Co‐regulation in Practices: The Hygiene Package in French Slaughterhouses

In E urope, the food safety policy combines the regulatory interventions of member states with private standards. The H ygiene P ackage, which came into force on the 1 J anuary 2006, is characteristic of this model. The aim of our article is to show that whilst we can learn about co‐regulation by examining the standards and principles on which it is based, we will gain an even better understanding by examining its actual implementation. From a sociological standpoint, we look at how the H ygiene P ackage was received and implemented in F rench slaughterhouses. (1) After setting out the structure of slaughterhouses in F rance and the ways in which veterinary services are organised, (2) the article looks at how inspection services have been affected by the introduction of the H ygiene P ackage, particularly with regard to the changes in relationships within the inspection service, between veterinarians and official auxiliaries and (3) it then examines the evolution in roles and responsibilities between veterinary services and food business operators.