Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 208/2013 of 11 March 2013 on traceability requirements for sprouts and seeds intended for the production of sprouts Text with EEA relevance
Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
Subject matter
This Regulation lays down rules on the traceability of batches of: (i) sprouts; (ii) seeds intended for the production of sprouts. This Regulation shall not apply to sprouts after they have undergone a treatment which eliminates microbiological hazards, compatible with European Union legislation.
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (a) ‘sprouts’ means the product obtained from the germination of seeds and their development in water or another medium, harvested before the development of true leaves and which is intended to be eaten whole, including the seed; (b) ‘batch’ means a quantity of sprouts or seeds intended for the production of sprouts, with the same taxonomic name, which is dispatched from the same establishment to the same destination on the same day. One or more batches can make up a consignment. However, seeds with a different taxonomic name, which are mixed in the same packaging and intended to be germinated together and sprouts thereof are also considered as one batch. In addition the definition of ‘consignment’ in Article 2 of Commission Regulation (EU) No 211/2013 ( 3 ) shall apply for the purpose of this Regulation.
Traceability requirements
1. Food business operators, at all stages of production processing and distribution, shall ensure that the following information concerning the batches of seeds intended for the production of sprouts, or the batches of sprouts is kept on records. The food business operator shall also ensure that the information needed to comply with these provisions is transmitted to the food business operator to whom the seeds or sprouts are supplied: (a) an accurate description of the seeds or sprouts, including the taxonomic name of the plant; (b) the volume or quantity of the seeds or sprouts supplied; (c) where the seeds or sprouts had been dispatched from another food business operator, the name and address of: (i) the food business operator from which the seeds or sprouts have been dispatched; (ii) the consignor (owner) if different from the food business operator from which the seeds or sprouts have been dispatched; (d) the name and address of the food business operator to whom the seeds or sprouts are dispatched; (e) the name and address of the consignee (owner), if different from the food business operator to whom the seeds or sprouts are dispatched; (f) a reference identifying the batch, as appropriate; (g) the date of dispatch. 2. The information referred to in paragraph 1 may be kept on records and transmitted in any appropriate form, provided that it is easily retrievable by the food business operator to whom the seeds or sprouts are supplied. 3. The food business operators must transmit the relevant information referred to in paragraph 1 on a daily basis. The records referred to in paragraph 1 shall be updated on a daily basis and kept available for a sufficient time after the sprouts can be assumed to have been consumed. 4. The food business operator shall provide the information referred to in paragraph 1 to the competent authority, upon request, without undue delay.
Traceability requirements for imported seeds and sprouts
1. Consignments of seeds intended for the production of sprouts and consignments of sprouts shall be accompanied, when imported into the Union, by a certificate as provided in Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 211/2013. 2. The food business operator importing seeds or sprouts shall keep the certificate referred to in paragraph 1 for a sufficient time after the sprouts can be assumed to have been consumed. 3. All food business operator handling the imported seeds intended for the production of sprouts shall provide copies of the certificate referred to in paragraph 1 to all food business operators to which the seeds are dispatched until those seeds are received by the producer of the sprouts. Where seeds intended for the production of sprouts are sold packaged at retail, all food business operators handling the imported seeds shall provide copies of the certificate referred to in paragraph 1 to all food business operators to which the seeds are dispatched until they are packaged for sale at retail.
Entry into force and application
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union . It shall apply from 1 July 2013.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.