The course of Food law aims to address the many aspects involved in the food sector. To this end, after a survey of sources of food law, the focus will be on the one hand, the discipline of food production, the quality rules and regulations of the food market, taking into account not only the domestic market and community but also to the international market and WTO rules, and second, the problems related to food safety, product liability, the national and Community law aiming at protecting the consumer, with a view not only to ensure the hygiene, the health and safety of food, but also from the perspective of protecting the right to correct information
COSTATO L. – Compendio di diritto alimentare, Cedam ed., Padova, 2013.
Learning Objectives
The course of Food law aims to provide students with the skills necessary to develop the analysis of a legal text, and legal expertise to help address the issues related to the regulation of foods, their production and circulation, as well as security issues food producer responsibility.
Teaching Methods
oral lessons
Type of Assessment
oral test
Course program
The course aims to address the following key issues:
The discipline of food: The food, the food business, and the food market between national and Community law.
Sources. Community law. International agreements - the WTO, the Codex Alimentarius.
The single market rules and mutual recognition.
The birth and evolution of European food law.
Regulation 178/2002 and the European system of food safety.
The fundamental principles of Community food law:
- the effectiveness and scope of the reg. 178: food and feed.
- Community law definition of food, food business, consumer, and other key definitions in the Regulation.
- risk analysis.
- the precautionary principle in EU law and international agreements.
- safety requirements for food and feed.
- traceability.
- the obligations of operators of food and feed.
- The European Food Safety Authority.
- The system of early warning, emergency response and crisis management.
The discipline of food quality: the PDO, PGI and TSG. The origin of agricultural products and foodstuffs. The brands of organic products.
The labeling of foods.
The Community guidelines on GM foods and the new (novel foods).
The food hygiene el'HACCP: the rules of the so-called "hygiene package". The hygiene package and control systems and certification. Sanctions.
Consumer protection.