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EN
Official Journal of the European Union
20.9.2011
REGULATIONS
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 931/2011
of 19 September 2011
on the traceability requirements set by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament
and of the Council for food of animal origin
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
identify their immediate supplier(s) and their immediate
customer(s), except when they are final consumers.
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European
Union,
(4) Food
crises
in
the
past
have
revealed
that
documentary
records were not always sufficient to allow full tracea
bility of suspect foods. During the implementation of
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, Regulation (EC) No
Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European
852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the
Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down
Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of
the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing
foodstuffs ( 2 ), Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the
the European Food Safety Authority and laying down
European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April
procedures in matters of food safety ( 1 ), and in particular
2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of
Article 18(5) thereof,
animal origin ( 3 ) and Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April
2004 laying down specific rules for the organisation of
official controls on products of animal origin intended
Whereas:
for human consumption ( 4 ), experience has shown that
food business operators do not generally possess the
information needed to ensure that their systems iden
tifying the handling or storage of foods is adequate, in
(1) Article
18
of
Regulation
(EC)
No
178/2002
establishes
particular in the sector of food of animal origin. This has
the general principles of traceability of food. It provides
resulted in this sector to unnecessarily high economic
that the traceability of food must be established at all
losses due to the lack of quick and full traceability of
stages of production, processing and distribution. It also
the food.
states that food business operators must be able to
identify persons from whom they have been supplied
with food. Such operators must also be able to identify
businesses to which their products have been supplied.
(5) Therefore,
it
is
appropriate
to
lay
down
certain
rules
for
This information is to be made available to the
the specific sector of food of animal origin to ensure the
competent authorities upon demand.
correct application of the requirements set out in
Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002. These
rules should allow (some) flexibility concerning the
format in which relevant information is made available.
(2) Traceability
is
necessary
to
ensure
food
safety
and
the
reliability of information provided to consumers. In
particular, it is necessary to apply traceability to food
of animal origin to assist in the removal of unsafe
(6) In
particular,
it
is
appropriate
to
provide
additional
food from the market, thereby protecting consumers.
information on the volume or quantity of the food of
animal origin, a reference identifying the lot, batch or
consignment, as appropriate, a detailed description of
the food and the date of dispatch.
(3) To
achieve
the
traceability
of
food
as
set
out
in
Article 18 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, the names
and addresses of both the food business operator
supplying the food and the food business operator to
(7) The
measures
provided
for
in
this
Regulation
are
in
whom the food was supplied are needed. The
accordance with the opinion of the Standing
requirement relies on the ‘one-step back’-‘one-step
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health,
forward’ approach which implies that food business
operators have in place a system enabling them to
( 2 ) OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 1.
( 3 ) OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55.
( 1 ) OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1.
( 4 ) OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 206.

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EN
20.9.2011 Official
Journal
of
the
European
Union L
242/3
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
(e) the name and address of the food business operator to
whom the food is dispatched;
Article 1
Subject matter
(f) the name and address of the consignee (owner), if different
from the food business operator to whom the food is
This Regulation lays down provisions implementing the tracea
dispatched;
bility requirements set by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 to food
business operators in respect of food of animal origin.
(g) a reference identifying the lot, batch or consignment, as
Article 2
appropriate; and
Scope
1. This
Regulation
shall
apply
to
food
defined
as
unprocessed (h) the date of dispatch.
and processed products in Article 2(1) of Regulation (EC) No
852/2004.
2. The
information
referred
to
in
paragraph
1
shall
be
made
2. This
Regulation
shall
not
apply
to
food
containing
both available in addition to any information required under relevant
products of plant origin and processed products of animal
provisions of Union legislation concerning the traceability of
origin.
food of animal origin.
Article 3
3. The
information
referred
to
in
paragraph
1
shall
be
Traceability requirements
updated on a daily basis and kept at least available until it
can be reasonably assumed that the food has been consumed.
1. Food
business
operators
shall
ensure
that
the
following
information concerning consignments of food of animal
origin is made available to the food business operator to
When requested by the competent authority, the food business
whom the food is supplied and, upon request, to the
operator shall provide the information without undue delay.
competent authority:
The appropriate form in which the information must be
made available is up to the choice of the supplier of the
(a) an accurate description of the food;
food, as long as the information requested in paragraph 1 is
clearly and unequivocally available to and retrievable by the
business operator to whom the food is supplied.
(b) the volume or quantity of the food;
(c) the name and address of the food business operator from
Article 4
which the food has been dispatched;
This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following
its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
(d) the name and address of the consignor (owner) if different
from the food business operator from which the food has
been dispatched;
It shall apply from 1 July 2012.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 19 September 2011.
For the Commission
The President
José Manuel BARROSO

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