FOOD INDUSTRY PECULIARITIES

Food is basic for life. Quality or excellence in our food supply should be an important concern to all food processors. Safety and wholesomeness are the most important attributes of food quality. The lack of quality as it relates to safety and wholesomeness can result in personal injury, sickness or death. Food-borne illness is an example of sickness or even death when unsafe foods are produced and eaten. Certain foods or food products are defined by regulations or policies called standards of identity. These standards of identity are definitions for a specific food product to avoid confusion or mislabeling of similar processed foods. Milk is a good example. The standard for skim milk is less than 1/2 percent fat, while the standard for whole milk is at least 3-1/4 percent fat. Quality defined by regulations, policies or standards is controlled by federal and state agencies. Failure to meet the degree of excellence defined by the regulations, policies or standards of identity is illegal. The government-controlled attributes of food are another important measure of food quality. Therefore, the first category of food quality is critical attributes and includes factors that affect safety, wholesomeness or legality. Besides the critical attribute of safety, other properties of the food product should be used to define overall quality. These other attributes are defined by industry, the processor or consumer demand. An example of this is the particle size of flour, the shape of a frankfurter or sausage or the color and flavor of salad dressing. The food industry is a complex, global collective of diverse businesses that supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population. Only subsistence farmers, those who survive on what they grow, can be considered outside of the scope of the modern food industry. The food industry includes:

Regulation: local, regional, national and international rules and regulations for food production and sale, including food qualityand food safety, and industry lobbying activities Education: academic, vocational, consultancy Research and development: food technology Financial services insurance, credit Manufacturing: agrichemicals, seed, farm machinery and supplies, agricultural construction, etc. Agriculture: raising of crops and livestock, seafood Food processing: preparation of fresh products for market, manufacture of prepared food products Marketing: promotion of generic products (e.g. milk board), new products, public opinion, through advertising, packaging, public relations, et Wholesale and distribution: warehousing, transportation, logistics

1. Performance

Performance deals with the basic characteristics of a product or service. Performance concern the physical products attributes (taste, Aroma, Color , texture, Shelf Life, etc). it is the difference between the expected product quality according to the product specifications and the realised product quality. These characteristics or performance components can be objectively measured.

2. Secondary features

By secondary features we mean aspects that complement basic functions of a product or service. Easiness to provide the required food product, the degree of risk of alterations in the food product, and the possibility that the food product has to substitute other more expensive alternatives can all be considered secondary features or features. Secondary features are a dynamic concept that evolves with time.

2.3 Durability

The durability dimension relates to the period that can elapse between the moment a product is manufactured and the moment it is consumed. This period is in practice limited by the expiration date printed on the package. Since products such as food, drinks and medicines end their useful life a short time after consumption, the analysis of durability does not present technical or economic complexity, as is the case with products that deteriorate partially or gradually or those that can be fixed when broken.

4. Aesthetics

Aesthetics is by etymology a word related to perception by human senses. Thus taste and odor of a food product and the visual attractiveness of a package are aesthetics components of a food product. To a large extent, these components are subjective, although there is usually a great deal of opinion agreement about the mix. Hygienic aspect is another component of the aesthetics dimension.

5. Perceived quality

Perceived quality is an indirect comparative dimension. Given the complexities of judging the quality of a pharmaceutical product, the public and, to some extent, the medical profession, base their impressions on indirect signals. Food product originality and immediate effect on hunger are aspects of perceived quality, among others.

6. Service

A product cannot claim great quality if it is not available at food stores and other points of sale, or if interested parties cannot obtain clear, easy to read information on the product and its effects. Thus, this constitutes a dimension we label service.

7. Conformance

Conformance is the degree of adherence of the design and manufacture of a product to accepted industrial standards. In the case of food for example, conformance measures the presence of cracks and the correspondence between the quantities in the package and its real content. Unlike aesthetics or perceived quality, conformance is a dimension that can be objectively measured.

8. Reliability

Reliability is the dimension that creates in the client the mental state of security about the properties and effects of a medicine. The absence of adverse effects of components and the correspondence between dose declared in the package and its real contents fall under this dimension.

METHODS OF QUALITY CONTROL IN FOOD INDUSTRY The Quality control of food has a significant role in assuming a high quality, safe and nutritious food supply for the public, for their good health and for the economic benefits derived from trade of safe and high quality food. Quality control is applicable throughout the entire food system. The three basic characteristics of a food quality control infrastructure include-

1. Food Law and accompanying regulations: o Quality control in food cannot operate without adequate food law o The law should define the role and responsibility of the private sector and other institutions such as industry, academic institutes, scientific committees and consumers in relation to food quality and safety. 2.A Food Inspectorate, Analytical Services, and Compliance Unit. o Role of the inspectorate is to inspect food manufacturing, processing and handling facilities, import/export foods. o The inspectors should be trained in the latest investigative techniques and fully educated in the latest food safety and Q.A methods. o The laboratory function is critical to Q.C in food. o Use of latest analytical instruments and sophisticated methods of analysis. o A compliance unit ensures that the recommendations for legal action are appropriately supported by sufficient and supportable evidence. o It would be responsible for those actions that are considered regulatory in nature such as court actions. 3. Supporting Services o Science and Technology services provide backup in research planning and support or for review of the latest technologies in food control or food processing. o Food Industry shares responsibility with the governmental agencies in achieving quality control strategies such as Good Agricultural Practices (primary production) and Good Manufacturing Practices (secondary production). o Consumer organizations can play an important role in representing the consumer in the development of a Q.C strategy and bringing the concerns of consumers to the attention of the policy makers and the industry.

The main reason for having quality control is to ensure that the products are made as per the standards demanded by the management. It ensures that raw materials meet set standards; processing methods perform as designed; finished products meet company standards and consumer confidence in the company remains high.

MEASURES OF ACHIEVING QUALITY IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Controlling quality may be achieved by:

Inspection of raw materials to ensure that no poor quality ingredients are used. Carrying out checks on the process to ensure that the weights of the ingredients and temperature and time of baking are correct. Inspecting the final product to ensure that no poor quality loaves are sent to the consumer.

Quality assurance can only be operated when staff is well trained and motivated. Workers are normally well aware of the causes of most problems and when quality assurance is used properly they can resolve most quality problems within their control. It is the responsibility of business owners to ensure that the quality assurance system, together with any necessary equipment and information, are available to the workers to allow them to exercise this control.

STAFF It is important to recognise that any system is operated by people. It is people who manufacture a food product and ensure that it has the right quality. People working together ensure that the information, materials and equipment are all correct to allow the production of a product. People also store the product and deliver it on time. All therefore need the necessary training and skills to complete their tasks correctly. They need to know what their own responsibilities are in this quality chain and where they fit into the overall system. Business owners must not regard communication as a one-way process. The information they send to workers must also be modified by feedback from the staff. Well trained and informed staff are an essential element of the Quality Assurance approach. The other main element of the quality assurance approach which ensures that the system works is to document in a simple way the procedures and responsibilities within a team of workers. TRAINGING Quality Assurance systems are not mysterious and need not be complex. They simply require the business to agree what are the customers' needs and then ensure that staff have the skills, materials, and information needed to deliver the promises that are made.... every time. A quality assurance system should not be static but it should be continually modified and refined.

This requires an investment in training people to ensure that the quality assurance system controls the essential steps in the whole manufacturing and distribution process to satisfy customer needs. A range of problem solving techniques can be provided for process workers to use when trouble arises during production. These simple techniques are tried and tested. They involve problem identification, analysis of the cause, suggestions for solutions and implementation and feedback methods. These techniques allow the operators more control over their work and allow problems to be prevented rather than solved. More advanced statistically-based methods can be used for sampling plans and process optimisation but these are beyond the scope of this book. One of the main building blocks used for developing a quality assurance system is the 'Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point' system which is described in the next section.

ASK THE FOLLOWINGHow will the product be prepared for consumption, is there a risk of mishandling by consumers? Will the product be consumed by susceptible people (for example children eating weaning foods)? Implementation

The owner or manager of the business also needs to be fully convinced that the new procedure is necessary, or else it will fall into disuse after a short time. Operators need to be involved and made aware of problems so that they will understand why new procedures are introduced. Control procedures are introduced at the control points using a "decision tree" (to help in this procedure. Target limits and tolerances are given for each critical control point. Staff are trained how to operate the new methods and the limits that are placed on any variation from the specified methods.

MONITORING DOCUMENTATION

The group sets up a procedure to monitor the changes that have been introduced and to ensure that everyone involved in the process understands his or her responsibilities. A system for monitoring these is produced, together with a plan for corrective actions, should the tolerances be exceeded. Where action is taken it should be clear who has the authority to make decisions and who is responsible for checking that the action was properly done. These responsibilities should be discussed and written down so that everyone is aware of each other's part in the new system. The system is checked and reviewed each year.

LAYOUT

The type of building in which food products are manufactured and the general level of plant hygiene have a major influence on product quality. Ideally a food manufacturer should have a building constructed specifically for the purpose, but in reality this rarely happens and an existing building has to be modified. If care is taken in the way that the building is adapted, it adds little extra to the total cost but it ensures that the unit is appropriate for food processing. The Site The location of the building is very important but is often ignored at the outset. The following examples are points that need consideration and many of relate to quality aspects:

Is the building situated close to the supply of raw materials? Are expected markets easily accessible? Is labour available locally and will workers find problems in getting to work? Is the building situated in a clean area or is it an area that has a lot of dust, waste or stagnant water nearby?

The site should be on cleared ground, away from sources of insects, rodents or smells. It should have a good supply of potable water and if required, electricity. A road access for bringing in raw materials and packaging, and sending out products is usually Buildings The external appearance of the building is a key factor that can influence customers to believe that the company has well. The points described below can enable quality assurance procedures to be better implemented. Externally and internally the building should be clean and painted, with a professionally made nameplate. Ideally the surrounding area should be planted with grass, as short grass acts as a very efficient trap for airborne dust. Washing and toilet facilities must be provided, preferably in a separate building. If this is not possible there must be two closed doors between the toilet and the processing area to prevent insects and odours from entering. All internal walls of the building should be smooth plastered and painted with a water-resistant paint so that they can be washed. Ideally walls should be tiled to about one to one point five metres above ground level. If this is too expensive then tiling should be carried out around sinks and on walls where food may be splashed. The bottom of the wall, where it meets the floor, is often forgotten. A right angle joint is difficult to clean and can collect dirt. The concrete floor should be curved up to meet the wall and so provide a smooth surface that is easily cleaned. Similarly window ledges should slope so that they do not collect dust, dirt or old cloths that may be left there by workers. Most manufacturers are aware that windows should be fitted with fly-proof mesh, but they often forget other points through which insects, birds and rodents can enter the processing room or store-

room. Important areas are gaps where the roof meets the walls and gaps in the roof. Rats are also able to get into buildings along power lines and these should be fitted with metal discs at least twenty five centimetres in diameter. In tropical climates, a large overhanging roof shades the walls, making working conditions better and providing a useful area for activities such as bottle washing. Most types of food processing involve the use of large amounts of water, and floors must be designed so that they drain efficiently. The best way to do this is to slope all floors to a central drainage channel (Fig. 6). The drain should be covered with a removable grating to allow cleaning. Drains are a favourite entry point for pests such as rats and cockroaches and the outlets must be fitted with a removable fine mesh. All electric power points should be fixed at least one to one point five metres high on the walls to keep them dry. Any 3-phase equipment should be installed by a competent electrician. Although they are expensive, waterproof power points are preferred in wet areas. Fluorescent tubes provide good lighting for general work but it must be remembered that normal bulbs should be used near to machines with fast moving parts. This is because fluorescent light can cause a rotating machine to appear stationary at certain speeds; an obvious hazard to workers. Equipment and layout Poor equipment layout can be blamed for many quality problems in food factories. In many small factories workers can be seen almost working against each other, colliding and dropping things. However, good planning and risk assessment can be used to avoid many such errors. The two broad principles to remember are:

There should be smooth flow of materials around the processing room, from incoming raw materials to finished products . Cross-contamination should be avoided. It is easy for example, for spray from unprocessed foods to enter a container of product being filled after processing. This results in contamination and wasted food.

Sanitation and hygiene The building and equipment must be kept clean at all times as part of a planned quality assurance programme. A thorough clean-down at the end of the day is essential but this alone is not sufficient. Workers must also be trained to keep equipment clean throughout the day and to remove wastes from the building as they accumulate The manager should allow adequate time for cleaning down. Too often the final clean-down is carried out in a rush during the last few minutes of the day.

Operator hygiene

Operators are a potential source of contamination of foods but to a considerable extent the risk depends on the type of food products. For example, a food that is hot-filled into a bottle, sealed and then heat-treated carries a far smaller risk than a baked meat pie which is handled after it has been cooked. The manager should evaluate the risk and ensure that hygiene procedures are established in the factory and that they are appropriate to the types of products being made. Such measures include the following: All workers should use clean uniforms, shoes and hats that cover the hair. All workers should scrub their hands and fingernails with unscented soap at the start of each production session. Clean towels or disposable paper towels should be provided. Workers should be trained to understand the importance of good hygiene. Local public health departments can usually provide training, posters etc. The training will include: Hands should always be washed after using the toilet. Smoking and spitting should be banned from the processing rooms. No food (including the products) should be eaten in the processing room. If affordable, showers should be provided and an area to change clothing. Workers who are ill, and especially if suffering from diarrhoea or skin infections should not under any circumstances, be allowed to handle foods. Workers with infected cuts, boils or abrasions on their hands should be removed from the production area.

It is very important that workers do not get penalised for having an infection, otherwise they will tend to hide their problem. They should be found other duties; for example, there is always a backlog of cleaning, painting and repairs to be carried out in a production unit. The task of a good manager is to ensure that staff are aware of the risks associated with infections and in this connection wall posters of good and bad practices are very useful.

Cleaning schedules Cleaning schedules should be seen as an integral part of an overall quality assurance system. Areas of hazard need to be identified, the severity of risk evaluated and cleaning procedures put into place. All areas need attention but some carry a greater risk than others. For example in a small bakery producing meat pies, all surfaces that contact raw meat should be seen as having the highest risk and they should receive the most stringent attention.

Each worker should know their cleaning responsibilities within the overall schedule, The owner must take overall responsibility to ensure that cleaning takes place to the correct standard. It is useful to use cleaning cloths and brushes made of brightly coloured materials as these show up easily if they contaminate foods. It is recommended that a cleaning schedule book is maintained which details the area or item to be cleaned, how, when and who is responsible.

PROCESS CONTROL IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Physical and Chemical evaluation of raw materials and processed products In- process control of Raw materials, ingredients and packaging supplies Processing parameters Finished products

Microbiological analysis and control of raw materials and finished products. Control of storage and handling conditions. Sanitation and Waste product control. Assurance that final products are within the legal and marketing standards established. Quality control focuses on the product, while quality assurance focuses on the process. Quality control includes evaluating an activity, a product, process, or service while quality assurance aims to ensure processes are sufficient to meet clearly defined objectives. Further on, Quality assurance ensures a product or service is created, implemented, or produced correctly, whereas quality control determines if the end product results are satisfactory or not. Quality control in a typical food processing system begins right from the stage of production of food and runs till the stage of its sale and distribution. Some of the common quality control measures at each stage of a processed food are highlighted below:

PRODUCTION

Control on the use of pesticides, veterinary drugs, and fertilizers. Quality control at the time of harvesting. Post harvest handling particularly during storage (temperature, humidity and time control)

PROCESSING

Use of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) Application of Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points (HACCP)approach to achieve optimum results with regard to the quality and safety of the product. The application of ISO 9000 series of standards to establish Q.C regimes.

DISTRIBUTION AND SALE

The ambient conditions under which food is stored or transported. For ex. Time, temperature, humidity. Application of first-in, first-out principle to see that food is not held beyond its shelf life. Protection against insects, rodents, and extraneous matter. Preparation of food particularly street foods under hygienic conditions.

REGULATORY QUALITY CONTROL 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 the 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.

A food manufacturer contravening national food legislation is subject to penalties which can, in extreme cases, be very severe and involve forced closure of the plant and heavy fines. Manufacturers should be aware that consumers are becoming increasing concerned about food safety and quality issues and are thus more likely to take complaints to the local food control authority.

SEVEN QUALITY TOOLS USED IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Quality tools help people understand and improve processes. There are many different tools, and the skill of quality professionals lies in their ability to take an application from one field or industry and apply it, or adapt it, to specific situations in other fields.

Flowchart/process map Graphical tools for process understanding. A flowchart creates a map of the steps in a process, and documents the inputs and outputs for each step. Central to the implementation of TQM is the gradual introduction of tools and techniques with a problem-solving focus. Many of these have been around for a long time, or are derived from traditional tools. Process mapping, where a flowchart is used to show all the steps in a process with the aim of revealing irregularities and potential problems, is not unlike work-study flow diagrams.

Check sheeta simple data-recording device, custom-designed by the user to allow for easy data collection and interpretation. Daily job result records are especially useful in helping employees to quickly recognize abnormalities and take immediate action to deal with them. For this purpose, keep the records up to date on a daily basis, and arrange them so that they are easy to inspect. Carry out safety checks at the following stages, using safety check sheets: o o o o o The design of the facilities and equipment. The acceptance inspections (inspections carried out where the facility and equipment are manufactured). When the facilities and equipment are set up or installed. When final authorization is given to use them. When operation begins.

Cause-effect diagrama tool for analyzing a process by illustrating the main causes and sub-causes leading to an effect (or symptom). Also called an "Ishikawa diagram" after its inventor, Kaoru Ishikawa, and the "fishbone diagram," because the complete diagram resembles a fish skeleton. The purpose of analysis is to investigate the real causes of the problem. Carry it out in two steps: 1. Identify different possible causes. 2. Decide which of these are the genuine causes. Use cause and effect diagrams and other QC tools to examine the possible causes that emerge in steps 1 and 2. This may lead to the identification of more possible causes. Then organize all of these

possible causes systematically. Establish which of the possible causes have a substantial effect on the problems. Use cause and effect diagrams to narrow these down and construct a hypothesis on how the abnormality may have developed.

Pareto charta graphic tool for ranking causes from most significant to least significant. Its named for economist Wilfred Pareto, who said most effects come from relatively few causes: that is, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the possible causes. It is important to assess the progress that is being made towards achieving the safety targets. This will also allow every employee see what is being done to make the workplace safer, and where problems may still exist. Analyze the results by departments and sections etc. using Pareto diagrams to rank them.

HistogramA graphical depiction of variation in a set of data. A histogram lets people see patterns that are difficult to detect in a simple table of numbers. A way of improving the attitudes of employees is to ensure that there is an even distribution of employees of different ages and different years of service. This distribution should be balanced in the following categories: a. The total number of employees. b. The number of employees of each sex. c. The number of employees in each job. First, work out how employees are presently distributed with reference to the criteria of age, Sex and years of service. Then map out a long-term plan that will give a well-balanced Distribution. Visual aids, such as a histogram, will be helpful in doing this.

Control charta chart with upper and lower control limits on which values for a series of samples are plotted. The chart frequently includes a central line to help detect a trend of plotted values toward either control limit. Use control graphs to check the progress of implementation plans. These are time-series graphs (graphs that show changes over a period of time) in which action limits are entered. The action limit is the limit represented by the highest or lowest value in a quality control chart. If the actual values fall outside these limits, a correction in the process is required and/or the cause of the change in the process must be determined. Data giving the monthly, or daily, achievements for each control item is plotted on the graph. Any data that falls outside the action limits indicates a failure to achieve the implementation scheduled for that point in time. When this happens action should always be taken.

Scatter diagramsa graphic technique for analyzing the relationship between two variables. Two sets of data are plotted as dots on a graph: Patterns in how the dots are dispersed can help determine if the variables are related.

Once data has been collected, it has to be interpreted. Averages are the most common way of interpreting data, but they often fail to give a true picture of what the data means. Measuring how the data is dispersed gives a more complete picture. Dispersion refers to how the different items of data are spread out or scattered in relation to how they are supposed to be, i.e. in relation to the standard or target values. Therefore Scatter diagrams are used in this case. For example, a residential street with 10 houses with an average price of $240,000 and where each price differs only a little from the average, would be very different from a street with the same average house price, but with 2 houses valued at $1 million and the other 8 each costing around $50,000.