The production of artisan cheese – raw milk cheese. General food hygiene rules – HACCP-based procedures – the ‘Cheese Making Wedge’. The temperature control of cheese and the importance of maintaining the cold chain. Microbiological criteria for cheese – food safety criteria and process hygiene criteria. Labelling cheese – raw milk cheese – misleading descriptions – allergen labelling. Cheese weights – sale generally by net weight.
Marketing of hens eggs for human consumption – registration of establishments at which laying hens are kept and packing centres. Circumstances in which registration not required. The coding of eggs – hygiene rules and temperature controls. Marketing standards – Class A and Class B eggs. Information to be provided on packaging. Free range and organic eggs.
The Food Safety Act 1990, unless the context requires otherwise, defines 'cream' as that part of milk rich in fat which has been separated by skimming or otherwise.
The misleading description of food is generally covered by provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 regarding food not of the nature, substance or quality demanded and false or misleading labels or advertisement. The Food Labelling Regulations 1996 make specific provision in relation to particular descriptions applied to cream.
This document concentrates on the specific provisions which apply to raw drinking milk. It should be read in conjunction with Milk, Milk Products and Drinking Milk which sets out the regulations concerning milk production throughout Europe.
Under Article 10(8) of Regulation (EC) 853/2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin, individual member states may prohibit or restrict the availability within their territory of raw milk or raw cream intended for direct human consumption. Raw cream is covered in Cream and Raw Cream
Marketing standards for milk and milk products are subject to Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007, which establishes a common organisation of agricultural markets, in particular Article 114, Annexes XII and XIII. The Regulation is supplemented and enforced by The Drinking Milk (England) Regulations 2008.
Foodstuffs intended for human consumption may be marketed as milk and milk products if they comply with the requirements of Annex XII. Milk and cream, not concentrated nor containing added sugar or other sweetening matter may only be marketed in accordance with the requirements of Annex XIII. There is a separate document on Raw Drinking Milk which covers the specific legal requirements governing the sale and supply of this product.
