The Forum of Private Business (FPB) has criticised the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for not including advice on the duty to demonstrate traceability.

Criticism from the FPB centres around two guides published by the FSA published in 2006 which neglected to add the information relating to EC 178/2002, a regulation that has been a legal requirement for at least two years.

The two pamphlets are Food Hygiene, A Guide for Business and Your first steps to running a Food Business.

"We recognise the importance of traceability and we will review the need for further guidance on traceability in the FSA publications," said the FSA.

The FSA is still progressing with a period of consultation over its guidance on the EU regulations regarding traceability; the organisation's recommendations will be announced at the end of the consultation period.

Established in 2000, the FSA was created in order to promote good public food hygiene standards.