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Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control System                                
 
1 
  1 
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Contents  5 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  2 6 
2 Objective of a National Food Control System  ................................ ................................ .......................  3 7 
3 Principles of a National Food Control System  ................................ ................................ .......................  3 8 
3. 1  Protection of consumers  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 9 
3.2  The whole food ch ain approach  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 3 10 
3.3  Transparency  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 11 
3.4  Roles and Responsibilities  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  3 12 
3.5 Consistency and impartiality  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  4 13 
3.6 Risk-based, science -based and evidence -based decision making  ................................ ................  4 14 
3.7 Cooperation and coordination between multiple competent authorities  ................................ ... 4 15 
3.8 Preventive measures  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  4 16 
3.9 Self-assessment and review procedures  ................................ ................................ ......................  4 17 
3.10  Recognition of other systems (including equivalences)  ................................ ...............................  4 18 
3.11  Legal foundation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  4 19 
3.12  Harmonization  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  5 20 
3.13  Resources  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 5 21 
4 Framework for the design and operation of the national food control system  ................................ ... 5 22 
4.1 Policy setting  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 6 23 
4.2  System Design  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............................  9 24 
4.3 Implementation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  14 25 
4.4 Monitoring and System Review  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 17 26 
5. References  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  19 27 
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  34 
1 Scope  35 
 36 
This document is intended to provide practical guidance to assist the national government, 37 
and their responsible competent authority  in the design, development, operation, 38 
evaluation and improvement of the national food control system. It highlights the key 39 
principles and core elements of an efficient and effective food control system. It is not 40 
intended that the guidance results in “o ne system” being appropriate to all circumstances. 41 
Rather, various approaches may be used, as appropriate to the national circumstances, to 42 
achieve an effective national food control system.  43 
 44 
While the focus of the Principles and Guidelines for National Fo od Control Systems is on the 45 
production, packing, storage, transport, handling and sale of foods within national borders, 46 
the document is consistent with and should be read in conjunction with relevant Codex 47 
texts  and the national food safety legislation . Codex texts of particular relevance include the 48 
Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification (CAC/GL 20 -1995), the 49 
Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and 50 
Export Inspection and Certificati on (CAC/GL 26 -1997), the Guidelines for Food Import 51 
Control Systems (CAC/GL 47 -2003) and the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information 52 
between countries on rejections of imported foods (CAC/GL 25 -1997). Reference to these 53 
texts relating to food import and  export control is important since, while the national food 54 
control system is ultimately responsible for the safety of food offered within its border, in 55 
today’s global market, much food is sourced from outside the country; hence, properly 56 
designed import and export control systems, as part of the overall national food control 57 
system, are essential.  58 
 59 
In addition, the relevant chapters of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) 60 
Terrestrial Animal Health Code and Aquatic Animal Health Code are valuable  resources for 61 
member governments and organizations. Documents and guidance material developed by 62 
FAO and WHO may also be useful resources.  63 
 64 
A responsible competent authority  may apply these principles and guidelines, where 65 
appropriate, according to their particular situations.  When developing a national food 66 
control system , the responsible national competent authority  should ensure that the 67 
objectives of the system are addressed as outlined in the principles below and should allow 68 
for flexibility and modif ication as required to ensure the objectives can be achieved.  69 
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 2 Objective of a National Food Control System  71 
The objective of a national food control system is to protect the health of consumers and 72 
ensure fair practices in the food trade.  73 
3 Principles of a National Food Control System  74 
A national food control system should be based on the following principles:  75 
 76 
3. 1  Protection of consumers  77 
National food control systems should be designed, implemented and maintained with the 78 
primary goal to protect consumers. In the event of a conflict with other interests, 79 
precedence should be given to protecting the health of consumers.  80 
 81 
3.2  The whole food chain approach  82 
The national food control system should cover the entire food chain from primary 83 
production to  consumption.  84 
 85 
3.3  Transparency   86 
All aspects of a national food control system should be transparent and open to scrutiny by 87 
all stakeholders, while respecting legal requirements to protect confidential information as 88 
appropriate. Transparency considerati ons apply to all participants in the food chain and 89 
this can be achieved through clear documentation and communication.  90 
 91 
3.4  Roles and Responsibilities   92 
All participants in a national food control system should have specific roles and 93 
responsibilities cle arly defined.  94 
 95 
Food business operators have the primary role and responsibility for managing the food 96 
safety of their products and for complying with requirements relating to those aspects of 97 
food under their control.  98 
 99 
The national government (and in some cases a competent authority) has the role and 100 
responsibility to establish and maintain up to date legal requirements. The competent 101 
authority has the responsibility to ensure the effective operation of the national food 102 
control system.  103 
 104 
Consumers also have  a role in managing food safety risks under their control and where 105 
relevant should be provided with information on how to achieve this.  106 
Academics and scientific institutions /organizations  have a role in contributing to a national 107 
food control system, as t hey are a source of expertise to support the risk based and 108 
scientific foundation of such a system.  109  
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  110 
 111 
 112 
3.5 Consistency and impartiality  113 
All aspects of a national food control system should be applied consistently and impartially. 114 
The competent authority a nd all participants acting in official functions should be free of 115 
improper or undue influence or conflict of interest.  116 
 117 
3.6 Risk -based, science -based and evidence -based decision making   118 
A competent authority should make decisions within a national food co ntrol system based 119 
on scientific information, evidence and/or risk analysis principles as appropriate.  120 
 121 
3.7 Cooperation and coordination between multiple competent authorities  122 
The competent authorities within a national food control system should operate in a 123 
cooperative and coordinated manner, within clearly assigned roles and responsibilities, for 124 
the most effective use of resources in order to minimise duplication and/or gaps and to 125 
facilitate information exchange.  126 
 127 
3.8 Preventive measures  128 
To prevent an d when necessary to respond to food safety incidents a national food control 129 
system should encompass the core elements of prevention, intervention and response.  130 
 131 
3.9 Self -assessment and review procedures   132 
The national food control system should possess the  capacity and capability to undergo 133 
continuous improvement and include mechanisms to evaluate whether the system is able 134 
to achieve its objective.  135 
 136 
3.10  Recognition of other systems (including equivalence s) 137 
Competent authorities should recognise that food control systems or their components 138 
although designed and structured differently may be capable of meeting the same 139 
objective. This recognition can apply at the national and international level. The concept of 140 
recognition of systems, including equivalence s, should be provided for in the national food 141 
control system.  142 
 143 
3.11  Legal foundation  144 
The national government should have in place fundamental legal structures to enable the 145 
establishment of food laws and competent authorities, so that they can develop, establish, 146 
implement, maintain and enforce a national food control system.  147 
 148 
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  150 
3.12  Harmonization   151 
When designing and applying a food control system, the competent authority shall  adopt 152 
Codex standards, recommendations , and guidelines whenever appropriate as elements of 153 
their national food control system to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair 154 
practices in the food trade. Standards, recommendations or guidelines from other 155 
international inter -governmental organi zations whose membership is open to  all countries 156 
may also be useful.   157 
 158 
3.13  Resources   159 
A national food control system should have sufficient resources to enable it to meet the 160 
system’s objectives.  161 
 162 
4 Framework for the design and operation of the national food control system   163 
 164 
The national food control system will be based on particular governmental or 165 
constitutional arrangements and institutions, ( e.g. presence or absence of sub -national 166 
governments), national goals and objectives.  167 
 168 
The responsible competent authority  has a pivotal role in the national food control system, 169 
in that the competent authority:  170 
 171 
a) provides leadership and coordination for the national food  control system;  172 
b) designs, develops, operates, evaluates and improves the national food control system;  173 
c) establishes, implements and enforces science and risk based regulatory requirements 174 
that encourage and promote positive food safety outcomes;  175 
d) establishes, implements and enforces regulatory requirements supporting fair 176 
practices in the food trade;  177 
e) establishes  and maintains arrangements with supporting organizations such as 178 
officially recogni zed inspection, audit, certification and accreditation bodies, where 179 
appropriate;  180 
f) advances and fosters knowledge, science, research and education regarding food 181 
safety;  182 
g) engages with stakeholders to ensure transparency and to obtain their views; and  183 
h) where appropriate, establishes and maintains arrangements with other countries e.g. 184 
cooperation programs, equivalence agreements etc.  185 
 186 
Where there is more than one competent autho rity their roles and responsibilities should 187 
be clearly defined and their activities coordinated to the greatest extent possible to 188 
minimi ze gaps and overlaps.  189  
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The design and implementation of a national food control system should follow a logical 190 
and tran sparent process. This should include the consistent application of a systematic 191 
framework for the identification, evaluation and, as necessary, control of food safety risks 192 
associated with existing, new or re -emerging hazards.  193 
 194 
In developing a national food control system the competent authority, in consultation with 195 
stakeholders, should adopt the following framework, which will reflect the principles of a 196 
national food control system and are described in Section 3 of this docume nt. 197 
 198 
Framework for the development of a national food control system  199 
 200 
 201 
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 204 
 205 
 206 
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 211 
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 213 
 214 
 215 
 216 
 217 
 218 
4.1 Policy setting  219 
 220 
4.1.1  Policy setting is the process by which the goals and objectives for the national food 221 
control system are established by the national government, along with the commitment to 222 
a course of action to achieve those goals and objectives. It should also include the 223 
identification and clear articulation of expected outcomes. Policy decisions guide 224 
subsequent actions, including the establishment  of legislation and regulations.  225 
 226 
4.1.2  Public policy decisions should take into account a broad range of factors and require 227 
a careful assessment of options. The responsible competent authorities  should consider, 228 
among other things, stakeholder interests , how the food control system will relate to 229 
international and national standards, assessment of risks and/or benefits, effectiveness and 230  
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 efficiency of various controls and methods of oversight, existing and planned government 231 
structures, coordination amon g authorities along the food chain, technical and scientific 232 
information, the roles of government and food business operators, and best 233 
practices/models.  234 
 235 
4.1.3  The responsible competent authority  should actively engage stakeholders, including 236 
food busine ss operators and consumers, in the setting of policy.  237 
 238 
4.1.4  National goals and priorities will ensure consumer protectio n by taking into account 239 
among  other things, food production and consumption patterns, risk profile and consumer 240 
concerns in relation to food safety and fair practices in the food trade and also the 241 
preparedness and capability of the country.  242 
 243 
4.1.5  When establishing the national food  control system , the national government should 244 
identify its short, medium and long term objectives to be addressed through the system . 245 
The main objectives should be aligned with and assist in implementing the principles 246 
outlined in Section 3. Consideratio n should be given to the development of a national food 247 
control strategy, which will aid clarification of the objectives to be addressed set priorities 248 
and support system design.  249 
 250 
4.1.6 Once public policy goals and desired outcomes for the national food control system 251 
are established, they should be clearly articulated and described in order to effectively 252 
guide subsequent actions.  253 
 254 
4.1.7 The national food control system should possess three main characteristics which, 255 
among other things, can be used in s elf-assessment or other evaluation to determine if the 256 
system is fully functional and effective:  257 
i) Characteristic 1  Situational awareness means that the national food control system 258 
avails itself of accurate and current information on the entire food chain.  259 
 260 
ii) Characteristic 2  Pro-activity means that the national food control system is capable 261 
of identifying existing or emerging hazards before they materiali ze as risks in the 262 
food production and/or processing chain and at the early stages rather than in the  263 
end product. Early warning and/or rapid alert systems, traceability and contingency 264 
planning for managing and preparing for potential food safety incidents should be 265 
an inherent part of a pro -active control system.  266 
 267 
iii) Characteristic 3  Continuous improvement means that the national food control 268 
system should possess the capability to learn through a process of  review and 269 
reform utilising mechanisms that check and evaluate whether the system is able to 270 
achieve its objectives.  271  
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  272 
4.1.8  In order to refl ect national policies and strate gies legislation should, among  other 273 
things:  274 
 275 
a) Frame the structure of the national food control system and its goals and 276 
objectives;  277 
 278 
b) Provide clarity on the roles and responsibilities of participants in the national 279 
food control system, i.e. the central government, the competent authority (or of each 280 
competent authority where there is more than one), third party providers (where 281 
these are used), food business operators and other stakeholders as appropriate;  282 
 283 
c) Set out t he overarching objectives of the national food control system and any 284 
specific or lower order objectives that relate to participants or sectors;  285 
 286 
d) Clearly define obligations for food business operators and other participants in 287 
the food chain to establis h and monitor controls; and  288 
 289 
e) Clearly define obligations on food businesses to place only safe food on the 290 
market and apply fair practices in trade.  291 
 292 
4.1.9 The legislation should provide the responsible competent authority  with the range 293 
of powers and mechanisms sufficient to manage and operate the national food 294 
control system  which  may include and are not limited to the following:  295 
 296 
a) Establish standards or other management options to prevent and control food borne 297 
hazards  including but not limited to  disease -causing organisms, contaminants, 298 
veterinary drug and pesticide residues;  299 
b) Establish, monitor and enforce national standards;  300 
c) Recogni ze other competent authorities’ standards at the appropriate stage(s) in the 301 
food chain;  302 
d) Establish  cooperative arrangements with other government entities;  303 
e) Establish approaches to ensure the safety and safe use of inputs to the food chain, 304 
such as food additives, pesticides, veterinary drugs;  305 
f) Recogni ze and/or harmonize with Codex standards;  306 
g) Perform audits, verification, inspections and investigations, gather evidence, collect 307 
and analyze samples and otherwise verify compliance with standards and 308 
requirements;  309 
h) Consider official recognition of inspection, audit, certification and accreditation 310 
bodies;  311  
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 i) Enforce legislation and take proportionate, dissuasive and effective action in case of 312 
non-compliance with requirements including, as appropriate, investigations and 313 
application of sanctions and penalties;  314 
j) Ensure that risks associated with non -compli ant foods are evaluated and the 315 
appropriate action taken; e.g. disposal, treated appropriately or redirected.  316 
k) Ensure the integrity, impartiality and independence of officially recognized 317 
inspection, audit, certification and accreditation;  318 
l) Enable traceabili ty/product tracing; and  319 
m) Ensure that unsafe food is prevented from entering the market or is withdrawn and 320 
dealt with appropriately.  321 
 322 
4.1.10  Legislation may also include provisions, as appropriate, for the registration 323 
of establishments, establishment approval, licensing or registration of traders, equipment 324 
design approval, penalties in the event of non -compliance and charging of fees or levies.  325 
 326 
4.1. 11  The competent authority should, engage with stakeholders including the 327 
food business operators and  consumers, in the development of new legislation, and when 328 
making regulatory changes. The competent authority should also disseminate the 329 
legislation.  330 
 331 
4.2  System Design  332 
 333 
When designing a national food control system  the national government  should ensure  the 334 
main objectives as defined in the policy are addressed as well as how to incorporate the 335 
principles in Section 3.  336 
 337 
The design of a food control system should take into account the following elements:  338 
 339 
a) Existing or necessary regulatory and legislative framework (laws, regulations, 340 
guidance);  341 
b) How the national food control system relates to international and national standards 342 
including food import and export system requirements;  343 
c) The recognition of other food control  systems, including equivalence ; 344 
d) The le vel and method of oversight including control programs from primary production 345 
through manufacturing to transportation and distribution;  346 
e) How issues and risks are managed;  347 
f) Enforcement and compliance programs;  348 
g) Coordination and communication between authoriti es with control responsibilities in 349 
different parts of the food chain and with the public health authorities;  350 
h) Clearly defined roles and responsibilities;  351 
i) Access to adequate laboratory capacity and capability;  352  
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 j) Staff competence and training;  353 
k) The resources ne eded to meet the objectives of the national food control system, their 354 
allocation and how the system is to be funded;  355 
l) Surveillance, investigation, emergency preparedness and response to food borne and 356 
food related incidents;  357 
m) Assessment and evaluation;  358 
n) Stakeholder engagement;  359 
o) International communication and harmonization; and  360 
p) Periodic review and continuous improvement.  361 
 362 
Consideration should be given to the development and implementation of a standardi zed 363 
approach to risk management incorporating the Work ing principles for risk analysis for food 364 
safety for application by governments  (CAC/GL 62 -2007).  365 
 366 
An appropriate system design should consider a range of factors including (but not limited 367 
to) product risk, current scientific information, industry -based c ontrols and system review 368 
findings. It should also provide for flexibility in the application of control measures to 369 
reflect variations in these factors.  370 
 371 
Development of an effective method of data collection across the food chain is important 372 
for situatio nal awareness, performance measurement and continuous review and system 373 
improvement. For instance, surveillance and monitoring programs can be used to target 374 
priority risks.  375 
 376 
The responsible competent authority should utilise findings from laboratories to monitor 377 
trends in the food chain and assist in compliance and enforcement. Laboratory access and 378 
capacity should be commensurate with the need to address priority food risks.  379 
 380 
The national food control system , including a description of its scope and operation, and a 381 
clear description of the roles and responsibilities of all parties, should be fully documented 382 
and publicly available to ensure its transparency and consistent application of control 383 
measures . National food control systems should be designed to ensure administrative 384 
procedures are in place for documentation of control programs and their findings.  385 
 386 
Control programs should be based on risk and designed to take into account a number of 387 
factors  includi ng but not limited to:  388 
 389 
 Food safety hazards associated with different products and the risk to human health 390 
posed by the food or food -related products;  391 
 Risk of unfair practices in the food trade associated with different products, such as 392 
potential fraud o r deception of consumers;  393  
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  Information that may be available from a range of sources including government, 394 
academia, scientific institutions and industry data;  395 
 Statistical data on production, trade and consumption;  396 
 Results of previous controls including ana lytical results;  397 
 The effectiveness and reliability of controls including those of food business 398 
operators;  399 
 Knowledge of operators at various stages of the food chain typical and atypical use 400 
of products, raw materials and by -products; structure of producti on and supply 401 
chains; production technologies, processes and practices; relevant product tracing 402 
information; and  403 
 Epidemiological data on food -borne disease.  404 
 405 
In the absence of risk analysis data control programs should be based on technical and 406 
scientific  data developed from current knowledge and practice.  407 
 408 
Control programs should be applied at the point or points in the production or supply chain 409 
where hazards can be most effectively or efficiently controlled taking into account the 410 
available resources an d capa bility. Control programs among  other things may cover, as 411 
appropriate:  412 
 Establishments, installations, equipment, personnel and material;  413 
 Products, from raw material to the final products, including intermediate products;  414 
 Preventative controls includi ng Good Agricultural Practice GAP, Good 415 
Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Hazard Analysis 416 
Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles;  417 
 Means of distribution; and  418 
 Human resources, infrastructure and confidentiality.  419 
 420 
 421 
Control programs should be designed to include the following elements but not limited to:  422 
 423 
 Inspection, verification and audit including on -site visits;  424 
 Market surveillance;  425 
 Sampling and  analysis;  426 
 Examination of written and other records;  427 
 Documentation of observations and findings; and  428 
 Examination of the results of any verification systems operated by the 429 
establishment.  430 
 431 
Where quality assurance systems are used by food business operators, the national food 432 
control system should take them into account where such systems relate to protecting 433  
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 consumer health and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. The responsible competent 434 
authority should encourage, as appropriate, the use of Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) 435 
GAP, GMP, GHP and HACCP approach in accordance  with General Principles of Food 436 
Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1 -1969).  437 
 438 
The system design should provide for the capability to evaluate the effectiveness of the 439 
national food control system. Verifying the effectiveness of the national food control system 440 
should be tar geted at the most appropriate stages of the food chain, based on risk analysis 441 
conducted in accordance with internationally accepted methodology.  442 
 443 
A national food control system should be subject to regular review of results obtained so 444 
that it can be cont inuously improved to reflect changes in product risk, the production 445 
environment (including technology), increased scientific knowledge, and level of 446 
confidence in industry, to ensure the objective of the national food control system is met in 447 
an efficient  and effective manner.  448 
 449 
Compliance and enforcement programs should be designed to provide the ability for the 450 
responsible  competent authority to take corrective action to ensure the situation is 451 
remedied where the food business operators are not meeting th eir obligations or a product 452 
or process is found not to be in conformity. Programs should be designed to:  453 
 454 
 Be proportionate to the degree of public health risk or potential fraud or deception 455 
of consumers;  456 
 Encourage acceptance of responsibility and complia nce by all participants; and  457 
 Provide for a full range of responses from provision of information or education 458 
material, imposing of corrective actions, setting of sanctions.  459 
 Take into account repeated non -conformity by food business operators.  460 
The responsi ble competent authority  and any officially recogni zed bodies undertaking 461 
compliance and enforcement activities on behalf of the responsible competent authority  462 
should be resourced sufficiently and transparently to enable the national food control 463 
programs to achieve its objectives without compromising the programs integrity and 464 
independence. Third party providers may be approved and/or authorised to implement the 465 
national food control system and the competent authority must have capacity to supervise 466 
and co ntrol third party providers.  467 
 468 
The design and implementation of a national food control system should be on a scale 469 
appropriate to the resources available, while allowing for appropriate expansion. 470 
Resources should be prioritized to maximise protection of p ublic health. Resource 471 
allocations made in the context of a national food control system may be attributed to:  472 
 473 
 Training and basic infrastructure;  474  
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  Suitably qualified personnel of relevant disciplinary backgrounds  475 
 Reliable transportation systems and equipment to perform inspection, audit and 476 
verification services and transmission of samples to laboratories; and  477 
 Information, communication and technology (ICT) systems;  478 
 479 
The design of the national food control system should incorporate timely access to 480 
adequate information relating to the surveillance, investigation and response to food borne 481 
illness and food related incidents. Such information can identify the risks or issues that 482 
need to be addressed and also whether or not the controls or measures in p lace are 483 
effective.  484 
 485 
In order to respond to food safety emergencies, consideration should be given to the 486 
establishment of the national food safety emergency plan with establishment of a 487 
coordination arrangement with links to public health authorities, law  enforcement 488 
agencies, food recall systems, risk assessment specialists, food business operators, and 489 
others. Traceability/product tracing systems provides for the timely identification of the 490 
sources for emergencies and allowing effective recall of affect ed products.  491 
 492 
The national food control system should have procedures covering the prompt removal of 493 
unsafe food  which includes but not limited to recall systems for processed foods and 494 
quarantine procedures for primary and postharvest products, such as co nfiscation, 495 
rejection, etc . The responsible competent authority  and food business operators may adopt 496 
established procedures for recall and confiscation of product. Setting up these procedures 497 
is the primary responsibility of food business operators and th ey should ensure that 498 
products that are deemed to be unsafe should be recalled, appropriately dealt with to 499 
ensure consumer protection. The responsible competent authority  should ensure 500 
appropriate consumer notification is carried out when distribution of unsafe food has 501 
occurred.  502 
 503 
Recall systems and other market withdrawal systems should be a coordinated effort 504 
between the responsible competent authority  and food business operators and be effective 505 
and enforceable. If the responsible competent authority requires or requests a recall, 506 
operators should have an affirmative duty to give effect to established procedures to 507 
recover recalled products and to destroy or dispose of them properly. National laws should 508 
include penalties or sanctions for companies tha t fail to comply with recall requests.  509 
 510 
In order to promote consumer confidence in food safety and ensure fair practices in the 511 
food trade, the responsible competent authority should be clear and transparent in their 512 
communications relating to all aspects of the national food control system for which they 513 
are responsible, including the development, implementation and enforcement of the 514 
requirements.  515  
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  516 
Communication among public health (food safety), agriculture and other relevant 517 
authorities, consumers and c onsumer organizations, and food business operators should 518 
be an on-goin g function of a responsible competent authority with responsibility for a 519 
national food control system.  520 
 521 
Consideration should be given to the development of communication programs to pr ovide 522 
outreach and education programs and information exchange on food safety risks and 523 
mitigation steps which may be take n to reduce these risks, among  regulators, food business 524 
operators, consumers and academia.  525 
 526 
When developing an educational program th e relevant authorities should clearly identify 527 
the target audience, the priority content and the strategies to be implemented. The 528 
educational materials developed should use language suitable for the intended audience. 529 
Basic elements of food safety educati onal activities should be widely disseminated, 530 
preferably using mass communication.  531 
 532 
Where appropriate, the responsible competent authority should utilize the Principles and 533 
Guidelines for the Exchange of Information in Food Safety Emergency Situations  (CAC/GL 19 - 534 
1995), the International Health Regulations (IHR), OIE disease notification requirements, 535 
IPPC regulations , the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)  and 536 
International and National Rapid Alert Systems  [e.g. EU Rapid Alert System f or Food and 537 
Feed (EU -RASFF), ASEAN Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (A -RASFF), Philippine 538 
Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (Phil RASFF)] , for national and international 539 
emergency notification and response.  540 
 541 
 4.3 Implementation  542 
 543 
Following the design or modification of the national food control system the responsible 544 
competent authority  should prepare an implementation plan including the sequence for 545 
different elements of design suitable with their preparedness and capability. This  will 546 
require engagement and analysis by a variety of experts, di sciplines and all stakeholders. 547 
The responsible competent authority's plan may include : 548 
 549 
 Priorities and time frames for implementation;  550 
 Deliverables;  551 
 Responsibilities for implementation;  552 
 Allocation of resources for personnel and infrastructure;  553 
 Training and operation manuals; and  554 
 Stakeholder engagement.  555  
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  556 
 Guidance and instructions relating to the national food control system, control programs 557 
and compliance and enforcement, including legal  requirements should be developed for 558 
responsible competent authority staff and food business operators to ensure  that:  559 
 560 
 all participants are fully aware of the objectives of the system and what is expected 561 
from them;  562 
 application of legislation  is consiste nt; and  563 
 they have the necessary resources (human, material and financial resources) 564 
available to carry out their tasks.  565 
 566 
Programs and training manuals should be developed and maintained to ensure consistent 567 
application of requirements. This material should  include as appropriate and not limited 568 
to: 569 
 An organizational chart of the official control system;  570 
 Roles of each level in the hierarchy (including other relevant jurisdictions; i.e. 571 
national, regional and local ); 572 
 Job functions and qualifications as approp riate;  573 
 Operating procedures including methods of audit, verification, inspection and 574 
control, sampling plans, and testing;  575 
 Relevant legislation and requirements;  576 
 Processes and procedures relating to compliance and enforcement;  577 
 Arrangements for coordination  with relevant competent authorities  and 578 
stakeholders;  579 
 Relevant information about food contamination and food control;  580 
 Procedures for dealing with food safety emergencies and conducting food recalls 581 
and investigations;  582 
 Relevant information on staff training; and  583 
 Formal review process of the national food control system.  584 
 585 
National food control systems should be supported by training programs designed to 586 
ensure that all appointed officers (e.g. inspectors , auditors, assessors ), analysts, and other 587 
indi viduals carrying out technical and/or professional duties receive the training required 588 
to adequately perform their work assignments and to maintain their professional 589 
competence and ensure consistent application of requirements.  590 
 591 
The responsible competent  authority should ensure that sufficient guidance, training and 592 
awareness programs targeted at all relevant stakeholders are in place to facilitate effective 593 
notification of suspect cases of food related illnesses or health hazards detected in the food 594 
chain. Administrative procedures or contingency plans (as appropriate) should provide 595  
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 guidance on initiating coordination mechanisms when involvement of several competent 596 
authorities is required to resolve the incident. Rapid alert systems and response should  be 597 
designed and implemented for this purpose.  598 
 599 
Food business operators should also be encouraged to develop or access training and 600 
education programs relevant to their activities and responsibilities. Such programs can 601 
include formal education and/or acad emic studies, industry training organisation courses 602 
or individual business staff training  603 
 604 
Where a responsible competent authority intends to use third party providers to 605 
implement controls, before being authori zed, the third party provider should be asse ssed 606 
against objective criteria to ensure their competency. The on-going  performance of 607 
officially authori zed bodies should be regularly assessed by the responsible competent 608 
authority. The responsible competent authority should initiate procedures to corr ect 609 
deficiencies and, as appropriate, enable withdrawal of official authorisation.  610 
 611 
Responsible competent authorities should utilize laboratories that are authori zed or 612 
accredited under officially recognized programs to ensure that adequate quality controls 613 
are in place to ensure the reliability of test results. Internationally recognized and validated 614 
analytical methods should be used and Good Laboratory Practices should be adhered to.  615 
Responsible c ompetent authorities should ensure that authorised or accredited 616 
laboratories participate in regular proficiency testing. Such testing may be organised 617 
nationally or internationally and reference laboratory may have a rol e in organising 618 
proficiency testing programs.  619 
 620 
Where appropriate, the responsible competent authority should provide access to 621 
educational information on food safety risks and mitigation steps, which may be taken to 622 
reduce these risks.  623 
 624 
As appropriate, the  responsible competent authority should:  625 
 626 
 Communicate food safety issues and concerns with (relevant competent authorities) 627 
trading partners;  628 
 Participate in bilateral exchange with (relevant competent authorities) trading 629 
partners and international organis ations related to food safety regulations and their 630 
enforcement;  631 
 Communicate and collab orate with international organiz ations, such as FAO and 632 
WHO through International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), WHO in 633 
accordance with the International Hea lth Regulations (2005) and OIE as 634 
appropriate, in cases where food(s) implicated in incidents or outbreaks of food 635 
borne illness may be circulating in international trade and  636  
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  Have in place a process for engagement with stakeholders including food business 637 
operators, consumers and other interested parties.  638 
 639 
The responsible competent authority  should implement a range of food control activities, 640 
including inspections, audits, verification and surveillance to ensure that food business 641 
operators meet their responsibilities and are in compliance with requirements. Detailed 642 
procedures should be dev eloped to articulate the key tasks and responsibilities of 643 
verification of compliance and the consequences of non -compliance, including repeated 644 
non-compliance.  645 
 646 
Where a product or process is found not to be in conformity, the responsible competent 647 
authori ty should take action to ensure that the operator remedies the situation. The 648 
resulting measures should take into account any repeated non -conformity of the same 649 
product or process to ensure that any action is proportionate: to the degree of public health 650 
risk, potential fraud or deception of consumers. As an example to illustrate this point the 651 
specific measures that may be applied in continuous cases of non -conformity may include:  652 
 653 
 Increased intensity of audits and/ or inspection and/or monitoring of prod ucts 654 
and/or processes; identified as being not in conformity and/or the undertakings 655 
concerned; and  656 
 In the most serious or persistent cases, revocation of the registration of the 657 
producer and/or processor or closure of the relevant establishment.   658 
 Other pe nalties and sanctions may be applied in accordance with the relevant 659 
national food safety legislation  660 
 661 
4.4 Monitoring and System Review  662 
 663 
The effectiveness and appropriateness of the national food control system should be 664 
regularly assessed against the objective of the system, effectiveness of control programs, as 665 
well as against legislative and other regulatory requirements. Criteria for assessment 666 
should be established, clearly defined and documented, and may also include cost benefits 667 
and efficien cy. 668 
 669 
Control programs should be subject to on-going  monitoring to ensure that its objectives are 670 
being achieved at all stages of the food chain, including production, manufacture, 671 
importation, processing, storage, transportation, distribution and trade. Th e assessment of 672 
control programs should cover issues such as:  673 
 674 
 Effectiveness of control procedures;  675 
 Suitability in achieving objectives;  676  
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  Whether the program has covered relevant stages in the production chain, taking 677 
into account risk factors; and  678 
 Consider ation of emerging trends.  679 
 680 
The national food control system should be regularly reviewed to contribute to the systems 681 
improvement, in response to for example, control program data, non -compliances, food 682 
safety incidents, scientific research, and history of  conform ance, external and self -reviews 683 
of the system and changes to product risk or the production environment. Such reviews 684 
may take place at the level of system or program design or implementation as appropriate.  685 
 686 
The review of food -related non -complian ces and/or incidents is an opportunity to learn 687 
which can be used as a feedback loop for the planning process by the responsible 688 
competent authority. A responsible competent authority should use these opportunities to 689 
engage in continuous improvement by as sessing an incident from first signal through 690 
response and incorporating lessons learned in the design and planning phase.  691 
 692 
Responsible co mpetent authorities should ensure that the response system in regards to 693 
food safety and related events is effective, with clear communication between responsible 694 
competent authorities, food business operators and consumers. These systems should be 695 
periodically tested to ensure that the communication and response systems work 696 
effectively.  697 
 698 
Responsible c ompetent authorities and/or national governments should periodically 699 
review their surveillance systems with respect to their capacity to recognize emergencies 700 
rapidly. Elements of the review may include  but not limited to : 701 
 702 
 Links between the symptomatic food borne illness surveillance system and the food 703 
monitoring system;  704 
 Data on the symptoms and effects of chronic exposure to food borne contamination;  705 
 Systems to allow rapid detection of contamination incidents to ensure prompt 706 
public alerts; and  707 
 Links w ith the veterinary public health sector.  708 
 709 
Particular attention should be paid to early warning mechanisms, coordination between 710 
responsible competent authorities, communication to stakeholders and the use and 711 
effectiveness of contingency planning. Correcti ve action should be taken as appropriate.  712 
 713 
A responsible competent authority should utilize information gained from the surveillance 714 
of food borne illness as a risk management tool in the operation of their food control 715 
systems. Food recalls and adjustment s to food production and processing operations, 716  
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 including emergency responses, may be based on information obtained from food borne 717 
disease information and food monitoring systems. Food borne illness and outbreak 718 
information should be used to inform the ri sk analysis activities of responsible competent 719 
authorities.  720 
 721 
The results of the evaluations, including the results of self -assessment and audits should 722 
also be taken into account in further improvement of the system, and corrective actions 723 
should be taken  into account as appropriate.  724 
 725 
Any review and continuous improvement of the national food control system should be 726 
communicated effectively and efficiently to ensure that clear exchange of information and 727 
engagement between all stakeholders in the national  food control system occurs. Following 728 
any review, all related documentation, procedures and guidance should be reviewed and 729 
updated if necessary to reflect any changes.  730 
 731 
Responsible c ompetent authorities should consider the results of monitoring and revie w 732 
processes and take preventive or corrective action or improve the system as appropriate.  733 
 734 
5. References  735 
 736 
Codex Alimentarius Commission. Principles and Guidelines for National Food Control 737 
Systems  (CAC/GL 82 -2013)  738 
 739 
 740