In the food sector, quality is the backbone of success, continuity and market appeal. It determines the level of investment a business is able to attract, which makes quality the main factor in staying and growing in existing markets and the driving force behind entering new ones. With competition increasing both locally and internationally, a benchmark was needed to unify and define quality standards across different activities. In the food industry, quality touches every area and every stage a food product passes through, because food is the most sensitive product for both investors and consumers.
Quality and Food Safety
Food safety is the top priority for investment organisations working in food production, manufacturing and trade.
All food manufacturers must therefore pay clear and explicit attention to applying every quality standard and food safety law, and set quality indicators as a shared measure of both the market’s satisfaction with the final product and the satisfaction of supplier networks and strategic partners with the professionalism of their dealings. Quality indicators, and their continued use, also help measure a business’s growth in the market as it moves from local to regional and international levels and wins the trust of new customers, suppliers and investors.
Quality and the Reputation of Food Products
Food and medical products are known to be highly sensitive, and the reputation of the manufacturer directly and strongly affects how far the product is trusted. This is why quality standards must be applied decisively, explicitly and without exception at every stage of the process, from the management structure and occupational safety to full food safety standards, from the preparation of raw materials through to packaging and distribution.
This is achieved by following well-studied practical and scientific practices, organised within a unified, internationally recognised institutional framework. International bodies such as the FAO, through the Codex Alimentarius, set the food safety principles applied to food manufacturing and production, while accredited certification bodies, whose accreditation is recognised through the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), certify food manufacturers by awarding locally and internationally accredited ISO certificates that confirm the organisation’s conformity and compliance with the quality standards needed for continuity, development and growth.
Investment depends entirely on the reputation of the producing organisation, which investors judge by the presence of regular audits by quality certification specialists and the full application of quality standards across the organisation. This is exactly what Team Quality provides as a certification body awarding ISO certificates to food manufacturers and others.
Here are the simplest practices with the greatest impact on avoiding the risk of food contamination.
Avoiding the Risk of Food Contamination
To avoid the risk of food contamination and ensure food safety, we can follow a few simple practices that will help:
- Personal hygiene: Make sure that everyone working in food production follows high standards of personal hygiene.
It is best to put regulations in place within the organisation with clear steps specific to each department, according to how critical hygiene is there and what form it takes, such as instruction signs, regular inspections and the materials and tools needed to implement these rules. - Workplace hygiene: Work areas, tools and equipment must be cleaned and disinfected regularly using suitable cleaning agents and appropriate hygiene techniques. A clean environment, free from insects and rodents that contaminate food, must also be maintained.
- Temperature control: Make sure food is stored, prepared and served at the right temperatures. Keep cold food at a safe refrigeration temperature, and serve hot food at a temperature high enough to kill pathogenic microbes.
- Separating raw foods: Raw foods such as meat and seafood must be kept separate from finished and ready-to-eat foods such as salads, fruit and vegetables. This helps prevent microbes being transferred from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods.
- Checking the quality of raw materials: The quality of the raw materials and ingredients used in food production must be checked. Choose reliable suppliers and verify that materials meet food and safety standards.
- Training and awareness: Provide regular training for staff on hygiene and food safety practices, and raise awareness of the importance of following them.
- Record keeping and monitoring: Keep accurate records of every stage of food production and of the measures taken to prevent contamination. Carry out regular laboratory tests on products to verify their safety and quality.
Team Quality’s industrial follow-up and audit team advises you to follow these guidelines and apply these practices in full, as they place the organisation in high quality rankings that qualify it for continuity and growth in local and international markets.
Get to Know Food Safety Systems
Several food safety systems and standards are used around the world.
Here are some of the best-known systems:
Food Safety Management System: includes HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), a system that focuses on analysing hazards and identifying critical control points to reduce potential health risks. HACCP forms the basis of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), on which many other systems rely.
Quality management system standards (ISO 9001): ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management, applicable to every aspect of business, including food production. It aims to ensure the quality of products and processes and to improve the organisation’s overall performance.
Food safety management system (ISO 22000): ISO 22000 is a food safety management system based on ISO standards. It sets out requirements to ensure food safety at every stage of the food chain, including storage, preparation and distribution.
Applicable food safety standards (FSSC 22000): FSSC 22000 is a comprehensive scheme based on ISO 22000 that adds further requirements specific to the food industry. It covers food safety measures, quality, risk management and process control.
Government quality and food safety standards: In every country, government bodies are responsible for setting food safety standards and legislation. These define the legal requirements that food companies and establishments must comply with.
What Your Organisation Needs to Know About Food Safety
You have now learnt the basic practices for maintaining quality standards in your organisation, why they matter and how they benefit your organisation both operationally and commercially.
You have also learnt about the most important internationally recognised food safety systems, so you can now identify what your organisation needs to raise and maintain its quality in line with the laws and standards set by each country.
All you need to do now is contact Team Quality’s follow-up and quality audit team to assess your organisation’s readiness for the various ISO certificates.
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