16.1 Introduction This chapter focuses on the key elements of international and national regulatory controls and associated guidance on the manufacture, storage and distribution of chilled foods. European countries in membership of EU are covered only insofar as where national legislation or guidance exists in addition to general EU rules. Since chilled foods are a relatively recent development and the sector is highly dynamic and innovative, comprising an ever-increasing and vast heterogeneous range of products, there is a wide range of legislation that impacts on the sector but little is directly focused on it. It is very important, at any given time, to check with the appropriate official body in the particular country of interest what the precise regulatory position is. 16.2 Food law is reactive All food law aims fundamentally to protect consumers’ interests (health and fraud protection) and, to a degree, facilitate fair trade. Food laws are not static, developing to maintain an adequate level of consumer protection as new knowledge reveals new hazards. For example, analytical developments in the late 19th century revealed the significant extent to which food at that time was being adulterated, resulting in the foundation of modern food law. Later, when the link between food poisoning and bacterial contamination was established, regulated hygiene requirements were introduced. To reflect new knowledge, technical innovation and changes in the pattern of the distribution, legislation must be kept continually under review. In many 16 Legislation K. Goodburn, Chilled Food Association cases, changing consumer attitudes and social behaviour provide the innovatory and marketing driving forces. Current consumer preference for convenience and ‘fresher’, more ‘natural’ and less processed foods, and the use of fewer or even no additives, is based on a number of developments and is satisfied to a great extent by the chilled prepared food sector. However, the general absence of chemical preservatives and use of minimal preservation techniques designed to preserve safety without sacrificing quality, has brought new challenges in distribution systems (demanding handling procedures, strict temperature control, and shelf-life limitation) and consumer advice and behaviour. In particular, new knowledge of new food poisoning risks, e.g. listeriosis, or the re-introduction of old risks, e.g. botulism, through a new route, has invited legislative attention, primarily promoting HACCP-based systems, and quasi-legislative activity. The latter is particularly evident through industry codes of practice and guidelines, which are usually voluntary, and can be often industry-enforced standards. Such standards are generally the preferred route in the chilled food sector owing to its diversity and rate of innovation. Trading structures such as retailer own label can facilitate uptake of such standards through their endorsement by retailer customers. 16.3 Food laws and international trade National food laws, although designed to facilitate fair trading within countries, may create barriers to international trade. Some degree of international agreement on food standards is desirable to provide a reasonably uniform level of protection in terms of public health and food standards, and also to minimise, if not remove completely, technical barriers to trade across frontiers. The FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1962 charged with pursuing these objectives. Codex is jointly funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Commission is an intergovernmental body with 166 governments, as at June 1999, taking part in its work. At European level, the European Economic Community was set up in 1957 under the Treaty of Rome, having as one of its prime objectives the free movement of goods. Now called the European Union (EU) since the Maastricht Treaty of 1992, it consists of 15 European Member States, with other central and eastern European countries such as Estonia, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Cyprus seeking member- ship. Consumer protection and the movement of food between Member States are two of the EU’s key priorities regarding food. International trade in chilled foods is limited by the relatively short shelf-life of these products, and by differing national recipe and presentation preferences. However, in Continental Europe there is trade in chilled foods, particularly between neighbouring Member States where there can be the greatest cultural commonality. There is a small amount of trade between the UK and the Continent in short shelf-life own label chilled foods destined for UK retailers’ 452 Chilled foods stores in other Member States. However, there is greatest intercommunity trade in the EU in ‘international’ products such as fresh pasta (i.e. required to be kept chilled to maintain shelf-life) which have a relatively long shelf-life, compared with other chilled foods. 16.4 Chilled foods are. . . Before looking at the regulatory framework applicable to chilled foods the definition of these products must be addressed. The definition adopted is that used by the UK Chilled Food Association, which focuses on retail foods (CFA 1997): ‘Chilled foods are prepared foods, that for reasons of safety and/or quality are designed to be stored at refrigeration temperatures (at or below 8oC, but not frozen) throughout their entire life.’ This definition excludes non- prepared foodstuffs such as raw meat, poultry and fish portions sold alone and which require cooking prior to consumption. Similarly, commodity dairy products such as milk, butter and cheese are excluded from the definition, as they are not considered to be ’prepared’. Chilled prepared foods are manufactured using a wide variety of raw materials, including vegetables, fruits and ingredients of animal origin. These materials are either used in their raw state or they are subjected to various treatments, e.g. blanching, freezing, and cooking (i.e. equivalent to a time- temperature combination of 70oC for two minutes). Cross-contamination during manufacturing is avoided by the use of Good Hygienic Practice, as set out in the CFA Guidelines (1997) and European Chilled Food Federation Guidelines (ECFF 1996). Chilled prepared foods can be manufactured from a variety of raw materials in terms of level of processing (Table 16.1) and can be designed to be ready to eat, to be reheated (minimal heat application before serving, for organoleptic purposes) or to be cooked (thorough and prolonged heating before serving). Even though chilling extends shelf-lives without prejudicing safety or quality, it must be recognised that it is a relative extension in shelf-life. Cooked chilled foods are often erroneously referred to as ‘cook-chill’. These foods have been defined as a catering system based on the full cooking of food followed by fast chilling and storage in controlled temperature conditions (0oC–3oC) and subsequent thorough reheating before consumption. A maximum shelf-life of Table 16.1 Ingredients Further Processing Raw None or reheated Raw + cooked None or reheated Raw and/or cooked Cooked, then packed Raw and/or cooked Cooked in package Legislation 453 five days, inclusive of the day of cooking, is recommended since these products are not packed prior to distribution. 16.5 Approaches to legislation Many aspects of chilled foods are common to all foods, which is reflected in the range of legal instruments applying to them: food composition, additive usages, residues, contaminants, labelling, packaging, and so on. Where chilled foods differ from foods generally is in their greater vulnerability to microbiological contamination. There is relatively little legislation that is specifically directed at ‘chilled foods’ owing to the great range of product types encompassed by this term. However, legislation in relation to ’vertical’ segments (such as meat-, poultry- and fish-based products) that are part of the chilled food and other sectors is, at the time of writing, being consolidated into a European Regulation on the hygiene of foodstuffs based on HACCP. This proposed Regulation will replace vertical rules and draw in elements from the General Food Hygiene Directive 93/43/EEC (EC 1993), which relates to all food production including those foods not containing protein ingredients falling under vertical legislation. However, there remains little in the way of clear legislated international or European standards for the manufacture of certain categories of chilled products such as those based on produce, or those using a range of raw materials, e.g. pizzas. It is for this reason that industry hygiene standards were first established in Europe in 1989 when the industry associations in the UK and France (CFA and SYNAFAP (Syndicat National des Fabricants de Plats Pre′pare′s Frais, the French ready meal manufacturers association), respectively established the first editions of national guidelines and in 1996 as part of the ECFF produced European industry guidelines. In the UK, the context of food safety legislation was changed when the Food Safety Act (FSA) was brought into effect in 1990 (HMSO 1990) to enable a wide range of legislation. The FSA introduced the concept of the ‘due diligence’ defence which enabled operators, if taken to court, to offer in their defence measures they had taken which were designed to avoid an issue arising. Coupled with the implementation of the General Food Hygiene Directive through the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and greater prominence of HACCP and risk assessment, food safety legislation is placing greater onus on operators’ own knowledge of their systems, of potential food safety hazards and on the introduction of internal controls. This approach is now being adopted in Codex and potentially the EU and brings with it a greater than ever need for education in food science, food microbiology and food technology. Temperature control requirements are set out in national legislation, but these vary greatly across the EU, with virtually no commonality. Attempts have been made to harmonise these national rules at EU level, but political considerations and the differing performance of the chill chain in the various EU Member 454 Chilled foods States has, to date, prevented this from taking place. It is expected that with the production of the consolidated hygiene Directives this topic will again come under review. 16.6 Codex The key role of Codex in the development of international trade standards was recognised when the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was established in January 1995. The WTO updated and replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. The ‘General Agreement’ setting up the WTO was supplemented by several more detailed agreements including the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the ‘SPS’ Agreement) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (the ‘TBT’ Agreement). Codex standards are recognised as the basic standard upon which national measures will be judged. It is accepted that ‘higher standards’ may be deemed appropriate but there are restrictions based on them and they must be developed using risk assessment techniques. At its 22nd session in June 1997, the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted a ‘Statement of Principle Relating to the Role of Food Safety Risk Assessment’. This includes the statements that: ‘Health and safety aspects of Codex decisions and recommendations should be based on a risk assessment, as appropriate to the circumstances.’ and ‘Food safety risk assessment should be soundly based on science, should incorporate the four steps of the risk assessment process, and should be documented in a transparent manner.’ Members of the WTO (i.e. most countries of Codex) are obliged to consider Codex standards as the basis for their national controls. The approaches of the WTO and EU to free trade are similar in that they both allow imports of products which may not comply with the strict legal requirements of the importing country but which meet the requirements of the Codex standard (in the case of WTO’s ‘free distribution’) or another EU Member State (in the case of ‘mutual recognition’). The Codex Alimentarius Commission produces food standards and codes of good manufacturing and hygienic practice. Responsibility for the development of codes of hygienic practice is mostly within the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH), which works in conjunction with the other Codex committees that specifically develop codes and standards for particular food commodities. The hygiene codes are mostly directed at food commodities and deal with aspects that must be addressed during, for example, the production, processing, storage and distribution stages of foodstuffs. The Recommended International Code of Practice General Principles of Food Hygiene (Codex 1997a) sets out the approach to be followed in the production of all foods (from production on- farm to final preparation), other CODEX Codes supplementing details. Unlike previous versions of the General Principles, the 1997 code is not prescriptive in laying down design elements for factories or transport and storage facilities. Instead, it recommends a HACCP-based approach to enhance food safety as Legislation 455 described in Principles of HACCP (Codex 1997b) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application (Codex 1997c). The General Principles concentrates on what is needed at each step to prevent or reduce risks of contamination and leaves a significant degree of flexibility to manufacturers or operators and regulatory bodies on how to achieve these objectives. The HACCP approach in the above Codex texts sets out seven principles that must be followed to prepare an effective HACCP plan. A comprehensive review of a HACCP plan must include consideration of these principles. They are: 1. conduct a hazard analysis 2. determine the Critical Control Points (CCPs) 3. establish critical limit(s) 4. establish a system to monitor control of the CCP 5. establish the corrective action to be taken when monitoring indicates that a particular CCP is not under control 6. establish procedures for verification to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively 7. establish documentation concerning all procedures and records appropriate to these principles and their application. The implementation of HACCP in small and medium sized businesses has been the focus of much attention in both Codex and many individual countries. In the EU, however, the approach to date has utilised ‘HACCP-type systems’ that seek to avoid documentation burdens, but this approach has been criticised for presenting a weakened interpretation of HACCP. Together with increased prominence of HACCP in Codex documents risk assessment has become seen as a tool of great potential. The Codex Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (Codex 1997b) are to be supplemented by Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Assessment (Codex 1998a), which was adopted by the 32nd Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene at the end of 1999. Especially relevant to chilled foods is the Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for Refrigerated Packaged Foods with Extended Shelf Life (Codex 1997c). This Code is at the time of writing due for final approval and publication. It was developed following agreement at CCFH that a separate code of practice should be developed covering sous vide products. As work progressed, the scope was extended to all refrigerated pre-prepared, extended shelf-life foods with a shelf life of more than five days at the suggested temperature of 4oC (or greater, depending on hazard analysis). The Code was based primarily on existing French legislation, explaining the reference to 4oC. Shorter-shelf-life products fall within the scope of the Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for Precooked and Cooked Meals in Mass Catering (Codex 1989). However, this does not refer to chilled foods for retail sale. This code deals with the hygienic requirements for cooking raw foods and handling cooked 456 Chilled foods and pre-cooked foods intended for feeding large groups of people and is not intended to be applied to the industrial production of complete meals. Chilled foods are defined in this code as ‘product maintained at temperatures not exceeding 4oC in any part of the product and stored for no longer than five days’. Other proposed Codes of relevance to chilled food production include a Code of Hygienic Practice for Primary Production, Harvesting and Packaging of Fresh Produce/Fruits and Vegetables (including an Annex for seed sprouts) (Codex 1999), and a Code of Hygienic Practice for Pre-Cut Raw Fruits and Vegetables (Codex 1998c). Work on the area of produce has come about since the international community has most recently recognised the potential for pathogens to be present on produce. Indeed, much attention is now being paid to the extension of food hygiene measures from ‘farm to fork’, particularly where raw agricultural products are used in foods that are to be eaten raw. 16.7 ATP An Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be used for such Transport was drawn up by the Inland Transport Committee of the UN Economic Committee for Europe in 1970–71. It is known as the ATP agreement, after the initials of its French title, and its purpose is to facilitate international traffic in certain perishable foodstuffs by setting common and centrally recognized standards (ATP 1987). The foodstuffs to be carried in accordance with the Agreement are quick (deep) frozen and frozen foodstuffs, and also certain other perishable foodstuffs that fall into neither of these two categories but which need to be carried at chill temperatures. The foods in this latter category are red offal, butter, game, milk, dairy products (yoghurt, kefir, cream and fresh cheese), fresh fish, meat products, meat, poultry and rabbits. Maximum temperatures in the range 2–7oC are specified. The Agreement lays down common standards for the temperature-controlled equipment (road vehicles, railway wagons and containers) in which these foodstuffs are carried. Over 20 countries have acceded to the Agreement. It was designed to apply primarily to all means of surface transport within Europe and is not applicable to air transport or to sea journeys exceeding 150 km. Despite its specified storage temperature requirements not having been updated for some time and their not being directly related to international legislation, the ATP is still often referred to by distributors. Further advice on the carriage of chilled foods is to be found in The Transport of Perishable Foodstuffs, a handbook compiled by the Shipowners Refrigerated Cargo Research Association (SRCRA) at the request of the UK’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (SRCRA 1991). As well as directing attention to the requirements of the ATP Agreement, the handbook deals in a lucid and practical way with, for example, the conditions, which affect perishable foods, stowage, packaging, atmospheres, vehicles, refrigeration systems and commodities. Legislation 457 16.8 Canada There are no Canadian regulations specifically dealing with chilled foods. Manufacturers of relevant products are self-regulated through the Canadian Code of Recommended Practices for Pasteurised/Modified Atmosphere Pack- aged/Refrigerated Food (Canada 1990a). The code is intended to assist and encourage compliance with the applicable federal, provincial or municipal legislation that deals with the safety of food. It was developed by the Agri-Food Safety Division of Agriculture Canada in consultation with relevant Govern- ment, industry and academic bodies. The code relates to pasteurised modified atmosphere (including vacuum) packed products that require refrigeration (C01oCto4oC) throughout their shelf-life. Like the more recently developed, broadly comparable guidelines available in other countries, the code is strongly HACCP oriented. Recommended microbiological criteria for the final product are given. The code addresses all of the components of the manufacturing practices concerned with chilled food technology as well as providing advice on food service and retail handling practices. It also includes a helpful example as to the steps to be followed in the development of a sous vide meat product. The Code includes the relevant parts of the Canadian Code of Recommended Handling Practices for Chilled Foods which was developed by the Food Institute of Canada (Canada 1990b). The HACCP Implementation Manual, issued by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as part of the Canadian Food Safety Enhancement Program, includes guidelines and principles for the development of generic HACCP models. The aim is to encourage the establishment and maintenance of HACCP-based systems in federally registered agri-food processing. Thirty-eight generic HACCP models have been developed at the time of writing including one on ‘Assembled meat’, which includes multi-commodity food products with or without meat, e.g. pizzas and sandwiches. 16.9 European Union (EU) The European Community (now EU) sought for many of its early years to remove technical barriers to intra-Community trade in food by harmonising the food laws of the individual Member States. However, owing to the significant differences in their legal approaches and the requirements of the different national food laws, this approach met with limited success. The Community therefore adopted a revised strategy in the mid-1980s under the 1985 White Paper Programme for processed foodstuffs. This combined the adoption of five Framework Directives, covering food labelling (79/112/EEC), additives (89/ 107/EEC), materials in contact with food (89/109/EEC), official controls (89/ 307/EEC), and foods for particular nutritional uses (89/398/EEC), with the principle of mutual recognition of national regulations and standards not needing to be legislated for by the Community. 458 Chilled foods EC vertical (product/sector-specific) legislation on food hygiene and controlling food temperature has been directed mainly at protein-based commodities such as meat, milk and poultry. However, it is only in the last ten years or so that the more extensive application of hygiene requirements and measures for monitoring and controlling pathogenic organisms in the food chain have come under consideration. The 1993 General Food Hygiene Directive sets out the basic hygiene regulations for food production and introduced the application of HACCP principles in food businesses, the concept of Guides to good hygienic practice related to the Directive and intended to provide more detailed sector-specific information, encouragement of the application of ISO 9000 standards on quality assurance in order to implement general hygiene rules, making Member States responsible for enforcement in accordance with established EU rules and official controls. Work on the consolidation of food hygiene legislation began in earnest in April 1996 with the publication of the Guide to certain rules governing production, marketing and importation of products of animal origin intended for human consumption. This Guide was essentially a consolidation of 14 Directives laying down animal and public health rules for the production and the placing on the market of products of animal origin. The EU Green Paper on Food law, published by the European Commission in April 1997 (EC 1997), launched a public debate on the future of European food legislation. The Green Paper stated that besides protection of public health, free movement of goods and European competitiveness, Community food law must ensure that legislation is primary based on scientific evidence and risk assessment. In addition, legislation was required to be coherent, rational and user friendly. The Paper raised questions of whether there was a need for hygiene legislation to be extended to primary agriculture, whether it should be applicable to retailing and whether it would be appropriate to introduce a general obligation on food businesses to ensure that food is safe, wholesome and fit for human consumption. A defence of due diligence (as allowed by the UK Food Safety Act 1990) was proposed to accompany this obligation. In addition, the question of whether unprocessed agricultural foodstuffs should be brought within the scope of the product liability Directive 85/374/EEC was raised but has since been addressed by the publication of Directive 1999/34/EC, which amends the 1985 Directive to include agricultural products within its scope. At the time of writing – summer 2000 – new regulatory hygiene proposals (EC 2000) are under discussion that are intended to replace current various vertical hygiene-focused Directives for trade in a wide range of protein-based foods. In addition, the General Food Hygiene Directive 93/43/EEC is incorporated into the draft consolidated text. These proposals are directed at the wholesomeness of raw starting materials (excluding farm rules) and the conditions and practices to which they are exposed during subsequent preparation and processing operations, up to the point at which they are ready for placing on the market, but excluding retailer sale. The aim is the uniform Legislation 459 imposition of good manufacturing and good hygienic practices on food operators. Temperature control elements have not yet been harmonised, the draft consolidated text simply giving the requirements from regulations being consolidated. For example, various maximum temperatures are given for milk being held for collection and during its transport, and on certain aspects of the processing of meat and poultry meat. Examples of temperatures stipulated in national legislation are given in Table 16.2. The EC food labelling directive (79/112/EEC, as amended) already impinges on chilled foods inasmuch as foodstuffs, which are microbiologically highly perishable, must be labelled with a ‘use by’ date. The date must be followed by a description of the storage conditions that must be observed (EC 1989a). In addition, foods whose shelf life has been extended by being packaged in any so authorised packaging gas are required by Directive 94/54 (EC 1994b) to be labelled with the phrase ‘packaged in a protective atmosphere’. EU labelling rules are being consolidated with the aim of simplifying and clarifying Community laws to make it clearer and more accessible to consumers (EC 1999b). The future of EU food safety activity is currently a matter of discussion, with support being evident for the creation of a European food standards agency. Currently, food matters are divided between DGIII (Internal Market), DGVI (Agriculture) and DGXXIV (Consumer Protection). In terms of European-level industry standards, there is little support in the chilled food sector for the production of Guides under 93/43/EEC since these are viewed as being over- simplified and bureaucratic to produce, potentially resulting in them not reflecting the highly technical detail required by the sector. ECFF is the representative body for national organisations or manufacturers of chilled prepared foods in European countries. ECFF in 1996 published Guidelines for Good Hygienic Practice for a wide spectrum of chilled foods which are based on the 1993 edition of the Chilled Food Association’s (CFA) guidelines that were revised and updated in 1997. The approach in both texts is similar, i.e. application of full HACCP (in accordance with Codex 1997b), separation of the manufacturing area into segregated areas of which there are three categories (GMP, High Care and High Risk Areas) and specification of thermal processes. High Care Areas are designed for the handling Table 16.2 Country Chilled storage Belgium max. 7oC Denmark 5oC Finland meat-based products: 6oC; other chilled products: 8oC France depends on stage of production, e.g. in retail, storage at C204oC Italy meat products: C01to7oC; fish products: 0 to 4oC Spain 0–3oC Sweden C608oC The Netherlands max. 7oC UK max. 8oC 460 Chilled foods of raw (non-protein) and cooked materials to be combined into a single product and are managed to minimise contamination by microorganisms. High Risk Areas are designed for the handling of cooked materials only (i.e. having been subjected to a time temperature combination equivalent to at least 70oC for two minutes). Heat treatments for long-shelf-life chilled foods have been addressed by the Report of the ECFF Botulinum Working Party (ECFF 1998) which concentrated on the risk of psychrotrophic (non-proteolytic) C. botulinum for vacuum packaging and associated processes. The scope of the code and that of ECFF covers retail chilled prepared foods that are capable of supporting the growth of pathogenic organisms. 16.10 Australia/New Zealand The Australia New Zealand food standards development system is a cooperative arrangement between Australia, New Zealand and the Australian States and mainland Territories to develop and implement uniform food standards. The system for the development of joint food standards was established under a December 1995 treaty between the two countries. Within Australia, the system is based upon a 1991 Commonwealth, State and Territory Agreement in relation to the adoption of uniform food standard. The system is implemented by food legislation in each State and Territory and in New Zealand, and by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority Act 1991 of the Commonwealth of Australia. The ANZFA Act establishes the mechanisms for the development of joint food standards and creates the ANZFA as the agency responsible for the development and maintenance of a joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Although food standards are developed by the ANZFA, responsibility for enforcing and policing food standards rests with the States and Territories in Australia and the New Zealand government in New Zealand. Each government has one or more agencies responsible for food surveillance within their health administration charged with the task of ensuring the requirements of the Food Standards Code are met. All food sold in the two countries must comply with the Code which is adopted without amendment into the countries’ food laws. Owing to this legal approach the Code must be used in conjunction with the relevant local food legislation. The Code is a collection of individual food standards, collated into a number of Parts. Part A deals with standards applicable to all foods. Parts B-Q deal with standards affecting particular classes of foods. Part R deals with special purpose foods. Parts S and T deal respectively with miscellaneous and transitional issues. The draft Standards Code is currently under consultation and any changes will be made before October 2000 when the draft is to be recommended to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC) for adoption in November 2000. Initially (November 2000 to May 2002) the Australia New Legislation 461 Zealand Food Standards Code will be in force in parallel with the Food Standards Code (Australia) the New Zealand Food Regulations 1984 and New Zealand Food Standards. During this period, a food will be able to be sold if it complies either with the current standards or with the new Joint Code. In May 2002, Food Standards Code (Australia), relevant parts of the New Zealand Food Regulations 1984 and New Zealand Food Standards will be revoked, leaving the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as the sole Code. In broad terms, the standards require food businesses to introduce adequate food safety systems to control hazards, rather than specifying how this should be achieved. In New Zealand, standards apply as part of a system of dual standards, where the Australian Food Standards Code is an alternative to the New Zealand Food Regulations. The Code was designed to ensure that safety measures are applied at all stages of the food supply chain, from primary producers through to retailers. The standards required are risk based. Like the current Australian State and Territory food laws and regulations, the Code will apply to anyone who handles or sells food in any sector of the food industry. Primary production is covered insofar as if a farm sells directly to the public or processes food on site, it will have to meet the requirements of the Code. There will be a staged approach to the introduction of the Code’s requirements: ? Year 1: food businesses should meet the requirements of essential food safety practices. ? Years 2 and 3: high-risk businesses will have to demonstrate that they are meeting these requirements through a food safety programme. ? Year 4: medium-risk businesses attracting a lower risk classification will have to have developed a food safety programme. ? Year 6: low-risk operations will have to adopt food safety programmes. Food industry associations have the option of choosing to develop guides or advice for businesses (referred to as guidelines) within a food industry sector to assist them to comply with the non-prescriptive requirements of the standards and the State and Territory Food Acts. The Governmental organisation, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS 1992) published in 1992 a Code of practice for heat-treated refrigerated foods packaged for extended shelf life (i.e. those with a shelf-life of more than five days) to provide guidance for the Australian industry. 16.11 France Food legislation in France is extensive and highly specified. With regard to chilled foods, EC Regulations are reflected in French food law and France also supports the ATP Agreement with its associated temperature controls. 462 Chilled foods Regulations prescribe microbiological standards for food raw materials and ingredients, e.g. meat, meat products, poultry meats, seafood products, egg products, pastries, milk products, vegetables and spices. Amongst the various hygiene requirements, particular provisions apply to pre-cooked foods in respect of the manufacturing and preparation conditions, hygiene facilities and refrigeration, for example. For chilled foods, the refrigeration installation should be capable of holding temperatures between 0oC and 4oC. The scope of French legislation covers only meals made from products from animal origin other than fish and meat products (e.g. milk, eggs). For ready-to- eat meals made from meat and fish products, the shelf life is determined by the manufacturer. A protocol for the validation of shelf life was developed by SYNAFAP (SYNAFAP 1995), stipulating shelf-life testing at 4oC for one-third of the total envisaged shelf life, and at 8oC for the remaining two-thirds of the total shelf-life. If the chill chain is ’fairly well’ maintained, the conditions for shelf-life testing are at 4oC for two-thirds of the total envisaged shelf-life and at 8oC for one-third of the total shelf-life. Maximum acceptable numbers of pathogens and indicator organisms are specified at the end of shelf-life for refrigerated prepared meals. The SYNAFAP Guidelines of Good Hygiene Practice for Prepared Refrigerated Meals (Syndicat National des Fabricants de Plats Pre′pare′s (SYNAFAP 1997) are based on the HACCP approach. Products falling outside their scope are those covered by other professional codes of good hygienic practices, meats subject to EEC Directive 88/657/EEC, and raw products or raw product mixes not ready to be eaten as such, i.e. cooking required before consumption. These guidelines are in line with those of ECFF (ECFF 1996). 16.12 The Netherlands Like all EU Member States, The Netherlands observes EU rules (see earlier), as well as applying its own extensive controls on food safety, composition, hygiene, manufacture, transport, sale, etc. National Regulations govern cooked foods which are kept and transported chilled at no more than 7oC. However, during transport to the retailer, the maximum temperature limit is marginally relaxed to 10oC, but only in the least cold unit of the food, and only for a short – but unspecified – period. If it is evident that the food product does not need to be heated or re-heated in order to prepare it for consumption, it must not be kept in such a way that its temperature falls between 7oC and 55oC. Microbiological criteria are prescribed for various categories of foods that are cooked and chilled, so becoming subject to the Cooked Foodstuffs Decree of 1 October 1979, as amended in 1985. The standards vary according to the type of foodstuff or food product, whether or not it is heated before consumption, or ready for eating without further heating, or, in some instances, whether or not it has undergone a preserving process other than heating. Legislation 463 In 1994, a Dutch/Belgian industry group produced a code of practice for the production, distribution and sale of chilled long shelf life pasteurised meals (TNO 1994). This Code sets out heat treatments and manufacturing hygiene standards which are in line with those adopted by the ECFF (ECFF 1996) and applies to hermetically sealed chilled products with shelf life between 11–42 days. Microbiological criteria are given for cook-chill products immediately after processing and at the end of shelf life. 16.13 United Kingdom As the United Kingdom is a member of the EU, UK food law gives effect to EU Directives, Regulations and amendments of them. The UK implementing legislation relating to the General Food Hygiene Directive is the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 (DH-UK 1995a). These Regulations do not apply to primary production nor to those activities regulated by other UK hygiene Regulations. The 1995 Regulations require the proprietor of a food business to ensure that food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities unless other Regulations specify alternative requirements; and use of a HACCP-type system to analyse potential food hazards, identify points at which food hazards may occur, determine which of the points are critical to ensuring food safety, control and monitor those points and review the analysis of food hazards, critical points and the control and monitoring procedures periodically, and whenever the food business’s operations change. Regarding UK temperature control legislation, much-criticised Regulations were introduced at the beginning of 1990 (DH-UK 1990) specifying two maximum chill temperatures (5oC and 8oC, plus tolerances) for certain foods. The lower temperature was restricted mainly to those perishable foods considered to present higher risks from the growth of pathogenic organisms, e.g. cooked products containing meat, fish or eggs, meat and fish pa?te′s, quiches, sandwich fillings. Foods to be kept at or below 8oC were mould-ripened soft cheeses, prepared vegetable salads – such as coleslaws – and uncooked or partly cooked pastry products containing meat or fish. Official guidelines allowing tolerances of up to 4oC for thermometer accuracy and display cabinet defrost cycles were published (DH-UK 1991) and have not been withdrawn despite the Regulations being replaced in 1995 by the adoption of a single control temperature of 8oC maximum in the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995 (DH-UK 1995b). These later Regulations set specific chill and hot holding temperatures (63oC minimum) for certain foods and contain a general overall temperature requirement that ‘no person shall keep any raw materials, ingredients, intermediate products and finished products likely to support the growth of harmful bacteria or the formation of toxins at temperatures which would result in a risk to health’. The UK Government has been concerned for some time about the extent to which some food processes may rely excessively on impracticably low chill 464 Chilled foods temperatures for long periods of time in order to prevent botulism. Thus the 1995 Regulations note that there will be situations where it is appropriate to keep foods at chill temperatures lower than 8oC for safety reasons. MAFF- funded work on modified atmosphere (including vacuum) packaging resulted in guidelines on Vacuum Packed and Modified Atmosphere Packed Foods produced by Campden and Chorleywood Food RA (CCFRA 1996) which took into account the work of CFA (CFA 1997) the ACMSF (1992) and ECFF Botulinum Working Party (ECFF 1998). In 1989 the UK Chilled Food Association (CFA) was formed and has since published three editions of its authoritative guidelines and supplementary technical information. The latest guidelines edition was published in 1997, being entitled Guidelines for Good Hygienic Practice in the Manufacture of Chilled Foods (CFA 1997). The guidelines were drawn up through wide consultation involving technologists from leading UK businesses concerned with chilled foods, as well drawing on the expertise of Government food scientists and microbiologists, food law enforcement officials and major multiples. The third edition was endorsed by major UK retailers and compliance with the Guidelines is a prerequisite of CFA membership. Compliance can be determined by specific bodies approved by CFA or, when the system is established, by any organisation accredited by UKAS, the UK Accreditation Service. The 1997 CFA Guidelines were based on the 1996 ECFF Guidelines and were revised and restructured to improve accessibility by all levels of reader. The Guidelines uses contains a decision tree to determine the minimum hygiene status (GMP, High Care or High Risk) required for products taking into account the degree of heat treatment applied and potential for recontamination. Guidelines for the handling of chilled foods were first issued in 1982 by the UK Institute of Food Science and Technology, and the document was updated in 1990 (IFST 1990), referring the reader to the CFA Guidelines for specific technical information on the manufacture of chilled foods. Guidelines specifically directed at cook-chill catering systems were separately produced by the Department of Health (DH-UK 1989). Although there is no legal compulsion in the UK for producers and handlers of chilled foods to follow these advisory guidelines, it is considered prudent for them to do so in terms of providing the basis of a due diligence defence under the 1990 Food Safety Act, and may, in the case of the CFA Guidelines and certain retailers, be a condition of supply. 16.14 United States A number of federal and state bodies apply formal controls over the manufacture, distribution and retailing of chilled foods in the US. The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection System Service (FSIS) in 1994 consolidated USDA’s food safety-related functions and has a ‘farm to table’ mandate. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is Legislation 465 authorised by Congress to enforce the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and several other public health laws. The FDA monitors the manufacture, import, transport, storage, and sale of foods which are required to be in compliance with the relevant Food Code - the current for ’retail’ having been published in 1997 and that for catering in 1999 (FDA 1999). USDA oversees meat and poultry safety, while the FDA regulates fish. Setting safety standards for milk and eggs is the FDA’s provenance, but once a cow is slaughtered for meat, or eggs are processed to make other foods, regulatory authority shifts to the USDA. In July 1996, President Clinton announced the so-called ‘Mega-Reg’, the Pathogen Reduction Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) System final rule (Federal Register 1996) which applies to those food processors that are inspected by USDA or similar state agencies, i.e. mostly meat and poultry product processors. These regulations require such establishments to take preventive and corrective measures at each stage of the food production process where food safety hazards occur, using a variant of HACCP as defined by Codex. Each plant has the responsibility and flexibility to base its food safety controls on a bespoke HACCP plan, which must identify the CCPs, detailed in the Regulations and use the controls prescribed. Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are required that describe daily procedures that are sufficient to prevent direct contamination or adulteration of products. Additional requirements are mandatory E. coli O157 testing by slaughter operations, and compliance with performance standards for Salmonella. The final rule is the starting point for the US HACCP approach as officials are also considering extending similar rules to the farm and through distribution. HACCP implementation has begun initially in large meat and poultry operations, which had 18 months to comply. Small plants have 30 months to comply and very small plants have 42 months. However, following FSIS surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes in products and from outbreak studies, FSIS in May 1999 announced a requirement for reassessed HACCP plans for ready-to-eat livestock and poultry products to be submitted including Listeria monocytogenes as a specific hazard. Facilities failing to implement ‘proper HACCP programs’ will face enforcement action that could mean withdrawal of USDA’s inspectors and plant shut down. In January 1997, President Clinton announced a Food Safety Initiative (FSI) with the aim to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness to the greatest extent possible by improving the system for detecting outbreaks of foodborne illness, promoting research on emerging pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and Cyclospora, and to better educate consumers and the industry on safe food- handling practices. Related to this, in autumn 1997, the President introduced the Produce Safety Initiative (PSI) under the FSI. The PSI addresses the entire produce food chain from grower to table. Voluntary guidance was developed in the form of the Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards For Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FDA 1998) that takes a HACCP-type approach on agricultural practices. 466 Chilled foods The US Department of Health and Human Services in August 1997 put forward the Food Safety Enforcement Enhancement Act of 1997 (DHHS 1997) which gave the FDA the authority to require the recall of food that presents a threat to public health and allowed it to levy civil monetary penalties for food- related violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. In addition, the development and adoption of model prevention programs is another technique used in the US with the aim of advancing food safety, an example of which is the 1997 Food Code which is applicable to ‘retail’ products, i.e. those which are sold through catering outlets. In the Code, as well as including general provisions, there are two items particularly impacting on chilled foods in reduced oxygen packages (ROP), which include vacuum-packed and modified- atmosphere-packed products. These foods are required to be held at or below 5oC (41oF). Also, the minimum time–temperature combination of 74oC (165oF) for 15 seconds is required, 74oC to be reached within two hours. The Code requires that ‘potentially hazardous’ food shall be cooled within four hours to 5oC (41oF) or less, or to 7oC (45oF) if prepared from ingredients at ambient temperature, such as reconstituted foods and canned tuna. Labelling of ROP foods relying on chilled storage as a hurdle must be labelled with the phrase ‘Important – Must be kept refrigerated at 5oC (41oF)’, be marked with a use-by date and consumed by the date required by the Code for that particular product. The Food Code specifies that ROP foods that are intended for refrigerated storage beyond 14 days must be maintained at or below 3oC (38oF). ROP foods which have lower refrigeration requirements as a condition of safe shelf-life must be monitored for temperature history and must not be offered for retail sale if the temperature and time specified are exceeded. Ready-to-eat ‘potentially hazardous’ commercially prepared food handled in a food establishment is required to be clearly marked with the time the original container was opened and to indicate the date by which the food should be consumed, which includes the day the original container was opened. Limits are set as follows for the shelf-life of such foods: ? Seven calendar days or less after the original container was opened, if the food is maintained at 5oC (41oF) or less; or ? Five calendar days or less from the day the original container was opened, if the food is maintained at 7oC (45oF) or less as specified under the Code. Processed fish and smoked fish may not be packed by ROP unless establish- ments are approved for the activity and inspected by the regulatory authority. The Code’s ROP foods requirements are based on those of the Guidelines on Refrigerated Foods in Reduced Oxygen Packages which were developed by the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO 1990a). With regard to industry initiatives, guidelines relating to refrigerated foods, including chilled foods, have been published by the National Food Processors’ Association (NFPA 1989) and are due to be updated in the next year or so. The now-defunct US Chilled Food Association issued a Technical Handbook for the Chilled Foods Industry (US CFA 1990). Both publications cover the essential Legislation 467 aspects that need to be addressed by companies actively concerned with chilled foods. Emphasis is given to the importance of the HACCP approach in achieving the desired end-results for product safety and quality. 16.15 Summary Chilled foods have been made subject to detailed regulatory controls at national level, particularly with respect to temperature requirements, and at international level where HACCP-based approaches to hygiene have been established. Such general, HACCP-based approaches to food hygiene legislation are the world- wide trend and are being developed at all levels, led by Codex. HACCP-based codes of practice and guidelines have been developed by several organisations, providing the necessary technical detail (e.g. food microbiology and practical hygiene management) which in practical terms indicate how those legislated standards are to be met. Given the highly dynamic and innovative nature of the chilled-food sector, there is a significant role for easily updated best practice guidelines focusing on the practical implementation of HACCP. All that is required at national and international level is a commitment to ensure that operators and enforcers have a clear understanding of food microbiology and technology in order to make HACCP a reality in practice, irrespective of the operation in question. 16.16 References and further reading General EC, (1997) Harmonisation of Safety Criteria for Minimally processed Foods: Inventory Report, FAIR Concerted Action CT97-1020. Australia/New Zealand AQIS, (1992) Code of practice for heat-treated refrigerated foods packaged for extended shelf life, Australian Government Publishing Service, GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia. Codex Alimentarius CODEX, (1989) Code of Hygienic Practice for Precooked and Cooked Meals in Mass Catering, 1989, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO, Rome. CODEX, (1997a) Recommended international code of practice: General principles of food hygiene, CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev 3, 1997, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO, Rome. CODEX (1997b) Hazard Analysis and Critical Control (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application, CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 3, 1997, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO, Rome. 468 Chilled foods CODEX, (1997c) Code of Hygienic Practice for Refrigerated Packaged Foods with Extended Shelf Life, Alinorm 97/13, 1997, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO, Rome. CODEX, (1998a) Draft Principles and Guidelines for the Conduct of Microbiological Risk Assessment, Alinorm 98/3, 1998, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO, Rome. CODEX, (1998b) Report of the 31st session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene, Alinorm 98/12, 1998, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/ WHO, Rome. CODEX, (1998c) Proposed Draft of Hygienic Practice for Pre-Cut Raw Fruits and Vegetables, Alinorm 98/8, 1998, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO, Rome. CODEX, (1999) Proposed Draft Code of Hygienic Practice for Primary Production, Harvesting and Packaging of Fresh Produce/Fruits and Vegetables, ALINORM 99/13A page 7, 1999, Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO, Rome. Belgium/Netherlands TNO, (1994) Code Voor de Produktie, Distributie en Verkoop van Gekoelde, Lang Houdbare Gepasteuriseerde Maaltijde, TNO Voeding, Zeist. Canada CANADA, (1990a) Canadian code of recommended manufacturing practices for pasteurised, modified atmosphere packaged, refrigerated food, Agri-Food Safety Division, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa K1A 0YA, Canada. CANADA, (1990b) The Canadian code of recommended handling practices for chilled food, The Food Institute of Canada, 130 Albert St., Suite 1409, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4. European Union EC, (1964) Council Directive 64/433/EEC on health conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat, Off J European Communities, (121), 21001/64 (last amended by Directive 95/23/EC ibid, (L243, 1995, p. 7)). EC, (1971) Council Directive 71/118/EEC laying down health rules for the production and placing on the market of fresh poultry meat, ibid., (L55, 1971, p23) (last amended by Directive 96/23/EC, ibid., L125, 1996, p. 10)). EC, (1977a) Council Directive 77/96/EEC on the examination of trichinae (Trichinella spiralis) upon importation from third countries of fresh meat derived from domestic swine, ibid., (L26, 1977, p. 8) (last amended by Directive 94/59/EC, ibid., (L315, 1994, p. 18)). EC, (1977b) Council Directive 77/99/EEC on health problems affecting the production and marketing of meat products and certain other products of animal origin, ibid., (L26, 1977, p. 85) (last amended by Directive 95/68/ EC, ibid., (L332, 1995, p. 10)). Legislation 469 EC, (1979) Framework Directive 79/112/EEC on the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs, ibid., (L33, 1979). EC, (1989a) Council Directive 89/395/EEC amending Directive 79/112/EEC on the labelling of foodstuffs, 89/395/EEC, ibid., 32 (L 186), 1720. EC, (1989b) Council Directive 89/437/EEC on hygiene and health problems affecting the production and the placing on the market of egg products, ibid., (L212, 1989, p. 87) (last amended by Directive 96/23/EC, ibid., L125, 1996, p. 10). EC, (1989c) Council Directive 89/397/EEC on the official control of foodstuffs, ibid., (L186, 1989, p23). EC, (1990) Directive 90/496/EEC laying down nutrition labelling rules for foodstuffs for sale to the consumer. Ibid., (L276, 1990). EC, (1992a) Council Directive 92/48/EEC laying down health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products, ibid., (L268, 1991, p. 15) (last amended by Directive 96/23/EC, ibid., L125, 1996, p. 10)). EC, (1992b) Council Directive 92/117/EEC concerning measures for protection against specified zoonoses and specified zoonotic agents in animals and products of animal origin in order to prevent outbreaks of foodborne infections and intoxications, ibid., (L62, 1992). EC, (1992c) Council Directive 92/46/EEC laying down the health rules for the production and placing on the market of raw milk, heat-treated milk and milk-based products, ibid., (L268, 1992, p. 1) (last amended by Directive 96/34/EC, ibid, (L187, 1992, p. 41)) EC, (1992d) Council Directive 92/118/EEC laying down animal health and public health requirements governing trade in and imports to the Community of products not subject to the said requirements laid down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) to Directive 89/662/ EEC (ibid., (L395, 1989) and, as regards pathogens, to Directive 90/425/ EEC (ibid., (L62, 1993, p49)) (last amended by Directive 96/90/EC (ibid., L13, 1997, p. 24)). EC, (1993) Council Directive 93/43/EEC on the general hygiene of foodstuffs, ibid., (L175, 1993, p. 1). EC, (1994a) Council Directive 94/65/EC laying down the requirements for the production and placing on the market of minced meat and meat preparations, ibid., (L368, 1994, p. 10). EC, (1994b) Council Directive 94/54/EC concerning the compulsory indication on the labelling of certain foodstuffs of particulars, ibid., (L300, 1994, p. 14). EC, (1996) Proposal for an European Parliament and Council Directive amending Directive 85/374/EEC on liability of defective products (COM(97) 478 final), ibid, (C337, 1996). EC, (1997) Green Paper. The general principles of food law in the European Union. April 1997. EC, (1999a) Draft Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs (III/5227/98 rev 3., VI/1881/98 rev 1 (1999). 470 Chilled foods EC, (1999b) Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the approximation of food laws of the Member States relating to the labelling, presentation and advertising standards (COM (1999) 113 final 99/0090 (COD)). EC, (2000) Commission Proposes New Food Safety Hygiene Rules (IP/00/791) Press Release, 17 July 2000. ECFF, (1996) Guidelines for the Hygenic Manufacture of Chilled Foods, Euro- pean Chilled Food Federation, c/o PO Box 14811, London NW10 9ZR, UK. ECFF, (1998) Sous Vide Foods: conclusions of an ECFF Botulinum Working Party, Food Control, 10 (1999), 47–51. France ICACQ, (1987) La re′gime juridique de la cuisson sous vide, L’Institut de Chimie Analytique et du Contro?le de la Qualite′, Option Qualite′, No. 37 (February), 12–20. SYNAFAP, (1995) Aide a` la ma??trise de l’hygie`ne alimentaire pour les plats pre′pare′s frais et re′frige′re′s, Syndicat National des Fabricants de Plats Pre′pare′s, 44 rue d’Alesia, 75682 Paris Cedex 14. SYNAFAP, (1997) Guidelines of good hygiene practices for prepared refrigerated meals, Syndicat National des Fabricants de Plats Pre′pare′s, 44 rue d’Alesia, 75682 Paris Cedex 14. International Transport ATP, (1987) Consolidated text of the Agreement on the international carriage of perishable foodstuffs and on special equipment to be used for such carriage, Command No. 250, November 1987, HMSO, London. DT-UK, (1988) A guide to the international transport of perishable foods, Department of Transport, Publications Sales Unit, Building 1, Victoria Road, South Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 0NE. SRCRA, (1991) The transport of perishable foods, Shipowners Refrigerated Cargo Research Association, 140 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8HE, UK. ISBN 0 95102441 8. USA AFDO, (1990a) Retail guidelines: refrigerated foods in reduced oxygen packages, Quarterly Bulletin of the Assn. of Food and Drug Officials, 54 (5), 80–4. AFDO, (1990b) Guidelines for the transportation of food, ibid., 54 (5), 85–90. DHHS, (1997) Food Safety Enforcement Enhancement Act, US Dept of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave., SW, Washington DC 20201, USA. FDA, (1998) Guide to Minimize Microbiological Food Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, US Dept of Health and Human Services, US FDA and Centre for Food Safety and Nutrition. Legislation 471 FDA, (1999) Food Code, US Dept of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Food and Drug Administration, Washington DC 20204, USA. FEDERAL REGISTER, (1996) Pathogen Reduction Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) System final rule, 61 FR38806. NFPA, (1989) Guidelines for the development, production, distribution and handling of refrigerated foods, National Food Processors’ Association, 1401 New York Ave., NW, Washington DC 20005, USA. US CFA, (1990) Technical handbook for the chilled foods industry, Chilled Foods Association, 5775 Peach Tree-Dunwoody Road, Suite 500G, Atlanta, Ga. 30342. USDA, (1988) Interim guidelines for the preparation of a partial quality control programme, Food Safety and Inspection Service, US Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250. Sweden SWEDEN, (1984) Swedish Food Regulations: General implementing regulations, The National Food Administration, Box 622, S751 26 Uppsala, Sweden. United Kingdom ACMSF, (1992) Report on vacuum packaging and associated processes, ISBN 0 11 321558 4, HMSO, London. CCFRA, (1996) A Guide to the Safe production of Vacuum and Gas Packed Foods, Guideline No. 11, Campden and Chorleywood Food RA, Chipping Campden, GL55 6LD UK. CFA, (1997) Guidelines for good hygienic practice in the manufacture of chilled foods, ISBN. 1 901798 00 3, Chilled Food Association, P O Box 14811, London NW10 9ZR. DH-UK, (1989) Chilled and Frozen – Guidelines on cook-chill and cook-freeze catering systems, Dept. of Health, HMSO, 49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6HB. DH-UK, (1990) Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1990, SI 1431, Dept of Health, HMSO. DH-UK, (1991) Guidelines on the Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1990, SI 1431, ISBN 0 11 321369 7. Dept. of Health, Eileen House, London SE1 6EF. DH-UK, (1995a) Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995, SI 1763, ISBN 0-11-053227-9, HMSO, London. DH-UK, (1995b) Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995, SI 2200, HMSO, London. DH-UK, (1995a) Guidelines on the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995, Dept. of Health, Eileen House, London SE1 6EF. DH-UK, (1995b) Guidelines on the Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995, Dept. of Health, Eileen House, London SE1 6EF. DH-UK, (1995c) Code of Practice on Food Hygiene Inspections (Code of Practice No. 9), ISBN 0-11-321931-8, Stationery Office, 49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6HB. 472 Chilled foods