4AMeaning of ready‑to‑eat

4A Meaning of ready‑to‑eat

(1) Food is ready‑to‑eat if it is ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold. (2) To avoid doubt, food is not ordinarily consumed in the same state as that in which it is sold if, before it is consumed, it requires further processing (such as cooking) in order to reduce any pathogenic microorganisms potentially present in the food to safe levels.