INTRODUCTION TO FOOD QUALITY

Unit 1
Food Quality is a sensory property that
includes appearance, taste, nutritional
value (nutrient content), health benefit
(functional ingredient) or safety
(chemical, physical, biological).
Need for Quality Food
● Major challenges for food industry is to maintain the
food quality; the reason being well aware consumers.
● For this reason, food industry has to adopt certain
techniques in order to the growing need in
maintaining food quality; this is known as food quality
control.
● The main issue which is considered while quality
control process is to deteriorate the level of microbes
and other contaminants in foods.
Quality Management Systems

For food quality, there are three important tools which are widely used to help
ensure conformance to product specifications, meet customer demands and
contribute to due diligence efforts:
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP):
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) are basic food safety principles which aim to
minimise biological, chemical and physical hazards from field through to
distribution. GAP practices include site selection, land use, wild life and habitat
protection, water, fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMO),
integrated crop management (ICM), animal feeding practices, worker hygiene,
field and facility sanitation, cooling and transportation.
● Good Manufacturing Practices

Good manufacturing practices (GMP) direct all persons working in direct

contact with food, surfaces that food might contact and food packaging
materials, to conform to sanitation and hygiene practices to the extent
necessary to protect against contamination of food from direct and
indirect sources. GMP act as a prerequisite program for HACCP and are
mostly specified in related legislation.
GMP’s are commonly referred to as the minimum hygiene requirements that
must be met to assure their products are safe and of a high and consistent
quality. They are expected from all players in the animal feed chain, including
the production, processing, storage, transport and distribution of feed and
feed ingredients. Each participant in the chain is responsible for the activities
under their control.

Examples include, design and layout of food premises, structural condition

and maintenance of food premises and equipment, provision of adequate
plant equipment and facilities (e.g. toilets, drainage, ventilation), personnel
hygiene and training of food handlers, cleaning and sanitation, pest control,
storage, distribution, transport and waste management.
● Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

HACCP is an internationally recognised preventative risk-

management tool which enables feed or food manufacturers to
identify critical control points for microbiological (e.g.
salmonella), chemical (e.g. pesticides) , physical (e.g. glass)
and allergenic (e.g. nuts) contaminants. Rather than traditional
inspection and quality control procedures which concentrated on
testing the end product to detect compliance or failure, HACCP
proactively and systematically analyses for potential risks and
identified appropriate control and monitoring systems,
particularly those deemed critical to the safety of the product.
Essential Characteristics of a Food Quality
Control System
Ensuring quality isn’t a single step during production. Instead, it’s implanted into
every step of the process, including development, production, and distribution.
High-quality products are created using carefully and meticulously designed
procedures that considers potential problems to occur at any stage of production.
There are both active and reactive methods to ensure the products meet certain
quality standards.
Pro-Active Quality Control
Also known as ‘Preventive Quality Control,’ this food quality measure helps
prevent any production anomalies. Its coverage can include anything from
machine and equipment inspections, worker retraining, use of sign-off work
instructions, and regular checking of tools and their condition.
While catching potential flaws is the goal of food quality control, reducing the
number of defects and improving overall product quality starts with having
proactive solutions.
Reactive Quality Control
Defects are bound to happen on any production line. That’s why businesses need
to have a way to quickly identify and correct these issues before they result in
customer complaints or cause long-term damage to the product.
This involves conducting regular audits, maintaining up-to-date customer
feedback records, and having a system to track and correct defects. Data
collected from these issues can then be used for future applications, which is a
specific improvement on the proactive quality control systems.
Top 6 Food Quality Control Procedures
1. Ingredient Specifications
Every production process starts with sourcing the right raw materials. The quality of
the finished product is only as good as the ingredients that are used. That’s why it’s
critical to have a set of specifications for each ingredient used in production.
These specifications should include purity, identity, moisture content, and more. Also,
understanding where each ingredient batch was sourced and in what condition are
also the right first steps to achieving good quality control.
2. Approved Supplier List
In addition to ingredient specifications, it’s also important that each raw material
for producing food has an approved supplier list. This list should be reviewed
and updated regularly.
The list should include information such as the ingredient name, supplier name,
address, and code number. It’s the responsibility of the Procurement team to
work with Quality Assurance to develop, review, and update this approved
supplier list.
3. Incoming Goods Inspection
Once the raw materials are sourced and arrive at the manufacturing facility, they must
undergo an inspection process. This helps to ensure that the materials meet the
required specifications.
The inspection should include a visual examination of the goods and tests for things
like moisture content, pH levels, and more. Any raw material that doesn’t meet the
specification should be returned to the supplier or quarantined until a decision is
made.
4. Production Formulation
After the raw materials are approved, the Production team will formulate the finished
product. This is done by following production instructions that include ingredients,
recommended weights, batch size, and process time.
These instructions must be detailed and followed exactly to maintain product
consistency. The Production team should also document everything they do during the
manufacturing process.
5. Manufacturing Procedures
Companies should have a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for each step of
the manufacturing process. These SOPs should be followed exactly to ensure product
quality.
The SOPs should include process flow diagrams, critical control points, and more.
Also, companies must document every detail of how their product is made. These
details should include:
● How to transport and store specific ingredients
● The ideal conditions the facility should maintain
● The correct order of adding ingredients
● The tools to use
● A list of each member in the production team and what their roles entail
6. In-Process Records
In-process records help to identify any issues that may arise during production. They also help to
ensure that the finished product meets all the required specifications.
Some of the things that require documentation in in-process records include:
● Batch size
● Process time
● Incoming and outgoing product weights
● Product appearance
● pH levels
● Moisture content
● And more.
Selection, Purchase and Storage of Foods
Food Selection
Selection or choice of food is very important in meal management. Providing food in a
manner which is satisfactory to many people can be a complicated issue. Many
decisions are required and careful thought and planning is important.
The types of food you select depends on:

● the money you have

● your nutritional needs and
● the effect of advertisements
The money you have
The more money you have the more foods you can buy
and the greater your choice. People who have a lot of
money can afford a variety of meals and can eat away
from home. People with small incomes have a limited
choice and it becomes a hard task to buy enough food to
meet family needs.
Likes and dislikes
You eat to keep alive and healthy. At the same
time most people also eat to enjoy the food.
People tend to eat foods they like and avoid
those they dislike.
Is there any food you dislike? Why do you dislike
it? Is this food very nutritious?
Advertisements
Another great influence on food choice is advertisement.Advertisements have a way
of persuading people to make choices. Food manufacturers and shops advertise
their products through television, radio, magazines, newspapers, posters and
leaflets.
Good adverts are decent, honest and truthful.
They do not mislead the public about a product.
They show a sense of responsibility to people.
They conform to fair competition behaviour different manufacturers and businesses.
Nutritional needs
Your food choice will also depend on your need for
food. Everyone has a biological need for food. It is
essential for life without food one becomes weak and
ill. People vary in the amount of food they need for
reasons like health, age and activity.
Food Purchasing
Food purchasing can be a boring or
interesting adventure depending on one’s
approach to it. To make food purchasing
interesting you have to know much about
the marketplace and ways in which you
can make the most out of your food
budget.
Factors that determine the cost of the things you want to purchase:

1. Production cost
This is the amount of money used to produce the item. In the case of food, the
production cost will include the money spent on cleaning the land, sowing the
seeds, harvesting and processing. The final cost of a product is determined by
this amount plus others like transportation cost, profit and handling charges.
2. The season
Food items always cost less when they are in season because they are plenty
and so the supply becomes high. When market supply of a commodity becomes
high the price of the commodity falls. Food items that are out of season become
scarce and therefore their prices are higher.
3. Demand for item
Usually when many people want a certain item, its price increases.
4. Advertisements
These are ways in which manufacturers and sellers tell us they have
certain goods and services for sale. Advertisements cost money. The cost
of advertising a product is added to the production cost to make up the
price of a product. The more the advertisement the higher the cost of the
product.
5. Amount of processing
Processing adds value to products and it costs money. Foods that are
processed to provide conveniences cost more than unprocessed ones.
Do you now see why these factors affect the cost of products? Having
learnt about these factors how would you buy your commodities so that you
do not spend too much money
Factors that determine the amount of money we spend on food.

● Your skills personal preferences,

● Your values and your lifestyle will all determine your food selection and hence the
money you spend buying food.
● The skill of bargaining for example would help you to buy goods at the cheapest
possible cost.
● Buying foods in season and in bulk also helps to cut down cost.
● Buying food from farm gates instead of from retailers also cuts cost.When you
buy food, buy them from places where prices are lower and where food sold is of
good quality.Buy food from places that are clean and where food is well stored.
6. Forms in which food is sold
Foods are sold in many forms. The form you buy is determined by the storage
facilities you have, how much convenience you need and what you want to use
the food for. Foods are sold fresh, dried, frozen or canned.

a.Fresh foods

Fresh foods provide most nutrients since processing may destroy the
nutrients. Fresh foods are natural and do not require fortification or
processing. They therefore cost less. How ever, because they are fresh
b. Frozen foods
Frozen foods are much nearer to fresh foods as far as nutrient content is
concerned. Freezing prevents the action of enzymes and microorganisms.
Remember that when you thaw a frozen food completely it must be used
immediately to avoid spoilage. Thawed foods should not be refrozen.

c. Dried foods
Dried foods have their moisture removed. Some dried foods like milk powder,
can be reconstituted by adding water. Dried foods do not require refrigeration.
d. Canned foods
Canned foods are convenient to use. They will not spoil as long as the
can is not punched. Canned foods should be stored in cool dry places.
They do not have the taste of freshly cooked foods. They are much
more expensive than foods in other forms. They have long shelf life that
is they last longer. Unless canned foods are fortified with nutrients they
loose most of their nutrient content.
Tips for Shopping
1.Make a shopping list so that you buy the things you need without wasting time.
2.Choose the type and location of market appropriate to your needs.
3.Compare prices and quality of commodity before you buy.
4.Buy foods in bulk if you have storage facilities and money. It is cheaper.
5.Do not shop when you are hungry; it makes you buy more than necessary.
6.Do not take children along when you go shopping; they make you buy unnecessary
things.
7.Avoid impulse buying, that is buying things you did not plan for.
8.When you buy canned or packaged foods, look out for the expiry date or ‘use by’ date.
It is the last day a product is considered fresh. A food may still be safe to eat after this
date but the taste and nutrient quality may not be good.
Donts
Do not buy processed foods when the following signs are seen:-

● Cans are bulging or dented because they may cause food poisoning
● Rusty can may contain spoiled food
● Frozen food packages that are soft or soggy may have thawed for a long time and
May be spoiling
● Refrozen foods, this can be detected as stained packages or crystallized products
● Opened or damaged packages
● Moldy or coloured dried foods
● Meat or fish that has dull or slimy surface
Food Storage
Food commodities that are purchased from the market must be stored
well if they must keep their quality. As soon as you return from the
market you need to group your item into the following categories.

● Dry storage items

● Frozen items
● Fresh items
Food is stored mostly because we want to keep it safe and prolong its
shelf life. There are three types of food storage.These are:-

● Dry storage
● Refrigerator storage
● Freezer storage
Dry storage
Foods that need to be kept dry are usually
stored in cabinets or store rooms. Cereals,
canned foods packaged foods and other dry
food items should be kept in cool dry and
clean places in the kitchen. Food should not
be stored above refrigerator or cooker or near
any heat outlet. The temperatures of these
areas are warm and favourable for the growth
of microorganisms. Storage areas must be
kept clean so, you should wipe spills as soon
as they occur to avoid attracting insects.
Refrigerator storage
Refrigerator temperatures should be between O degree celsius and 7
degree celsius. Temperatures in the refrigerator vary depending on the
part of the refrigerator. The shelves on the door are not as cold as the
inside. This area is good for storing eggs. The lower part of the
refrigerator is also not very cold so vegetables can be stored there.
Foods stored in the refrigerator must be covered well so that it would
not dry out or absorb odours from other foods.
Freezer storage
● The temperature of the freezer should be - 18oC or below. Frozen foods their
original packages in the freezer. Foods to be frozen should be wrapped in moisture
and vapour proof wrapping and arranged properly in the freezer.
● After shopping for food, store frozen foods immediately in the freezer, so that they
will not thaw completely. After this you can store other foods that need refrigeration
like eggs. Wash fresh vegetables before storing in the vegetable compartment of
the refrigerator. Store yams, potatoes and onions in a cool dry place.
● If fruits are not fully ripe they should be kept at room temperature until they are
ripe. Then they can be put in the refrigerator. Do not store bananas in the
refrigerator because they darken and do not look attractive.
● Canned and packaged foods should be placed in a cool and dry cupboard. When
opened they must be refrigerated.