This Regulation lays down the microbiological criteria for certain micro-organisms and the implementing rules to be complied with by food business operators when implementing the general and specific hygiene measures referred to in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. The competent authority shall verify compliance with the rules and criteria laid down in this Regulation in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, without prejudice to its right to undertake further sampling and analyses for the purpose of detecting and measuring other micro-organisms, their toxins or metabolites, either as a verification of processes, for food suspected of being unsafe, or in the context of a risk analysis.

This Regulation shall apply without prejudice to other specific rules for the control of micro-organisms laid down in F1... legislation and in particular the health standards for foodstuffs laid down in Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council11, the rules on parasites laid down under Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council12 and the microbiological criteria laid down under Council Directive 80/777/EEC13.