Quality Management
Quality control in food chains
The world is experiencing rapid changes with globalization and socialization; food chains in the twenty first century have been exposed to modernity as compared to the food chains in the past. The development of food chains that are profit oriented are influenced by the growing number of consumers, cultural diversity of the consumers, changing concerns and expectations of the target customers and a new need on matters of safety and quality as pertains to the food chains (Sikora & Strada, 2007). There has been constant pressure on increasing the regulations among the food chain actors.
Authorities dealing with quality control have emphasized on improved quality and safety of the food products by embracing the quality and safety assurance and management systems. Quality control has emphasized on food quality and safety, guided by diverse management systems and safety and quality assurance. Surveys have indicated that there are close relationships between management systems, safety and quality assurance (Sikora & Strada, 2007).
A number of governments have introduced official inspections, food legislation and ethics in the food practice. Achievement of the quality and safety of food in the modern world are shaped by regulatory issues influencing food health quality, food safety, food products convenience and the sensory values within the target market (Sikora & Strada, 2007). This is unlike the tradition food industry that had limited or no regulations.
Food quality is influenced by traits defining food in regards to sensory value, nutritional value, safety of the food and the convenience of the food to the target consumers. Food quality and safety is geared towards hazard free food and food with nutritional value (Sikora & Strada, 2007). Food laws are in place to regulate the food quality and safety in making sure that the consumers purchase food which has high standards in regards to the safety and quality measures.
Quality control regulates the relationship between food health quality, food quality and matters on safety concerns. Food quality is directly proportional to nutritional values, safety measures ensuring that the food is hazard free, convenience and issue of sensory values like smell and taste among others. Quality and safety assurance and management systems are defined in two forms, the obligatory aspect which is required by the law and the voluntary aspects that are shaped by the expectations and the needs of the target market (Sikora & Strada, 2007). Hygiene in food chains is highly valued.
Cultural diversity and political differences
Culture, food, politics and societies have complex relationships. Human behaviors are influenced and shaped by attitudes, culture, ethics, rapport, genetics, hypnosis, values, emotions, politics, coercion and persuasion among other attributes (Sikora & Strada, 2007). Political differences have subdivided the world into different nations which are further sub-divided into sub-political segments. Different nations have different ways of doing things.
The behavior of people is influenced by social norms, which is in turn are shaped by the social control. The human behavior shows different feeding characteristics across diverse cultures. Feeding habits in people are shaped by the social norms, genetics, attitudes and core faith. Each and every individual in a society has certain traits, which in returns leads to different actions by the individuals (Sikora & Strada, 2007). Social norms in a community shape the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors in different cultures and societies.
Human behaviors are highly shaped by the attitudes, which in turn shape the feeding patterns of people from different nations, societies and cultures. Quality control initiatives must recognize the attributes of the political differences and the cultural diversity in setting the initiatives on food quality management.
6-T’s importance
6-T’s focuses on transparency, traceability, time, testability, training and trust. Food supply chains relates directly to the 6-T’s in the quality management. Food quality according to researchers identifies with the food quality characteristics that consumers in the target market conform to. External factors are the food appearance, flavor and texture (Sikora & Strada, 2007). The appearance of food is shaped by gloss, size, shape, color and issues of consistency. In the United States, there are international standards that are enforced by the Federal Grade Standards, taking an example of eggs. The internal factors are the physical attributes, chemical attributes and the microbial attributes.
In the United States, surveys have shown that the 1990 Food Safety Act enforces the quality of food in the country. The public is expected to complain through the professionals in the trading standards, the complaint and the relevant samples are forwarded to the public analysts, which in return checks for adherence of the standards (Sikora & Strada, 2007). The quality standards check on any forms of contamination in making sure that the food has the right dietary, right ingredients, nutritional values and the right medical conditions.
Observing the standards are compounded on the 6-T’s, where transparency, traceability, time, testability, training and trust are components shape the brand of the food products. Organizational cultures of the companies involved in the food production are expected to honor the attributes of 6-T’s (Sikora & Strada, 2007). Issues of sanitation requirements are a prerequisite, with the environment involved in the food production. Taking an example, United States faced a challenge with E. Coli outbreak, where spinach was affected due to poor sanitation.
Institute Monde Selection and European food Law are bodies involved in the quality management; it is expected that food must go through sensory analysis, chemical analysis, bacteriological analysis, utilization notice and health and nutrition claims. In short, food must observe convenience, taste, health, packaging, labeling, innovation and environmental friendliness (Sikora & Strada, 2007).
References
Sikora, T. & Strada, A. (2007). Safety and Quality Assurance and Management Systems in Food Industry. Cracow University of Economics , 85-95.
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