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What are the Different Methods of Food Quality Control?

Soo Owens
Soo Owens

Food quality control is an important measure that must be taken to prevent contamination and misuse of food supplies by manufacturers, suppliers and distributors to protect the health of consumers. Maintaining a high standard in food quality control is dependent on methods that range from the initial selection of the food supply to its distribution. Quality control in food production involves a rigorous cycle of inspections along with enforcement of and compliance with several food safety systems and practices.

Some of the firsts steps in implementing food quality control procedures occur during the purchase phase. Procedures that ensure the quality of the food supply during this initial phase are based on thorough checks and analyses of involved parties and stages. Such actions can include determination of the supplier's reputation and reliability, inspection and analysis of the food supply being procured, assurance of conformity to accepted standards and practices, and consideration of quantity and shelf-life. Inspection personnel carry out many of these tasks as complete inspections are necessary at every point.

Food quality control includes making sure canned goods are properly sealed and do not have any dents.
Food quality control includes making sure canned goods are properly sealed and do not have any dents.

Good manufacturing guidelines are also a crucial component in preventing and controlling problems that could arise from compromised food supplies. The application of successful and proper manufacturing practices depends largely on a combination of factors that include manufacturing personnel, equipment and processes. Proper training ensures that personnel use correct methods of sanitation, allergen control, and employee and supplier oversight. Periodic inspections of manufacturing facilities and suppliers add another level of security while documentations and logs of manufacturing procedures establish accountability for the food processor.

Food safety is important to prevent food poisoning at restaurants, cafeterias and catered events.
Food safety is important to prevent food poisoning at restaurants, cafeterias and catered events.

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a method of ensuring food safety that is implemented at every step of the food quality control system from production and handling to packaging and distribution. This systematic implementation of HACCP identifies food safety hazards from a biological, chemical and physical standpoint. It's seven principles are incorporated into nearly all food industries and require identification of food hazards and critical control points, the stage at which food hazards are effectively reduced or eliminated.

A dairy processing plant may sample and test each batch of milk for safety and quality before it is bottled.
A dairy processing plant may sample and test each batch of milk for safety and quality before it is bottled.

Careful monitoring of the critical control points is required at every level of food production, and if monitoring reveals a breach at the critical control point, corrective measures are employed. Documentation of HAACP data and activities along with validation and verification of HAACP plans is also required for a successful food quality control operation.

Discussion Comments

lluviaporos

@irontoenail - It seems like, more often than not these days, the main danger comes from deliberate tampering rather than from plain incompetence. When a company wants to save some money and they use substandard ingredients instead of what they are supposed to be using.

I'm perfectly happy with quality control the way it is. If anything I wish it were somewhat tighter on certain products.

irontoenail

@browncoat - Milk is somewhat contentious but that's for a reason. Being able to pasteurize it doesn't just protect the person who drinks it, it protects others around them as well. Unpasteurized milk can spread tuberculosis, as well as other diseases and it's essentially the same as playing Russian Roulette, no matter how safe you think you can make it.

Besides, there are ways around the rule if you really want them. You are allowed to drink milk from your own goat or cow however you want to in most places.

But food quality control should stay in place, particularly now that we've got so very many different aspects to every product. If one thing goes bad it could contaminate the whole process, from the factories that process lots of different products, to every product the food is put into.

browncoat

They really take food quality control too far in some cases. I don't think the government should have the right to tell people what they can and can't eat. They should be able to monitor what people are told about products, maybe, but if someone wants to take a risk that should be their right.

Instead anyone who wants to buy unpasteurized milk, for example, is basically doing something illegal. If chewing tobacco is legal, along with warnings so people know what they are getting into, I don't see why food in general should be any different.

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    • Food quality control includes making sure canned goods are properly sealed and do not have any dents.
      By: Николай Григорьев
      Food quality control includes making sure canned goods are properly sealed and do not have any dents.
    • Food safety is important to prevent food poisoning at restaurants, cafeterias and catered events.
      By: malexeum
      Food safety is important to prevent food poisoning at restaurants, cafeterias and catered events.
    • A dairy processing plant may sample and test each batch of milk for safety and quality before it is bottled.
      By: Budimir Jevtic
      A dairy processing plant may sample and test each batch of milk for safety and quality before it is bottled.