Food regulation experts at law firm Eversheds have welcomed the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) move to publish new guidance for food businesses on general food law regulation.

After canvassing UK food businesses on the original guidance, the FSA published revised guidance relating to articles 14, 16, 18 and 19 of the European Commission’s General Food Law Regulation 178/2002. The guidance covers areas such as food safety, traceability and the need to notify, withdraw and/or recall products not conforming with food safety requirements that apply under the regulation.

Eversheds said that although the changes to the rules seemed subtle, the implications were more significant. For example, it is left to food businesses to make their own decisions about traceability. Other changes include clarifying minimum requirements under the law and reducing ‘gold plating’, such as suggestions that internal traceability within a food factory were legally required.

“By taking a step back from the EU guidance and producing UK-specific guidance based on the content of the EU regulation and no more, the FSA has demonstrated a heartening approach,” said Owen Warnock, partner and food law specialist at Eversheds. He referred to the FSA’s work as “simple but effective requirements and guidance which protect the public, while being commercially realistic”