PRP — Prerequisite Programmes

What prerequisites are

Prerequisite programmes (PRPs) are the set of basic hygiene conditions and practices that must be in place before and irrespective of the product-specific hazard analysis. The term "PRP" comes from the ISO 22000 standard and the Codex, but the substance is fully present in Regulation (EC) 852/2004: they are the general hygiene requirements imposed by Article 4, which refers to Annex II for businesses other than primary production Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. Commission Notice 2022/C 355/01 expressly describes them as the base on which HACCP-based procedures rest.

The main prerequisites in Regulation 852/2004

Annex II sets out the prerequisites in thematic chapters. The main ones:

• Premises and structures: clean, well-maintained premises designed to permit good hygiene practices Annex II, Chapter I, point 1 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
• Equipment: food-contact surfaces kept clean and capable of being sanitised Annex II, Chapter V, point 1 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
• Pest control: adequate procedures to prevent the presence of unwanted animals.
• Food waste: removed and stored so as to avoid contamination Annex II, Chapter VI, point 1 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
• Water supply: an adequate supply of potable water Annex II, Chapter VII, point 1 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
• Personal hygiene: a high degree of personal cleanliness and suitable clothing Annex II, Chapter VIII, point 1 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
• Training: staff trained and supervised in food hygiene matters Annex II, Chapter XII, point 1 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.

To these are added cleaning and sanitation, maintenance, the cold chain and allergen management, which in practice fall among the operational prerequisites.

Relationship with HACCP and flexibility

PRPs and HACCP are not alternatives but sequential: prerequisites create the controlled environment, HACCP addresses the hazards that prerequisites alone cannot govern. The distinction has a practical consequence: a hazard kept under control by prerequisites does not require a CCP. This is why, as Commission Notice 2022/C 355/01 clarifies, in simple activities — catering and retail — solid prerequisites can cover most hazards, reducing or eliminating CCPs. Where a prerequisite becomes so critical that it must be validated and monitored in a targeted way against a significant hazard, the ISO 22000 standard qualifies it as an OPRP, an intermediate category between the general prerequisite and the CCP.