The main regulations of reference for the HACCP system are:

• EC Regulation No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety
• EC Regulation No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs
• EC Regulation No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs

In addition, the European Commission set out general guidelines on the drafting and application of the procedures, on the basis of the criteria of the HACCP system, inspired by the principles defined in the Codex Alimentarius CAC/RCP 1-1996 Rev 4-2003, that is:

• Hazard identification and analysis
• Determining CCP (Critical Control Points)
• Establishing critical limits of acceptability
• Establishing monitoring procedures
• Establishing and planning corrective action
• Establishing procedures for verification
• Establishing registration procedures

Writing these manuals was necessary in the light of the many food matrices, each of which poses specific challenges, and the different nature of the companies that have to adopt the HACCP system. The categories involved are:

• Companies that handle food directly (preparation, production, packaging) such as agricultural businesses and livestock farms, cheese factories, butcher's shops, bakeries, wineries, oil mills, feed factories, etc.
• Companies that handle food indirectly (storage, transport, distribution and warehousing), including vending machines Companies that sell food (sale and distribution), including all HO.RE.CA. operators, retailers, large distribution companies, company and school canteens, etc.
• Pharmacies, parapharmacies, and herbalist shops selling food and/or medicines and medical devices that need refrigeration

The technical-scientific skills that are necessary to draft a self-control plan with the HACCP system are numerous.