Challenges in Food Chain Production

1.Competitive Global Markets 2.Complexity in food production

-Process efficiency -Food production, manufacturing,
-Products and process quality distribution, and retailing involve many
-Consumer trust interconnected processes and actors
-Tracking and tracing of food products
-Eliminating of food hazards
-Animal welfare
-Environmental protection

3.Need for Comprehensive control 4.Food safety Policy

-Primary production -Essential for covering all sectors of supply
-Food processing chain
-Storage -Farm-to-table
-Transport
-Retail sale

Definition of food safety

-Absence or acceptable and safe levels of contaminants, adulterants, naturally occurring
toxins or any other substances that may make food risky to health on acute basis

Food quality
-Relates to characteristic like appearance, flavour, texture and packaging

Definition of food safety concept

-Limit exposure to foodborne disease
-Educate processors and consumers on the importance of safe food handling and how to
reduce risk associated with foodborne illness.
Hazard Identification
1. Definition
-Identification on biological, chemical or physical 2. Steps to Address Hazards
agents in food that may cause adverse health A.Identify Potential Hazards
effects focuses on known or potential health ● Assess hazards in the food business
risks ● Locates areas where hazards occur
Type of hazards ● Pinpoint critical area to ensure food
-Current,Emerging, Potential safety
B.Introduce control
● Implement and monitor safety
measures
● Regularly review and update controls as
needed

3.Coverage in Hazard Identification 4. Key Information in Hazard

● Impact of processing methods such as Identification
heat treatment A.Microbial Agent Information
● Effectiveness of storage and distribution ● Overall number, prevalent and
in hazard control characteristic of pathogens in raw
● Consideration of consumer usage and materials
sensitivity ● Resistance to treatment such as heat
● Factors influencing disease production
such as virulence and susceptibility
B.Consumer Information
● Target customer demographics
● Susceptibility to hazards
● outbreak scales
● Patterns of food consumption
C.Food and Process Information
● Hazard prevalence in raw materials
● Effects of processing, storage and
consumer handling
Biological Hazards
● Agent
-Bacteria(Most common), toxins, viruses, protozoa, and parasites
-Bacterial account 90% of foodborne disease
● Consideration
-Consumer sensitivity to specific hazards
-Robustness of preservation systems and treatments
● Risk determination
A.If pathogen is infectious
-Factors: initial contamination, survival conditions, heating and recontamination

B.If pathogen produces toxins

-Toxins may persist even after microbial cells are inactivated
-Growth conditions such as temperature and pH influence toxin production

Identifying the Origin and Distribution of Hazards

1.Hazard Inputs 2.Prevalence and Persistence
● Early identification at the supply ● Pathogen presence in areas where
chain’s beginning such as raw raw materials are harvested
materials ● Routes of contamination such as
● During processing stages to prevent irrigation water and harvesting
cross-contamination machinery

3.Accessing Contamination Levels 4.Incidence and Distribution

If assessment starts at the factory Incidence(% contaminated)
gate: ● Help refine exposure assessment by
● Understand contamination levels assigning probability to
and variability contamination at various stages
● Contamination level influence Distribution
exposure risk assessment ● Tracks where contamination occur in
supply chain

5.Impact of Processing and

Characteristic
Cooking treatment and Heat
Resistance
● Variability in cooking lethality and
resistance of microorganisms affects
risk levels
● Eg:Product thickness influence heat
penetration
Portion
Food Processing – two way traffics
1.Introducing contaminants
● Personal hygiene
● Contaminated equipment
● Cross-contamination
2.Reducing the hazards
● Heat
● High Pressure
● Fermentation
● Dimension of containers
Risk Analysis

Steps in Microbial Food Safety Risk Assessment

1.Describe the Food Safety Problem
-Identify the content and scope
2.Identify Hazards
-Evaluate agents that may cause health risks
3.Assess Exposure
-Determine frequency and levels of consumption
4.Characterize Hazards
-Assess adverse health effects and dose-responses relationships
5.Estimate Risk
-Evaluate illness probability, severity and uncertainty

Chemical Hazard
Types of Chemical Hazards
➔ Industrial and environmental contaminants
➔ Biologically derived contaminants
➔ Contaminants from processing
➔ Improper use of agrochemical
➔ Improper use of additives

Chemical Contamination
1.Acrylamide
● Forms in foods cooked at high temperatures (above 120)
● Created when asparagine reacts with sugar during high-temp cooking
● Health risk: Carcinogen

2.Dioxins and Furans

● Sources: Industrial processes such as steel production, fuel burning,wood burning
● Storage in body: Accumulates in body fat, exposure via diet
● Health Risks: Skin disorders, immune and endocrine system impairment, nervous
system effects and certain cancer
3.PCBs in Fish and Shellfish
● Source: Industrial chemical used in transformers, lubricants
● Health risk: Accumulate in fatty tissues of dish, posing risks to foetuses, children
and nervous system development

4.Mercury in fish
● Source: Predatory fish due to bioaccumulation in food chain
● Health risk: Nervous system damage, birth defects, behaviour change

5.Antibiotic residues
● Source: Beta-lactams, tetracyclines
● Health risk: Antibiotic resistance and residues in edible tissue

6.Beta-Agonists
● Sources: Ractopamine used for leaner meat production

7.Pesticide residues
● Source: Legal but excessive use, post-harvest application or use of unapproved
Pesticide

Physical Hazards
Definition
● Foreign materials unintentionally introduced to food products such as metal fragment
in mince meat or naturally occurring objects such as bones in fish that are a threat to
the consumer
● Hard or sharp objects are potential hazards and can cause:
-Cuts to the mouth or throat
-Damage to the intestine
-Damage to teeths or gums

Common physical hazards

Glass- Light Bulb, glass containers
Metal- Broken needles, Staples, Blades
Plastics- Gloves, containers, utensils
Stones-Peas and beans
Wood- Wooden pallets

How to prevent physical hazards in food

1.Inspect Raw Materials
● Check food ingredients for contaminants during the receiving process

2.Good storage practice

● Evaluate risks in storage areas
 ● Use protective covers like acrylic bulbs or lamp shields

3.Develop Specifications and control

● Establish standards for raw materials, packaging and components to ensure safety

4.Detection and Elimination System

● Use metal detector, filters and screens to detect and remove foreign objects during
production
● X-ray to identity hazards such as stones, bones and hard plastic
● Food radar system transmit low power microwaves
● Magnets used to detect and remove metal

5.Maintain Equipment
● Regularly inspect and maintain machinery to avoid contamination from damaged
machinery

6.Employee Training
● Shipping, receiving and storing
● Proper handling and equipment maintenance
● Calibration to prevent hazards from entering food products
Strategies Ensuring Food safety
1.Specification
● Establish comprehensive and robust food safety specifications for raw materials,
production processes and final products

2.Controls at purchasing and logistics

● Implement strict controls during procurement and transportation to ensure safety
and quality
● Verify suppliers comply with safety standards

3.Audit Certification
● Conduct regalar audit and obtain certification to validate compliance with food safety
regulations

4.Preventive control and testing programs

● Develop and apply preventive measures to eliminate food safety hazards
● Regular testing programs to monitor biological, chemical and physical hazards

5.Traceability
● Use system to track food products through every stages of the supply chain
● Quickly identify and recall unsafe products

6.Performance Objectives
● Improve food safety system

7.Use IT and Management system

● Eg:software and database
● Use IT tool for record-keeping, monitoring and risk analysis.