Good Hygiene Practices, or GHPs, form the basis of all food hygiene systems that support the production of safe and suitable food. Food business operators must be aware of hazards that could affect their food and ensure that such hazards are properly managed to protect consumer health. GHPs are the foundation of any effective food safety management programme, and implementing them gives food business operators a system for controlling food safety hazards.

In the context of food safety, a hazard can be defined as any agent or substance associated with food that has the potential to cause harm when the food is ingested. Hazards encountered in foods can be categorized as chemical (e.g. pesticides), biological (e.g. pathogens) or physical (e.g. extraneous materials) all of which can contaminate food at points along the food chain.

Consult the guidance document on the introduction of GHPs and the control of food hazards to:

• understand the principles and guidelines for applying GHPs throughout the food chain to control hazards and ensure food safety;
• be aware of the points where chemical, biological and physical hazards can be introduced throughout the food chain; and
• understand how to apply the elements of GHPs to take a preventative approach to controlling hazards in the food chain.

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