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Food Safety and Quality
Assurance
Food safety refers to the production of food, which
is safe and wholesome throughout the shelf life of
the product. At the same time that consumers
everywhere are demanding safe food, they also want
high quality food.
Quality can be defined as the physical attributes of a
product that make the food look, smell, taste and feel
good. Many of the procedures used to manufacture a
safe food product enhance the quality of your
product. In turn, developing quality control systems
in your manufacturing process contributes to a safe
food product. Assuring a safe food product is
fundamental to the success of your business.
Both provincial and federal government food
regulations are focused on ensuring food safety.
Food safety policy and the setting of standards rest
with Health Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) handles the inspection of food
processing facilities.
As a food processor, one of your goals is to identify
possible hazards associated with your product,
processing and distribution, which could
compromise the safety and quality of the food. You
must understand the regulations and take the
necessary steps to control hazards, which pose a
health risk to the consumer.
Food Hazards
Hazards in food can be:
• microbiological (yeasts, moulds, bacteria and
parasites)
• chemical (pesticides, cleaning and sanitizing
solutions)
• physical (stones, insect parts, jewelry, pens and
glass)
They can enter the food at any stage, from growing
and harvesting through to the point of purchase or
consumption.
Micro-organisms are small, living organisms. Some
are beneficial and allow for the production of bread,
cheese, wine and antibiotics. Others, like mould,
cause foods to spoil. The micro-organisms known as
pathogens make people sick by producing toxins or
poisons. Microbial hazards are generally the most
significant when it comes to food safety because you
cannot see or smell them.
Microbes are found everywhere and can be
transferred to food by insects, utensils, equipment,
hands, air, dust and water. The requirements for
microbial life and growth are similar to that of
humans; food, water, warmth and in some cases
oxygen. Microbes like the same foods we do. By
growing in the food they cause food to spoil and
illness in humans.
In food processing, the goal is to:
• reduce the levels of and /or remove spoilage
organisms
• eliminate pathogenic micro-organisms
• control the growth of beneficial micro-organisms
It is important to minimize the contamination of the
product from the time ingredients are received to the
time of consumption. Storage instructions, best
before dates and food preservatives help control
microbial growth.