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--- algae:production_processing_hygiene [2026-06-17 22:41] – [Microbiological and Chemical Criteria] robert
+++ algae:production_processing_hygiene [2026-06-17 23:25] (current) – [Worker Health and Safety] robert
@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 ==== Official Controls ====
-Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, OJ L 95, 7.4.2017, p. 1. [[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:02017R0625-20240701|EUR-Lex]]
+Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, OJ L 095 7.4.2017, p. 1. [[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02017R0625-20250105&qid=1781738110469|EUR-Lex]]
 __Relevance to algae:__ This regulation (which replaced the earlier Regulation (EC) No 882/2004) governs how national competent authorities carry out official controls — inspections, sampling, audits — across the food and feed chain. For algae producers, this is the legal basis under which national food safety authorities will inspect cultivation and processing facilities, take samples for contaminant or microbiological testing, and verify compliance with HACCP and traceability obligations. It also sets requirements for the accreditation of official laboratories, generally requiring conformity with ISO/IEC 17025 for testing laboratories used in official controls. Import controls at EU borders for algae products from third countries are also governed under this regulation; see [[algae:customs_trade|Customs Classification and Trade]].
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 ==== Standards Supporting Compliance ====
+=== HACCP system ===
+HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) is an internationally recognised, preventive system designed to ensure food safety by identifying, evaluating, and controlling biological, chemical, and physical hazards. Rather than relying on finished-product testing, it monitors the entire food supply chain from raw material production to distribution and consumption. HACCP is not a formal standard, but it is mandated to be used by the food processors by EU regulation.
+The system is built on core principles: conducting a hazard analysis, determining Critical Control Points (CCPs) where safety risks can be prevented, and establishing strict critical limits, monitoring procedures, and corrective actions for each CCP. It concludes with verifying that the system is working effectively and maintaining thorough documentation. It is a self-imposed quality system; CCPs and limits are not prescribed but determined by the process. There is, of course, a body of experience that largely helps certain common types of processes to establish a working system quickly.
+There are not many HACCP documents published for algae processes, but a body of knowledge is growing and consulting fellow producers or external consultants may be very helpful in drafting the first versions of the system and its documentation.
 === ISO 22000 — Food Safety Management Systems ===
-ISO 22000:2018 //Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organization in the food chain//. [[https://www.iso.org/standard/65464.html|ISO]]
+ISO 22000:2018 //Food safety management systems — Requirements for any organisation in the food chain//. [[https://www.iso.org/standard/65464.html|ISO]]
-__Relevance to algae:__ ISO 22000 is a voluntary international standard that provides a structured framework for implementing a food safety management system, incorporating HACCP principles together with broader management system requirements (similar in structure to ISO 9001). It is not a legal requirement under EU law, but is very widely adopted by algae processors as a way of demonstrating systematic compliance with HACCP obligations and as a market access requirement for many buyers, particularly in international trade. ISO 22000 is often implemented together with the sector-specific prerequisite programme standards in the ISO/TS 22002 series (for example, ISO/TS 22002-1 for food manufacturing or ISO/TS 22002-3 for farming), which provide more detailed operational guidance suited to a producer's specific stage in the supply chain.
+__Relevance to algae:__ ISO 22000 is a voluntary international standard that provides a structured framework for implementing a food safety management system, incorporating HACCP principles together with broader management system requirements (similar in structure to ISO 9001). It is not a legal requirement under EU law, but is widely adopted by (larger) food processors to demonstrate systematic compliance with HACCP obligations and to meet market access requirements for many buyers, particularly in international trade. ISO 22000 is often implemented together with the sector-specific prerequisite programme standards in the ISO/TS 22002 series (for example, ISO/TS 22002-1 for food manufacturing or ISO/TS 22002-3 for farming), which provide more detailed operational guidance suited to a producer's specific stage in the supply chain (none of them is directly applicable to algae production but rather by analogies and adaptations).
 The relationship between HACCP and ISO 22000 is often a source of confusion: HACCP (as required by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Article 5) is a hazard analysis methodology, whereas ISO 22000 is a comprehensive management system standard that incorporates HACCP as one of its components alongside prerequisite programmes, communication requirements and continuous improvement processes. An operator can be legally compliant with EU hygiene law by implementing a HACCP plan without being ISO 22000 certified; ISO 22000 certification is an additional, voluntary layer that demonstrates a more complete management system, often expected by larger commercial buyers.
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   * __Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)__ — a quality assurance approach originating in the pharmaceutical sector, also applied in food and feed manufacturing, focused on consistent production according to quality standards.
   * __Codex Alimentarius__ — the joint FAO/WHO international food standards programme. The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969) describe Good Hygienic Practice (GHP) and HACCP principles and underpin much of the EU hygiene framework and that of many trading partners.
-  * __GLOBALG.A.P.__ — a private certification scheme covering Good Agricultural Practice, increasingly referenced by buyers in the algae sector, particularly for primary production.
+  * __GLOBALG.A.P.__ — a private certification scheme covering Good Agricultural Practice, increasingly referenced by buyers, particularly for primary production.
   * __ISO/IEC 17025__ — the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Relevant to algae producers operating in-house testing laboratories, and a requirement for any laboratory whose results are intended to be used in regulatory disputes or official controls (see Regulation (EU) 2017/625 above).
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 Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work, OJ L 183, 29.6.1989, p. 1. [[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:01989L0391-20081211|EUR-Lex]]
-__Relevance to algae:__ This is the framework Directive for occupational health and safety across the EU. Algae producers, as employers, must train staff in the correct use of cultivation and processing equipment and provide a safe working environment. This is particularly relevant for facilities using pressurised systems, centrifuges, spray driers or chemical extraction processes. Equipment-specific safety legislation is covered in [[algae:equipment_safety|Equipment and Safety]].
+__Relevance to algae:__ This is the framework Directive for occupational health and safety across the EU. Its transpositions to national legislation are quite different so local rules should be consulted. Algae producers, as employers, must train staff to use cultivation and processing equipment correctly and provide a safe working environment. This is particularly relevant for facilities that use pressurised systems, centrifuges, spray driers, or chemical extraction processes. There are also relevant limitations regarding work in greenhouses or under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions. Equipment-specific safety legislation is covered in [[algae:equipment_safety|Equipment and Safety]].
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