Food quality
means general features and criteria by means
of which food is characterized considering its
nutritional value, organoleptic quality and
safety for consumer health.
Food quality
Moreover, it is defined as a set of food product
features and factors shaping these features over
the whole product life cycle, i.e. from primary
production until serving.
Food safety
Is defined as general conditions, which must be
fulfilled (particularly concerning: applied additives
and flavours, levels of pollutant substances, pesticide
residue or organoleptic features) and measures which
must be undertaken at all stages of food
manufacturing to secure human health and life.
Food safety is one of the crucial issues of public
health protection.
Food Quality Assurance Systems
One can speak about the proper quality of food
products if standards ensuring the observance of
hygienic requirements and parameters of unit
operations and processes have been applied.
In food manufacturing process regulations are
a part of quality
management systems.
Food Quality Assurance Systems
Their scope covers application in the
manufacturing process of appropriate
techniques ensuring reduction of biological,
chemical and physical hazards, which may
occur in food.
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Joint food quality assurance systems must be
preceded by implementing Good Practice
(GP) rules, to which:
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP),
Good Hygiene practice (GHP) are counted.
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
Is a variety of activities which should be
carried out and conditions which must be
fulfilled to assure that the production process
of food products and materials, and products
designed to contact with food was carried out
in the way ensuring proper food quality,
according to its designation.
Good Hygienic Practice (GHP)
Determines all measures which must be
undertaken, and hygienic conditions which
must be fulfilled and controlled at all stages
of production or turnover in order to assure
food safety according to its designation.
GHP arranges all hygienic issues of an
enterprise.
Although an average person associates the
notion of hygiene with processes of washing
and disinfection and with employees’
personal hygiene, in fact it is a far wider
concept including several areas, which are
strictly integrated and focused at achieving a
single aim, i.e. food safety (ryc. 2)
Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points (HACCP)
Is a procedure aiming to assure food safety
through identification and assessment of scope of
risks from the perspective of food health
requirements and risk of hazards during all stages
of food production and distribution.
The system also aims to determine the methods of
elimination or reduction of hazards and
establishing the correction measures.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points (HACCP)
Each manufacturer, who conducts activities
involving food production, direct contact with
food, food packaging, food product transport
and/or selling food, is obliged to implement
HACCP system.
ISO 9000/22000 standard
The enterprise which reliably developed the
documentation, implemented and have applied
HACCP rules, realize the advantages of this
method and no longer perceives the system as a
tiresome documentation or organizational burden.
Moreover, while verifying HACCP system they
start seeking the ways to upgrade and widen it.
A new ISO standard entitled:
“Food Safety Management Systems.
Requirements that applies to all organizations
in the food chain” [PN-EN ISO 22000:2005].
The standard was prepared in such a way that
it may be used in each food plant, irrespective
of its size and position in the food chain. It
combines the elements of Quality Management
System (ISO standards, series 9000:2001) and
HACCP system (Codex Alimentarius, 2003).
Certificates of quality systems are necessary for
firms which offer their services and products on
international market.
Good quality of food products also guarantees
regular customers and is the way for a steady
development. Many customers think that
enterprises possessing a quality system may be
trusted. It may be one of the reasons for which
it is worth to introduce such system.