The Codex basic texts on food hygiene lay a firm foundation for understanding how rules and regulations on food hygiene are developed and applied. The General Principles of Food Hygiene cover hygiene practices from primary production through to final consumption, highlighting the key hygiene controls at each stage. This publication also contains the most internationally used description of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and guidelines for its application; principles for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria for foods, and principles and guidelines for the conduct of microbiological risk assessment. This fourth edition includes texts adopted by the Codex Alimentarius up to 2009. The texts will be of use to government authorities, food industries and all food handlers, and consumers as well as teachers and students of food hygiene.