Since 2021, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (as amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/382) requires businesses to have an appropriate food safety culture and to be able to prove it. That means:
- Commitment from management and all employees to producing and serving safe food.
- Leadership and everyone taking part in food safety practices.
- Everyone knowing the hazards and why hygiene matters.
- Open and clear communication between everyone, including about deviations (what has gone wrong) and what is expected of each person.
- Enough resources to handle food safely.
Management must also make everyone's roles clear, make sure staff get proper training and supervision and check that controls are carried out on time. All of this in proportion to the nature and size of the business.
What it means for you
Reporting a problem is part of your job: a cold room that is not cooling, a dish served without checking allergens, a sick colleague handling food. In a good food safety culture these things are raised in time, not hidden.
Donating food
The same regulation allows food to be donated if it is checked and found safe: food with a «use by» date only before that date expires; food with a «best before» date also after that date.
Source: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (consolidated text), Annex II, Chapters Va and XIa · Regulation (EU) 2021/382 (allergens, food redistribution and food safety culture)