Food preparation and consumption habits have changed dramatically. Concurrent with the demand for convenience, have been rapid advances in food technology, processing and packaging techniques. These not only enable the production of new products but also help ensure the safety of food.
Industry
The quality and safety of food is dependent on the care taken by all individuals involved in the food chain. This includes the farmer, processor, distributor, retailer or caterer and consumer. The EU and the World Health Organisation (WHO) state that ‘food safety is a shared responsibility from farm to fork’. To guarantee that food is safe, operating and monitoring procedures need to be in place throughout the chain.
Food Safety from Farm to Fork
Source: IGD Research 2005
Industry is legally obliged to meet the requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990, which provides controls for all parts of the food industry. However the food chain has been working for years to put standards in place that exceed statutory requirements. These include the following:
Agriculture
There are a number of assurance schemes for both food producers and manufacturers. They specify production standards, covering food safety, environmental protection, animal-welfare issues and other characteristics. Examples include the British Farm Standard (‘Little Red Tractor’), Freedom Food and Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF).
In all cases, farms are inspected regularly to ensure that standards are maintained. Qualifying products are then entitled to display a logo.
EurepGAP was established by retailers in 1997 to maintain consumer confidence in food quality and food safety. The aim is to agree standards and procedures across Europe for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
Organic standards are regulated by European Union legislation. In the UK they are overseen by the Advisory Committee on Organic Standards and enforced by various organisations, the best known of which is the Soil Association.
Food Manufacturing
Food factories apply high standards of hygiene, with for example, protective clothing and hairnets and disinfectant zones for anyone entering the floor. Food manufacturers also have various management systems in place to ensure both quality and safety. Here we outline three in particular:
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
‘Good Manufacturing Practice’ is a term used to describe effective manufacturing operations. This encompasses well-designed food safety and quality assurance systems and a commitment and discipline from all to ensure products meet food safety, quality and legal requirements. Manufacturers have access to various specialist advisors to this end including the Institute of Food Science and Technology.
- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)
HACCP is a rigorous technique used to identify potential problems in the production process and then establish controls. This distinguishes it from traditional safety assurance programmes that focus on identifying problems in the finished product.
HACCP is applied by taking a number of steps:
- Looking at the process/product from start to finish
- Deciding where the hazards could occur
- Putting in controls and monitoring them
- Keeping records
- Monitoring to ensure that HACCP continues to work effectively
- Quality Assurance Standards
Compliance to standards such as the International Standards Organisation (ISO 9000) and the European Standard (ES 29000) ensures that food manufacturers follow well documented procedures. Thus these accreditation schemes do not so much focus on the quality of products but on ensuring that well thought through procedures and good management disciplines are in place. Adherence is assessed by independent experts.
Manufacturers also receive regular spot checks from their retail customers to ensure that good safety procedures are in place.
Food Retailing
- British Retail Consortium (BRC) Standard
Work on the BRC Food Technical Standard began in 1996 and culminated in the publication of the first standard in 1998. UK Retailers agreed that by sharing experience and developing robust systems together, they would better serve to guard food safety.
- The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)
The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) co-ordinated by CIES, The Food Business Forum, was launched in May 2000. It is a retail led network of over 50 food safety experts and their trade associations worldwide, harmonising inspection procedures for private label products.
The objectives of the Global Food Safety Initiative are to:
- Enhance food safety
- Ensure consumer protection
- Strengthen consumer confidence
- Benchmark requirements of food safety management schemes
- Improve cost efficiency throughout the food supply chain.
Eating Out
All types of food service outlets from five-star restaurants to local sandwich shops need to have a food safety management system in place, based on the HACCP principles described above. The type of system will depend on the size and type of the business and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has developed a number of resources to help businesses.
Throughout the Food Chain
- Traceability
The food that is consumed today comes from increasingly diverse sources. Traceability, i.e. the logging of every step in the chain so that problems can be tracked back to source, is now recognised as a necessity. European-wide legislation to control this came into force in January 2005 and the US has similar rules. These require food companies to keep records of the company immediately before and after them in the supply chain.
- Product Withdrawal/Recall
Food businesses are required to withdraw/recall food from the market if products are discovered to be unsafe or in any contravention of the law. They must also notify the local authority where the food business operator is based, or, in the case of imports, the relevant Port Health Authority.
If there is a food safety concern, the industry must also inform the FSA. The FSA produces ‘Food Alerts’ to inform local authorities and consumers about any problems associated with food and in some cases, provide details of specific action to be taken. This procedure further protects consumer safety.
An IGD industry working group has designed a data sharing guide to facilitate the collection, collation and exchange of relevant data between customers and suppliers should a food safety incident occur.
- Horizon Scanning
To maintain safety, industry needs to plan ahead. It does this through working closely with Advisory Committees such as the Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food and the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) that consist of experts from Industry, Academia and Government. The Advisory Committees ensure that the Government is provided with 'sound science’. They also monitor international trends to ensure that they are kept abreast of potential food safety issues emerging in other countries that could affect UK consumers.
- Consumer Engagement
The consumer is the final link within the food chain. Food that is safe at the point of purchase needs to be stored, prepared and cooked correctly to avoid any contamination at home. Many retailers and manufacturers produce food safety leaflets and provide information on their websites to inform consumers of the best way to store, prepare and cook food to avoid food safety hazards in the home.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) organises an annual National Food Safety Week to highlight the importance of food safety and the basic principles of food hygiene. Throughout the week events take place at local level throughout the UK and the organisers create imaginative and innovative activities.
Conclusion
Along the food chain numerous procedures and control mechanisms are implemented so that the food which reaches the consumer's table is fit for consumption and the risks of contamination are minimised.
Back to Top ^
