Chevpotenko Y.V.

National University of Food Technologies

Quality control of food products

In modern conditions of economy development the role of product’s quality significantly increases, that is why the task of management by quality of commercial enterprises expands and acquires new values.

Small and medium sized food processing businesses all over the world increasingly have to consider the production of good quality products as essential to their survival. Consumers and buyers are becoming more aware of the importance of safe, high quality products. Large companies that can afford advertising space on the radio, television or in the press emphasize the quality of their goods, often in a very subtle way. This quality image is given by stating for example "Our foods are made only from high quality ingredients". They also project a quality image through packaging, etc. Producers who sell intermediate products, such as dried fruits, to a secondary processor will find that the buyer expects the foods to meet an agreed standard. In the case of exporters, these standards are becoming more and more stricter.

Quality has long been a factor in the success of food trade transactions; however, recent food safety issues have propelled quality control to the forefront of international trade concerns. Now with the increasing globalization of trade, food quality is also becoming a factor in domestic markets, as quality and variety compete for a buyer's attention and regulatory bodies seek to better control potential threats.

In general, the operating system of quality control in the food industry must meet some specific tasks. One of the tasks is to ensure compliance with sanitary standards and compliance requirements of the legislation, including with regard to food safety standards, the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the system Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). For this, there is a need for procedures to control insects, rodents, birds and other pests, and procedures for cleaning and sanitizing equipment, industrial plant and storage areas. Still, personal hygiene of staff working on process lines and proper habits on food handling should be implemented and monitored to ensure that food safety standards are met. In cooperation with the departments of production, research and development, engineering or operations, the department of quality control analyzes manufacturing processes to “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points”. The integrity and safety of food products should be ensured through the identification and assessment of all unit operations of the process in order to prevent potential contamination and adulteration that could expose consumers to health risks.

In cooperation with the department of research and development (R&D), production, purchasing and sales, there should be prepared written specifications for raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, other supplies and finished products. Furthermore, this should be done in written form and in cooperation with the departments of production and R&D, the procedures for each unit operation of all manufacturing processes of the fashion industry that can be implemented in processing lines. The participation of staff from other departments of the company occurs by the virtue of their expertise in relation to consumer demands or knowledge of product technology and process, and the participation of the operators of the process, because of production experience.

Almost all countries in the world now have laws governing production, composition, labelling and safety of processed food and an agency that is responsible for their implementation. In some countries this agency is the Bureau of Standards in others it may be a division of a Ministry such as Agriculture, Health or Trade and Industry. Although the degree to which national food legislation is currently applied varies greatly from country to country, food manufacturers should be aware that the overall trend is to more stringent application, inspection and control by the responsible authority. National food legislation varies considerably in detail from country to country but applies to three broad areas:

· the plant in which the food is made, its correct design and construction, cleanliness and worker hygiene.

· the physical characteristics of food (including foreign bodies and adulteration), the chemical composition (for example levels of preservatives) and micro-biological quality.

· the correct labelling of the product including related aspects such as sell-by date, etc.

Thus, in order to improve and control product quality it is essential to fully understand the meaning of the term quality. A common definition is “achieving agreed customer expectations or specifications”. In other words, the customer defines the quality criteria needed in a product. To meet this standard the manufacturer puts in a Quality Control System to ensure that the product meets these criteria on a routine basis.

The competitiveness of a company can be seen as a reflection of the strategies adopted as a means to adapt to the prevailing standards of competition in the markets in which the organization operates. Certainly, quality is a key factor for the food industry acts in a market increasingly globalized. For that companies must establish competitive strategies and develop an appropriate internal structure.

References:

1. CODEX Alimentarius. Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures World Trade Organization. 2008.

2. Food and Drug Administration. FDA. Return to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for the 21st Century – Food Processing. [Electronic Sources]. – Access mode: www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation.

3. Grigg N, Walls L. The role of control charts in promoting organizational learning: new perspectives from a food industry study / N. Grigg, L. Walls // The TQM Magazine, 2007, p. 37–49.