People in the worldwide think that food safety and food quality are the same things. Although similar in nature but in food subjects, a wide difference exists between food safety and food quality requirements. One is engaged in consumer safety while the other works for consumer happiness. Both sound goods but it is more than that.
What is Food Safety?
Food safety deals with the practices and the conditions that keep food safe, store, and holds the quality of food during its preparation, handling, and further storage for later consumption. The ideology behind this is to prevent such food from being contaminated and far away from other spread food-borne diseases.
The proper handling of food safety ensures that the food will not harm the consumers when it is prepared or eaten accordingly to its intended use as per its norms.
Read our article:Shedding Light on Food License for Domestic Food Selling Business
Examples of Food Safety procedures and Policies
- Personal hygiene
- Personal Presentation and Preparation
- Temperature control and measurement
- Pest control
- Waste management
- Cleaning and sanitising
- Food Safety hazard identification
We all are aware of some examples of food safety procedures that are mandatory to be followed & performed in the food-handling sector. Moreover, it must be noted that food safety being varies from company to company and industry to industry as per their handlings.
What is Food Quality?
Food Quality deals with the features and characteristics of a food product, which are as follows:-
- Food quality should be acceptable to consumers and meet their expectations;
- Conforms to the required specifications, and
- Food quality should be profitable to the company.
Instances of Food Quality Features
- External factors such as appearance (size, colour, shape and consistency).
- Ingredient standards are maintained.
- Texture of the product.
- Smell and taste of the food
- Correct labelling with the ingredients, nutritional information and supplier/manufacturer details must be listed.
- Products must be properly packaged and sealed by the company.
- Ingredient standards should be maintained.
- Food quality is also related to the viability of the product and it must be remembered the efficiency of the food product
Why Food Safety is Important?
Unsafe and contaminated food provides a path for food-borne diseases to enter the human body. Food-borne illnesses can easily be prevented and deterred through food safety measures. Although the food borne illnesses are preventable which are reportable to public health issues.
Foodborne illness or food poisoning can become a burden on public health and cause a high significant cost on health care and major challenges for some people. Although anyone can come in contact with such illnesses where some people are at greater risk.
People above 50 years or those having lower immunity found to be at greater risk for hospitalizations and cause death from intestinal Pathogens easily transmitted or carried through unhygienic food items.
Why Food Quality is Important?
Food quality is a necessary and vital aspect of the field of food manufacturing and process. It is very common that any individual can come in contact with any of the food-borne illness just because of consuming the unsafe and contaminated food, prepared during the undue care of manufacturing ends.
The consumer believes and accepts the food manufacturing & processing standards as the experts suggest processing, particularly when they knew what ingredients are present, due to dietary, nutritional requirements, or medical conditions like diabetes, or allergies.
FSSAI’s Role in Food Safety and Food Quality
The food industry can perform many tasks to ensure food safety. Which are as follows:-
- FSSAI can perform hazard analysis tests to identify those and finally to remove them.
- FSSAI can also establish significant limits for maintaining and establishing each control point for food preparation.
- Verification process to confirm corrective steps.
- Providing extensive and vast training to employees because they are similarly liable and responsible for handling food products correctly.
- Distributors or promoters must assure and check the quality of food products.
- To allot a proper schedule for advertising and promotional activities for business marketing. This is the act or stage due to which customers attract towards any business brand.
The consumers should also follow basic hygiene and keep themselves safe. It is necessary for the customers to follow the food quality and safety steps before consuming such food. The consumer should wash hands properly before food handling, keeping raw materials separately from the processed food items, to consume the processed food items within the prescribed time sphere labelled on its packing and to analyse the food ingredients accordingly their needs and many others.
The food control safety measures are required to bridge the gap between safe food and adulterated food. The standards that are more flexible and which is also efficient in producing and marketing food are required by the food industry in serving ultimately the consumers with a protective sheet.
Global Considerations
International Trade
The world economy is expanding day by day. With increasing consumer demand, liberalization of food trade, development in food science and technology, improved transportation and communication, international trade in fresh and processed food will also continue to grow.
Countries’ access to food export markets will continue to depend on their ability to meet the regulatory requirements of importing countries. The creation and continuation of demand for their food products in world markets depends on building the trust and confidence of importers and consumers in the integrity of their food systems. With agricultural production the focal point of most developing countries’ economies, such food security measures are necessary.
Codex Alimentarius Commission
- The Codex Alimentarius Commission[1] (CAC), an intergovernmental body duly coordinates food standards at the international level.
- It has the vision to protect the consumer’s health and secure fair practices in the food trade.
- The CAC marked majorly successful achievements in international harmonization of food quality and Food safety requirements.
- CAC formulated a wide range of international standards for food products and made necessary requirements likewise in pesticide residues, food additives, veterinary drug residues, hygiene, food contaminants, labeling, etc.
- These recommendations are used by various governments in determining and refining the policies under their self food control system.
SPS and TBT Agreements
- The SPS Agreement secures the rights of WTO member countries and applies measures to protect the health and life of humans, animals, and plants.
- It covers all relevant laws, decrees, regulations; testing, inspection, certification approval procedures; and packaging-labeling requirements related to food safety.
- It encourages the use of international standards, guidelines, or recommendations and identifies those from Codex where they exist or not, with provisions of SPS.
- The TBT Agreement secures and as it assured about the technical regulations on traditional quality factors, fraudulent practices, packaging, labeling, etc imposed by countries, shall not be more restrictive on imported products than the products produced domestically.
Conclusion
Food safety and quality are the two most important aspects in food-handling environment. It is important to know the difference and have a proper food safety and food quality management system. This will keep your customers healthy and happy and get you out of trouble. You may kindly associate with the CorpBiz expert to know more about the impacting factor of food safety & food quality.
Read our article:Guidelines for Food Safety Display Board of Street Food Vendors
