Striking the food safety standardisation balance
Although variety they say is the spice of life, in food safety environments, standards, by definition, usually benefit from the installation of standardised equipment. Commercial Manager Jodie Curry at Fortress Technology Europe explores how this alignment of processes and technology tools can contribute to a safer global food supply chain.
Food is a multinational business asserts the Food Standard Agency( FSA). With global food trade growing by 350 % between 2000 and 2021 and reaching a total value of $ 1.7 trillion, strengthening and harmonising food safety standards has never been more important to facilitate safe trade and protect consumers.
When the world became more globalised in the second half of the 20th century, the network of global food and agricultural trade became denser. More countries began trading with one another, with greater participation from low and middle-income countries. In order to adapt to growing food demand, many manufacturers had to refine their food production practices.
STANDARDISING STANDARDS The World Health Organization( WHO) considers sufficient access to safe, nutritious food a basic human right. While food globalisation can help improve this access, especially for those who are facing hunger or are food insecure, it also presents many opportunities for harmful food production and handling practices to go unchecked. Jodie Curry comments:“ Internationally recognised certifications, and global food safety standards that all food
With a standardised approach, every product is inspected to meet the same quality standards, regardless of production location
manufacturers must adhere to are crucial to achieving food security for all.”
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international food standards body established by the Food and Agriculture Organization( FAO) and the World Health Organization( WHO), is at the forefront of developing harmonised international food safety standards, guidelines and codes of practice. Additionally, the International Organization for Standardization( ISO) develop standards like ISO 22000 as a key framework for food safety management systems.
Working alongside these organisations, the Global Food Safety Initiative( GFSI) benchmarks different food safety certification bodies like SQF, BRCGS, and IFS, to ensure they meet specific criteria for international trade. Compliance with these standards, along with region-specific regulations, is often a prerequisite to accessing global markets.
STANDARDISATION FOR MULTI- SITE MANUFACTURERS Governing bodies and food safety organisations highlight the importance of standardising food safety practices. However, the high cost of compliance, lack of technical expertise and evolving food safety risks, pose ongoing challenges to food manufacturers. International collaboration and support throughout the entire food supply chain are vital to addressing these issues.
For multinational food companies, global standardisation of production processes ensures all locations perform similarly, creating consistency between different countries and regions. This unified approach is important to establishing efficient operations and quality assurance, while simultaneously ensuring full compliance with global food safety standards.
Manufacturing standardisation strategies can include:
• Ensuring all facilities adhere to
86 FDPP- www. fdpp. co. uk