FOOD QUALITY CONTROLFOOD QUALITY CONTROL

The principal objectives of national food control systems are: 

Protecting public health by reducing the risk of foodborne illness; 

Protecting consumers from unsanitary, unwholesome, mislabelled or adulterated food; and

 Contributing to economic development by maintaining consumer confidence in the food system and providing a sound regulatory

foundation for domestic and international trade in food.

The food supply chain

The food supply chain is a net chain that food moves along the peasant household, the processing industry, the distribution centre, the wholesaler, the retailer as well as consumer (Thirupathi 2006). In general, the food supply chain is composed of five links: product material supplying link, the production processing link, the packing storage and transporting link, the sale link and the consumer expending link with each link involving related sub-links and the different organization carriers. The supply chain is a networked structure, composed of flow of the physical, the information, the finance, the technical, the standardized, the security and the value-added connections (Grunert 2005; Thirupathi 2006

The ProblemThe Problem• Resistance and virulence of emerging pathogens

• Patchwork system of food safety regulation

• Lack of an effective, low cost method of ensuring safety of food products

• Lack of regulatory oversight beyond commercial facilities

• Lack of effective consumer education programs

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Consumer ExpectationsConsumer Expectations

Consumers expect safe, hazard Consumers expect safe, hazard free foodfree food

Responsibility is shared by:Responsibility is shared by: food producersfood producers processorsprocessors purveyorspurveyors regulatory agenciesregulatory agencies

Food borne illnessFood borne illness

24 million people per year24 million people per year

cost of $7 billioncost of $7 billion

10,000 deaths10,000 deaths

mishandling at retail level is a factormishandling at retail level is a factor 12 million workers in 1 million establishments12 million workers in 1 million establishments

regulatory agencies alone cannot preventregulatory agencies alone cannot prevent

cooperation with industry requiredcooperation with industry required

Production and Process Controls:Production and Process Controls:

manufacturing operations must manufacturing operations must be monitoredbe monitored pH, water activity, temperaturespH, water activity, temperatures elimination of metal from productelimination of metal from product

personnel should be trained and personnel should be trained and aware of GMP requirementsaware of GMP requirements

HACCP Basics:HACCP Basics:

Defects always possible with less Defects always possible with less than 100% testingthan 100% testing

Detection of hazards by end product Detection of hazards by end product testing is only as good as statistics testing is only as good as statistics behind sampling and testing behind sampling and testing protocolsprotocols

HACCP prevents rather than detectsHACCP prevents rather than detects

Seven Steps of HACCP:Seven Steps of HACCP: Assess Potential Assess Potential HazardsHazards Determine Determine Critical Control PointsCritical Control Points Establish Establish requirementsrequirements for each CCP for each CCP Establish procedure to Establish procedure to monitormonitor each CCP each CCP Establish Establish corrective actioncorrective action if deviation if deviation Establish Establish record keepingrecord keeping procedures procedures Establish procedure to Establish procedure to monitor monitor

effectivenesseffectiveness

Step #1Step #1: : Determine Potential HazardsDetermine Potential Hazards

First step in developing programFirst step in developing program what hazards might existwhat hazards might exist

What is a hazardWhat is a hazard poisonous or deleterious substancepoisonous or deleterious substance

(P/D)(P/D) microbiologicalmicrobiological chemicalchemical physicalphysical

Hazard more specific than adulterant Hazard more specific than adulterant b/c product may be adulterated b/c product may be adulterated without being hazardouswithout being hazardous

Step #2Step #2: : Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs)Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs)

CCP is a point at which a hazard CCP is a point at which a hazard might developmight develop if hazard results from loss of control, if hazard results from loss of control,

point is criticalpoint is critical

QCP is point where quality might be QCP is point where quality might be affectedaffected if reduction in quality occurs, point is a if reduction in quality occurs, point is a

quality control pointquality control point

Step #3Step #3: : Establishing Control LimitsEstablishing Control Limits

Hazard may develop if CCP out Hazard may develop if CCP out of controlof control

Determine how much out of Determine how much out of control results in a hazardcontrol results in a hazard

Limits must be set for each CCPLimits must be set for each CCP

Knowledge of both hazards and Knowledge of both hazards and the process is importantthe process is important

Step #4Step #4:: Establish System to Monitor CCPsEstablish System to Monitor CCPs

Monitoring system to determine when Monitoring system to determine when process exceeds limitsprocess exceeds limits

Continuous monitoring preferred with Continuous monitoring preferred with immediate correctionimmediate correction

Periodic sampling and testing may be only Periodic sampling and testing may be only reasonable alternativereasonable alternative

Continuous or frequent monitoring used to Continuous or frequent monitoring used to establish trends establish trends

Step #5:Step #5:Corrective actionCorrective action

May be as simple as rejecting May be as simple as rejecting a shipment or ingredienta shipment or ingredient

May require adjusting May require adjusting calibration of measuring calibration of measuring devicedevice

May necessitate shutting down May necessitate shutting down an operationan operation

Step #6:Step #6: Record KeepingRecord Keeping

Must have effective record Must have effective record keeping system to:keeping system to: demonstrate establishment of demonstrate establishment of

systemsystem document its utilizationdocument its utilization verify efficacyverify efficacy

Step #7:Step #7:Verification of Program - HACCP PlanVerification of Program - HACCP Plan

WrittenWritten plan to describe system plan to describe system

May be shown to FDA as evidence May be shown to FDA as evidence that plan has been developedthat plan has been developed

Monitoring data and records of Monitoring data and records of actions may be reviewed by:actions may be reviewed by: company managementcompany management regulatory officialsregulatory officials

Methods of food quality control

In addition to ensuring safe and health food for the consumer, product manufacturers and service industries have realized that competition in a global market require a continual and committed effort towards the improvement of product and service quality.Quality control process consists of raw materials, in-process, product and service. The major factors in process that cause variability in quality of finished product are people, equipment and methods or technologies employed in the process.Some of the newer and more rapid methods of food quality control are: Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) or differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) These methods are used in the identification and quantification of analytes with high sensitivity. The method is suitable for application in the field of food quality and The method is suitable for application in the field of food quality and safety -including storage, process and quality control as well as the safety -including storage, process and quality control as well as the characterization of food stuffs (Vautz 2006). characterization of food stuffs (Vautz 2006).

Electronic-nose is used in the process control of cheese, sausage, beer, and bread manufacture as well as for detection of off-flavors in milk and

dairy products. This technique has other applications too.

Immunochemical methods; This method is based on antigen – antibody interaction.

Biosensors Biosensor is usually a device or instrument comprising a biological sensing element coupled to a transducer for signal processing (Songa et al, 2009).

Conclusions Without doubts, there is a need for continuous improvements in rapid diagnostic methods, analytical techniques as well as visionary and computational equipments required for food quality control of the future. For example, as it stands today, only about 41.5% of microbiology tests utilized rapid methods. It is expected that, there will be significant economic benefits and the ability to practice proactive and risk prevention food safety programs.