Both food and feed should be safe and wholesome. In order to meet this goal, a functioning control system must be in place along the whole food chain. Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 lays down general rules on verifying compliance with feed and food law, along with animal health and welfare rules. Overall, the current legal framework has proven to be effective in preventing and counteracting risks. However, in a global market, with agri-food chains becoming longer and more complex, the EU is exposed to new risks. Consequently, improvements in official controls along the agri-food chain have been called for. The proposed regulation revises the existing law to overcome shortcomings in its wording and application. It aims to modernise and integrate the system of official controls by harmonising the rules and ensuring a uniform approach to official controls along the food chain.