The instructions aim to ensure that the various food establishments work in accordance with food legislation to produce safe food that is free from pathogens in order to protect consumers from food-related health risks and encourage the circulation of high-quality food. Therefore, the existence of special standards for the safety and quality of ready-to-eat food is an urgent necessity to protect public health in light of the increasing demand for eating meals outside the home or through home delivery of ready-to-eat food.

These instructions are concerned with the contents of ready-to-eat foods prepared for circulation by consumers of microorganisms, on the basis of which the quality and safety of those foods are evaluated. Ready-to-eat foods for which there is a technical basis are excluded from these instructions.