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European Guide to Good Hygiene Practices for the collection, storage, trading and transport of cereals, oilseeds, protein crops, other plant products and products derived thereof

COCERAL together with COGECA, representing the agri-cooperatives throughout the EU, developed a comprehensive guide to good hygiene practices addressing general requirements as well as sector-specific provisions which is entitled “European Good Hygiene Practices Guide for the collection, storage, trading and transport of cereals, oilseeds and protein crops”. This joint Guide underwent an in-depth assessment by the EU Member States and the European Commission services and was officially and successfully assessed on 20 July 2010. The guide aims to prevent or reduce the risks of biological, chemical and physical contamination that were identified in the hazard analysis, adapted by each operator according to the activities they control. They need to identify whether some of their outlets have specific requirements in respect of some identified hazards and, if necessary, increase their vigilance on the prevention of cross-contamination. A first version of the document was successfully assessed by the EU Member States and the European Commission services in in July 2010.

In the past years COCERAL and COGECA have worked together with UNISTOCK Europe, the European association of professional portside storekeepers for agribulk commodities within the European Union, on the revision, update and extension of the EU Guide. The revised version of the Guide has been then endorsed for the second time by the EU Member States and the European Commission in July 2015.

Public authorities acknowledged the existence of good hygiene practices relating to a given profession when performing their official controls. The titles and references of the EU Guide were consequently published on 12 November 2016 in the Official Journal of the EU, C418/2.

The main novelties in the 2015 Version of the Guide are the inclusion of the UNISTOCK EUROPE good practices in the relevant part of the joint Guide, the development of good practices for the management of salmonella as well as new guidance on the dioxin monitoring in oils and fats.

COCERAL, COGECA AND UNISTOCK EU Guide of Good Hygiene Practices has also been translated by the European Commission in all EU languages. The versions are available for download below.


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