Food quality
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Food quality is the quality characteristics of food that is acceptable to consumers. This includes external factors as appearance (size, shape, color, gloss, and consistency), texture, and flavor; factors such as federal grade standards (eggs) and internal (chemical, physical, microbial).
Food quality is an important food manufacturing requirement, because food consumers are suspectible to any form of contamination that may occur during the manufacturing process. Many consumers also rely on manufacturing and processing standards, particularly to know what ingredients are present, due to dietary, nutritional requirements (kosher, halal, vegetarian), or medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, or allergies).
Besides ingredient quality, there is also sanitation requirements. This is important to ensure the food processing environment is as clean as possible in order to produce the safest possible food for the consumer. A recent example of poor sanitation recently has been the 2006 North American E. coli outbreak involving spinach, an outbreak that is still under investigation.
Food quality also deals with product traceability, in terms of ingredient and packaging suppliers in the need for a recall of the product. It also deals with labeling issues to ensure there are correct ingredient and nutritional information as well.
[edit] Reference
- Potter, Norman N. and Joseph H. Hotchkiss (1995). Food Science. 5th Edition. New York: Chapman & Hall. pp.90-112.
[edit] External links
- Hyfoma - Food Quality Laws, Standards and legislation
- EHEDG international standard
- American Society of Quality Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Division
- Institute of Food Technologists Quality Assurance Division
| Food Science |
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| Food allergy • Food chemistry • Food engineering • Food law • Food microbiology • Food packaging • Food processing • Food quality • Foodservice • Food technology • Nutrition • Product development • Sensory analysis |
