General Food Law is Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, the foundational EU instrument establishing principles of food safety, traceability and the responsibilities of food business operators, and creating the European Food Safety Authority and the Rapid Alert System.
In trade practice
Buyers and suppliers rely on General Food Law to define who bears responsibility at each stage of the supply chain. It requires that unsafe food be withdrawn or recalled and that one-step-back, one-step-forward traceability records be maintained and made available to authorities on request. Importers must ensure their Ukrainian suppliers can provide documentation supporting traceability claims, as gaps are a common finding during official controls.
In a specification
Contracts for EU-destined food typically reference General Food Law compliance as a baseline obligation, requiring the supplier to maintain traceability records and cooperate with any withdrawal or recall initiated under its provisions.