The BTSF Training Programme on Food hygiene and controls of meat, including derived products

The European Union (EU) has developed a wide range of measures aimed at ensuring a high standard of hygiene during food production and proper control of foodstuffs. Some of these rules apply to all food business operators, cover the entire food chain and deal with all types of food. Others are directed to competent authorities in charge of controlling the food chain.

The Commission in collaboration with Member States issued several guidance documents in order to elaborate and give practical examples of some of the complex requirements mentioned in Regulations (EC) No 852/2004 and No 853/2004, including the one concerning implementation of procedures based on the HACCP principles. Regulation 2017/625 has a general scope covering official controls over the entire food chain. It aims at ensuring a harmonised approach and creates a high level of expertise with regard to official control activities for the verification of compliance with SPS rules.

The overall objectives are:

  • To know the new framework and legislative requirements in the performance of official control of animal origin, especially on food hygiene and controls of meat;
  • To interpret the EU Commission’s point of view on how to best implement the new legislation;
  • To harmonize enforcement of the legislation and indicate weak points of official controls in the past;
  • To intervene and take part in the discussions among participants and tutors in order to promote an exchange of knowledge based on previous experience.

The topics addressed in the courses will include:

  • Legislative requirements concerning registration and/or (conditional) approval of establishments and in particular low-capacity establishments;
  • General and meat specific hygiene requirements and HACCP-based procedures, traceability, welfare issues and special focus on topics/peculiarities regarding steps at and beyond slaughter (minced meat, meat preparations and meat products), etc.;
  • Official controls concerning primary production, inspections in slaughterhouses, game-handling and other meat establishments, peculiarities with regard to fresh meat, farmed game, wild game, emergency slaughter, risk-based inspection, use of flexibility provisions, etc.;
  • Official controls concerning microbiological criteria, sampling methods, requirements for Trichinella examination and other specialised inspection procedures, etc.;
  • On-the-spot visits followed by debriefing sessions within establishments involved in the production or processing of meat and/or meat products.

The training is addressed both to:

  • a) officials from Competent Authorities involved in planning control activities on meat hygiene (preferably at central and/or regional level);
  • b) field inspectors involved in control activities on meat hygiene, including meat inspection

The selection of participants will be carried out by the National Contact Points.

Calendar and locations Phase I


Session Start Date End Date City Country
1 23/05/2022 27/05/2022 Valencia Spain
2 17/10/2022 21/10/2022 Valencia Spain
3 12/12/2022
16/12/2022 Dublin Ireland
4 13/02/2023 17/02/2023 Rome Italy
5 13/03/2023 17/03/2023 Vienna Austria
6 24/04/2023 28/04/2023 Muenster Germany
7 08/05/2023 12/05/2023 Valencia Spain
8 05/06/2023 09/06/2023 Dublin Ireland
9 11/09/2023 15/09/2023 Muenster German
10 09/10/2023 13/10/2023 Rome Italy

Calendar and locations Phase II

SessionStart DateEnd DateCityCountry
121/10/202425/10/2024Vienna Austria
204/11/202408/11/2024Valencia Spain
313/01/202517/01/2025TurinItaly
417/02/202521/02/2025ViennaAustria
517/03/202521/03/2025Muenster Germany 
619/05/202523/05/2025ValenciaSpain
723/06/202527/06/2025TurinItaly
815/09/202519/09/2025ValenciaSpain
920/10/202524/10/2025MuensterGermany
1003/11/202507/11/2025ViennaAustria