🇪🇺 EU FOOD LAW REFERENCE — JORDAN EXPORT GUIDE

EU Food Safety
Compliance Reference

A complete reference covering all EU food safety regulations applicable to Jordanian exporters. Built on the official EU legislative framework: Regulations 178/2002, 852/2004, 1169/2011, 2073/2005, and 1935/2004. All requirements are implemented in the FoodCheck Jordan Traceability Engine.

5 EU Regulations covered 19 compliance requirements 14 major allergens 4 microbiological criteria Updated May 2026
CONTENTS
EU Regulations Overview Traceability (178/2002) HACCP (852/2004) Allergens (1169/2011) Microbiology (2073/2005) Food Contact (1935/2004) Risk Classification Response Times (SLA) Alert System Incident Response Jordan–EU Bridge
EU Regulatory Framework
5 Regulations — Full Coverage
Every regulation below is checked in real-time by the FoodCheck Traceability Engine. Click any card to view requirements.
EC 178/2002 Traceability & Recall
General Food Law
The foundation of EU food law. Establishes one-step-back and one-step-forward traceability at all stages, and the operator's obligation to withdraw unsafe food.
Art. 18Food must be traceable at all stages. Operators identify every supplier and every business to which food is supplied.
Art. 19Operators must initiate withdrawal and notify authorities if food is unsafe. Records must be available to authorities on request.
EC 852/2004 HACCP & Hygiene
Food Hygiene Regulation
Requires food business operators to implement HACCP-based procedures and document all critical control points linked to each production batch.
Art. 5HACCP principles must be implemented, maintained, and reviewed. CCP records must be linked to batch release.
Ann. IIHygiene controls — cleaning, sanitation, temperature, and personnel records linked to production batches.
EU 1169/2011 Allergens & Labels
Food Information to Consumers
Mandates clear declaration of 14 major allergens in all food products. Label versions must be controlled and linked to each shipment lot.
Art. 9Mandatory food information including allergens must be accurate. Version-controlled labels linked to approved allergen profile.
Ann. II14 substances causing allergies or intolerances — all must be declared where present or potentially present.
EC 2073/2005 Microbiology
Microbiological Criteria
Defines legally binding microbiological limits for food safety and process hygiene. RTE products must be tested before release. Non-compliance triggers mandatory recall.
Cat. 1.1Listeria monocytogenes: 0 CFU/25g in RTE products intended for infants and special medical purposes.
Cat. 1.11Salmonella: Absent in 25g. All RTE products including poultry, meat products, cheese, sprouted seeds.
Cat. 2.2S. aureus: <100 CFU/g process hygiene criterion for cheese, milk powder, heat-treated meat.
Shelf lifeShelf life studies on file mandatory for RTE products — demonstrate safety for intended shelf life.
EC 1935/2004 Packaging / FCM
Food Contact Materials
Packaging and food-contact materials must be traceable. Suppliers must provide a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) confirming compliance with applicable migration limits.
Art. 3Materials shall not transfer components to food in quantities that could harm health or change composition.
Art. 17Traceability of FCM at all stages — Declaration of Conformity required from supplier with each delivery.
FSMA 204 US Market
FDA Food Traceability Rule
US FSMA Section 204 requires Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) and Key Data Elements (KDEs) for foods on the Food Traceability List. Records must be available to FDA within 24 hours.
CTECritical Tracking Events: Receiving, Transformation, Shipping — each must be recorded with required KDEs.
KDEKey Data Elements per CTE type: Traceability Lot Code (TLC), date, location, quantity, recipient mandatory.
EU 1169/2011 — Annex II
14 Major Allergens — Mandatory Declaration
All 14 substances below must be declared when present as an ingredient or processing aid. "May contain" traces must also be declared if cross-contamination risk exists.
#AllergenExamplesEU ThresholdDeclaration Required
01GlutenWheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut<20 ppm for "gluten-free" claimMandatory if present
02CrustaceansShrimp, crab, lobster, crayfishNo established thresholdMandatory if present
03EggsEgg powder, lysozyme, albuminNo established thresholdMandatory if present
04FishAll fish species and derivativesNo established thresholdMandatory if present
05PeanutsGroundnuts, peanut oil, flourNo established thresholdMandatory if present
06SoybeansSoy flour, protein, oil, lecithinNo established thresholdMandatory if present
07Milk (Lactose)Butter, cheese, cream, whey, casein<10 mg/100g for "lactose-free"Mandatory if present
08Tree NutsAlmonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, macadamiaNo established thresholdMandatory — each nut separately
09CeleryCeleriac, celery seeds, celery saltNo established thresholdMandatory if present
10MustardMustard seeds, powder, leavesNo established thresholdMandatory if present
11Sesame seedsSesame oil, tahini, sesame flourNo established thresholdMandatory if present
12Sulphur dioxide / SulphitesWine, dried fruits, vinegar, preserved vegetables>10 mg/kg or mg/L (SO₂ equivalent)Mandatory above 10 ppm
13LupinLupin flour, seeds, proteinNo established thresholdMandatory if present
14MolluscsSquid, octopus, mussels, oysters, snailsNo established thresholdMandatory if present
EU 2073/2005
Microbiological Criteria — Food Safety & Process Hygiene
These limits are legally binding. Exceeding any food safety criterion requires immediate withdrawal and authority notification. Results must be on file before lot release for RTE products.
Listeria monocytogenes — Cat. 1.1
0 CFU / 25g
EU 2073/2005 · Food Safety Criterion
Applies to all RTE foods intended for infants and special medical purposes. Any detection = immediate batch recall. Zero tolerance.
Salmonella spp. — Cat. 1.11
Absent / 25g
EU 2073/2005 · Food Safety Criterion
Applies to RTE meat, poultry, cheese, egg products, sprouted seeds. Any detection = mandatory withdrawal and RASFF notification.
Staphylococcus aureus — Cat. 2.2
< 100 CFU/g
EU 2073/2005 · Process Hygiene Criterion
Process hygiene criterion for cheese, milk powder, heat-treated meat. Exceeding triggers process review and corrective action.
E. coli — Cat. 2.1
Process hygiene
EU 2073/2005 · Process Hygiene Criterion
Process hygiene indicator for minced meat, meat preparations. Exceeding indicates inadequate hygiene controls — review required.
pH — Acidified Products
3.5 – 4.5
Botulinum prevention standard
Critical for acidified vegetables, garlic-in-oil, pickled products. pH >4.6 creates Botulinum toxin risk. Calibrated meter required.
Shelf Life Study
Mandatory — RTE
EU 2073/2005 + EU 852/2004
Challenge testing or predictive modelling required for all RTE products. Study must cover worst-case storage conditions for full declared shelf life.
EU Risk Framework
Product Risk Classification
Risk level determines mandatory controls, testing frequency, recall speed requirements, and audit frequency. Applies per EU 178/2002 and 852/2004 risk-based approach.
Risk LevelMicro TestingShelf Life StudyAllergen ControlRecall SpeedAudit Frequency
HIGH
RTE · Poultry · Allergen-sensitive		 Mandatory — each batch Mandatory Mandatory — full matrix 2 hours Quarterly
MEDIUM
Acidified · Fermented · Dairy		 Conditional Conditional Mandatory 4 hours Semi-annual
LOW
Shelf-stable · Dry goods		 Optional — annual Optional Conditional 8 hours Annual
Traceability SLA
Response Time Requirements by Event Type
Maximum time allowed to complete traceability records per Critical Tracking Event. Recall/Withdrawal has the strictest SLA — 4 hours under EU law.
RECEIVING
EU SLA24 hours
US FSMA24 hours
BRCGS4 hours
PRODUCTION
EU SLA24 hours
US FSMA24 hours
BRCGS4 hours
SHIPPING
EU SLA12 hours
US FSMA24 hours
BRCGS2 hours
⚠ RECALL / WITHDRAWAL
EU SLA4 hours
US FSMA24 hours
BRCGS2 hours
QUALITY RELEASE
EU SLA24 hours
US FSMA24 hours
BRCGS4 hours
INVENTORY ADJUSTMENT
EU SLA24 hours
US FSMA24 hours
BRCGS4 hours
Alert System
Automated Alert Rules — Critical Events
These alert rules are embedded in the FoodCheck engine based on EU regulatory triggers. Critical alerts require immediate response.
Temperature > 8°C during cold chain transport
CRITICAL · SMS + Email · QA Manager · SLA: 15 min
Traceability SLA exceeded for any CTE
CRITICAL · SMS + Email · Food Safety Manager · SLA: 30 min
Allergen test result FAILED
CRITICAL · SMS + Email · QA Manager · SLA: 15 min
Batch on HOLD for >24 hours
HIGH · Email · Production Manager · SLA: 60 min
Supplier document expired or missing
MEDIUM · Email · Procurement · SLA: 1440 min (24h)
Pathogen detected (Listeria / Salmonella)
CRITICAL · Immediate recall initiation required · EU Art.19
EU 178/2002 Art.19
Incident Response Plan — Response Times
Maximum response times from discovery to notification and recall completion per incident type. Based on EU 178/2002 Art.19 withdrawal obligations.
Incident TypeDiscovery → NotificationNotification → RecallRecall → CompletionResponsible
Pathogen detected2 hours4 hours24 hoursQA + Regulatory
Allergen contamination1 hour2 hours12 hoursQA + Regulatory
Foreign object4 hours8 hours48 hoursQA + Operations
Labeling error24 hours24 hours72 hoursRegulatory + Marketing
Temperature abuse2 hours4 hours24 hoursQA + Logistics
Jordan → EU Export
JS / JFDA — EU Alignment
FoodCheck Jordan bridges Jordanian standards (JS) with EU requirements. The engine checks both simultaneously, identifying any gaps before export.
JS / JFDAJordanian Standards
Jordanian Food Law Alignment
FoodCheck covers 28+ Jordanian Standards (JS) including JS 9:2025 food labelling, allergen requirements, and JFDA registration requirements. All checked alongside EU law.
JS 9:2025Jordanian food labelling standard — 110 compliance rules covering mandatory fields, allergens, nutrition information.
JFDA Reg.Supplier approval, product registration, and import requirements for the Jordanian market.
BRCGS / IFSPrivate Standards
Audit Scheme Alignment
FoodCheck SLA requirements align with BRCGS and IFS audit expectations for traceability tests, mass balance, and mock recall procedures.
Trace testBRCGS requires traceability drills completed within defined time — FoodCheck SLA engine tracks compliance.
Mass balanceQuantity reconciliation between input lots and output lots — variance flagged automatically.
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