, which implements Directive 93/43/EEC, reproduces the following statement from the directive at article 4, paragraphs 2-5: "The management of the food manufacturing company must identify each phase at which food products may be subjected to hazards, and must guarantee that appropriate safety procedures are identified, implemented, maintained and updated in accordance with the basic principles of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system".

The basic principles of a HACCP plan are as follows:

• a) analysis of potential microbiological hazards to foodstuffs;
• b) identification of the points at which foodstuffs may be subjected to hazards;
• c) decisions to be implemented regarding the identified microbiological critical points, i.e. the points that may compromise product safety;
• d) identification and application of critical point control and monitoring procedures;
• e) the analysis of the hazards, critical points and control and monitoring procedures must be re-evaluated periodically, and whenever any process or type of activity is modified.

It is also necessary to prepare user manuals for these procedures.
These manuals may be prepared by the sector Associations, by private companies or by regulatory bodies; once they have been thoroughly evaluated, manuals prepared at national level must be submitted to the European Union Commission so that the procedures regulating good practice can be standardised at Community level.

The Italian Health Ministry issued more detailed instructions about preparing such manuals in Memorandum N°. 21 of 28th July 1995 concerning "notes on the guidelines for preparing manuals describing correct food hygiene procedures ", and Memorandum N°. 1 of 26th January 1998 that updates and modifies Memorandum 21/95.

This memorandum refers to the hygiene directive 93/43/EEC and the HACCP hazard analysis system, and defines the most important elements of the system, and the guidelines for preparing the manuals.