The General Principles of Food Hygiene lay the foundation for ensuring food safety along the entire food chain. They recommend applying Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems to control key hygiene hazards at each stage of production, processing, and consumption. Adhering to these principles and good manufacturing practices allows food producers to operate safely and simplifies implementing HACCP plans. The principles provide internationally recognized guidelines for food hygiene controls to ensure food is suitable for consumption.

10. CODEX GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE
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WHAT ARE THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FOOD HYGIENE?
• The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene lay a firm foundation for ensuring food hygiene.
• They follow the food chain from primary production through to the final consumer, highlighting
the key hygiene controls at each stage, and recommend an HACCP-based approach whenever
possible to enhance food safety as described in the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point (HACCP) system and guidelines for its application [Annex to the Recommended
International Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene, CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 3
(1997)].
• These controls are internationally recognized as essential to ensure the safety and suitability of
food consumption.
• The general principles are recommended to governments, industry and consumers alike.
• The requirements of the General Principles of Food Hygiene are considered to be the foundation
for the development of an HACCP-based system for ensuring food safety.
• The application of the General Principles of Food Hygiene and of good manufacturing practices
(GMPs) allows the producer to operate within environmental conditions favourable to the
production of safe food.
• In implementing an HACCP system in an establishment, the first step is to review existing
programmes for compliance with the General Principles of Food Hygiene and GMPs and to verify
whether all the necessary controls and documentation (e.g. programme description, individual
responsible and monitoring records) are in place.
• The importance of these programmes cannot be overstated, as they are the foundation of the
implementation of the HACCP plan. Inadequate programmes may lead to additional critical
control points that would have to be identified, monitored and maintained under the HACCP
plan. In summary, adherence to the General Principles of Food Hygiene and GMPs will simplify
the implementation of HACCP plans and will ensure that the integrity of HACCP plans is
maintained and that the manufactured product is safe.
• In order to harmonize or standardize the approach, the training is formatted around
the Recommended International Code of Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene. The
application of HACCP principles should be preceded by compliance with the Principles of Food
Hygiene and appropriate Codex commodity codes of practice. These controls are internationally
recognized as necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food for consumption.
• The term "this document" whenever used in the general principles refers to the Recommended
International Code of Practice-General Principles of Food Hygiene [CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 3
(1997)], and any allusion to the Annex refers to the annex to that document. The term
"contamination" in the General Principles of Food Hygiene refers to the contamination of food
by microbial pathogens, chemicals, foreign bodies, spoilage agents, objectionable taints and
unwanted or diseased matter, e.g. sawdust or decomposed material. The general principles also
use the terms "food safety" and "suitability for consumption". The former is used in the context
of ensuring that food does not cause illness or injury to consumers, the latter in the context of
distinguishing if food is spoiled or otherwise not suitable for normal human consumption.
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