# General Food Regulations 2004

Canonical: https://paddl-ai.co/regulations/general-food-regulations-2004

Learn about the General Food Regulations 2004, which implement EU Regulation 178/2002 setting out general food law principles including traceability, withdrawal, and recall obligations.

Effective: 2004-07-01 (last amended 2020-12-31)
Enforced by: Food Standards Agency and Local Authority Environmental Health
Applies to: All food business operators, Food producers and manufacturers, Restaurants and catering businesses, Food retailers and distributors, Importers and exporters of food

The General Food Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/3279) implement Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 (the General Food Law Regulation) in England. This EU regulation established the European Food Safety Authority and set out the general principles and requirements of food law, including the precautionary principle, traceability requirements, and responsibilities for food business operators. Under these regulations, food business operators must ensure that food is safe and must be able to identify who supplied them with any food, ingredient, or food-producing animal, and who they have supplied in turn. This "one step back, one step forward" traceability is a fundamental requirement. The regulations also set out the obligations to withdraw or recall food that does not comply with food safety requirements.

## Key requirements

- **Traceability (one step back, one step forward)** Food business operators must be able to identify who supplied them with food or ingredients, and (where applicable) to whom they have supplied food. Records must be available to competent authorities on demand.
- **General food safety requirement** Food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe. Food is considered unsafe if it is injurious to health or unfit for human consumption.
- **Withdrawal and recall obligations** If a food business operator has reason to believe that food they have imported, produced, processed, or distributed does not comply with food safety requirements, they must immediately initiate withdrawal from the market and inform the competent authorities.
- **Presentation must not mislead** The labelling, advertising, and presentation of food shall not mislead consumers about the nature, identity, properties, composition, or other characteristics of the food.

## What a business has to do

1. **Maintain supplier records** Keep records of all food suppliers including delivery notes, invoices, and specifications. You must be able to identify who supplied any food product or ingredient.
2. **Keep customer supply records where applicable** If you supply food to other businesses, maintain records of who you supply and what you supply to them.
3. **Establish a withdrawal and recall procedure** Have a documented procedure for withdrawing unsafe food from sale and, if necessary, recalling food from consumers. Know how to contact the FSA.
4. **Check food safety at receipt** Inspect deliveries for damage, temperature compliance, and date marking. Reject any food that does not meet safety requirements.

## Penalties

| Offence | Penalty |
| --- | --- |
| Placing unsafe food on the market | Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine on conviction on indictment. Up to 6 months and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction. |
| Failure to maintain traceability records | An unlimited fine on summary conviction. The inability to trace food through the supply chain is treated as a serious compliance failure. |
| Failure to withdraw or recall unsafe food | Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Operators must act immediately on discovering food does not meet safety requirements. |

## Questions

**What does one step back, one step forward mean?**

It means you must be able to identify who supplied you with any food or ingredient (one step back) and who you have supplied food to (one step forward). You do not need to trace the entire supply chain, just the immediate links.

**How long must I keep traceability records?**

There is no specific retention period stated in the regulation for catering businesses. However, best practice is to keep records for at least the shelf life of the product plus a reasonable period afterwards. For non-perishable items, 5 years is commonly recommended.

**Do these regulations apply after Brexit?**

Yes. Regulation (EC) 178/2002 was retained in UK domestic law. The Food Standards Agency continues to be the competent authority, and all requirements including traceability continue to apply.