The regulations and the laws as well as the administrative provisions governing food safety in particular and food in general, forms the basic notion of food law as defined in the article 3 (1) of the Regulation (EC) No 178/20002. On the 28th of January, 2002, this law was laid down which governs the general philosophy and necessities of food law, laying down procedures in matters of food safety and establishing the European Food Safety Authority or EFSA. This law is applicable both at national and community level, covering every stage of processing, production, and distribution of food. That is not all, as this law also covers the food that is fed to or produced for, food producing animal, for example: a cow.
The position of the business operator in the food chain, and the food itself, determines the form and the content that is required in labeling a food product or food. Information on the country of production and the composition of the food is required from every business man who is involved in the food trade as per the article 20 Swiss Federal Food Act. Those manufacturers who sell pre packaged food or food without any packaging should also inform the customers or the common people of the ingredients, name under which the product is sold, origin, durability, and the application of special technological or genetic procedures in its production. As per the food law the manufacturers are also required to submit to the appropriate use of the specific produce or food. Also the labeling of all the nutritive values or value is mandatory.
The food law also determines and dictates on the advertising and declaration of food. It also regulates the data and in which form it may be advertised as also in which form food generally has to be labeled. In the context of his or her personal responsibility, the responsible person of a food business or retail outlet has to guarantee various obligations and tasks in order to apply and implement the provisions that have been set by the law. The amendment to law related to food in the European Union, in particular policies on food hygiene reflects the latest revisions of the food related law and the overall modification that is now to be followed in the Eastern union.
The provision of self regulation has also been made mandatory on food and commodities. The securing of good manufacturing practices, the use of quality safety systems according to the HACCP concept, the obligation to withdraw or to recall unsafe food from the market and traceability are all covered by self regulation. This was incorporated in the European Union in around 2002, much after it was incorporated in the Swiss food act since 1995.Any person who is in the business of produce and food is supposed to ensure that all stages of processing, production, and distribution of the commodities and the foods are as per the legal requirements of the set laws. Special attention is needed in the matters of protection against fraud, the health protection, and the hygienic handling of commodities and food.
The author of this article Leon Grant has been in the restaurant business for a long time and has studies the intricacies of food law, so that he can serve his customers better and stick to all the obligatory mandates of the law.