The European Regulations set standards for good hygiene practice in the Food sector, establishes the obligation to perform analyzes on food and to enforce microbiological limits.
Within the Self-Control Plan (HACCP) it is mandatory to establish the frequency of analyzes on food matrix and also to plan the execution of the surface tampons necessary for the verification of the effectiveness of the cleaning and sanitization procedure. The analysis number is established arbitrarily and can be read; be proportionate to production.

Self-control and HACCP are not synonymous terms. The concept of self-control has more value; wide ranging from the responsibility of the Food Business Operator (OSA) in matters of hygiene and food safety and corresponds to the obligation to keep under control of its productions.

Self-control is mandatory for all operators at any level involved in the food production chain.
Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) instead a system that allows self-control to be applied in a rational and organized manner. & Egrave; mandatory only for Post-primary sector operators.
The HACCP system is therefore an instrument aimed at helping OSAs to achieve a higher level of food safety.

The principles on which the elaboration of a HACCP plan is based are 7:

Identify any danger to prevent, eliminate or reduce Identify critical control points (CCP - Critical Control Points) in the phases in which it is; possible to prevent, eliminate or reduce a risk Establish, for these critical control points, the critical limits that differentiate the acceptability; from unacceptability;
Establish and implement effective surveillance procedures at critical control points
Establish corrective actions if a critical point is not under control (exceeding the established critical limits)
Establish the procedures to be applied regularly to verify the effective operation of the measures taken Prepare documents and records appropriate to the nature and size of the food business.
The first normative codification in Europe dates back to 1993 with the Directive 43/93 / CEE (implemented in Italy with the Legislative Decree No. 26 May 1997 No. 155, now repealed). This regulation is applicable; has been replaced by EC Regulation 178/2002 and EC Regulation 852/2004.

Given the wide range of food businesses taken into consideration by EC Regulation 852/2004 and the wide variety of foodstuffs and production procedures applied to foodstuffs, the European Commission has drafted general guidelines on the development and application of procedures based on the principles of the HACCP system as a document aimed at helping all those involved in the food production chain .
These guidelines are mainly inspired by the principles set out in the 'Codex Alimentarius' CAC / RCP 1-1996 Rev 4-2003 (Italian version and Italian / English version) and provide indications on a simplified application of the HACCP requirements in particular in small food businesses.

Considering a food business, the person responsible for the self-control plan must prepare and implement the plan with the active participation of the management and staff, availing, where appropriate, of an external technical-scientific support. The plan must be applicable and applied, aimed at preventing the causes of the occurrence of non-compliance; before they occur and must provide for the appropriate corrective actions to minimize the risks when, in spite of the application of the preventive measures, a non-conformity occurs; The main objective is establish a documented system with which the company is able to demonstrate that it has operated in a way that minimizes risk. However, in some cases, as in small businesses, the application of the HACCP system can; to be complex.

It is however necessary that the correct predisposition and application of procedures, even if simplified, allows the control and management of hazards within the production process.
The application of the principles of the hazard analysis system and critical control points (HACCP) to primary production is not applicable; still practicable on a generalized basis, but the use of good hygiene practices in this area is encouraged.
In order to facilitate the adoption of adequate self-control plans, Manuals of Proper Hygienic Practice (Good Hygiene Practice or GHP) are made available, which constitute guidance documents required by the Community legislation and can be used as a guide to the application of self-control systems.

1. Every person working in food processing rooms must maintain a high standard of personal cleanliness and wear appropriate, clean and, where necessary, protective clothing.

2. No person suffering from disease or disease-carrying disease or present, for example, infected wounds, skin infections, sores or suffering from diarrhea must be authorized in any way to handle food and enter any area of food processing, where there is a likelihood of direct or indirect food contamination. Anyone affected by any of the aforementioned diseases who work in a food business and who may come into contact with food must immediately report their illness or symptoms, specifying if possible the causes, to the manager of the food business.

Food business operators must ensure:

1. that food handlers are supervised and / or have received training and / or training on food hygiene in relation to the type of activity;

2. that the persons responsible for the development and management of the procedure, or for the functioning of the relevant guides, have received adequate training for the application of the principles of the HACCP system;

3. that the requirements of national legislation concerning training programs for people working in certain food sectors are respected.