IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY AND TRACEABILITY
By Dr Ch ’ ng Soo Ee Chief Executive Officer , CAIQTEST ( China Academy of Inspection and Quarantine ) Innovation Malaysia Service Center
After the outbreak of the new coronavirus , everyone ’ s life was disrupted . However , food is the most basic need of man and no matter how life is affected , man cannot do without it . When it comes to food safety , everyone may be particularly concerned about the recently hyped up “ salmon ” incident . This pandemic has forced us to reconsider the issue of food safety and question our traditional food industry ’ s operating methods . It also revealed new trends , reshaped our concepts of food safety and food supply sustainability , and even reformulated innovative ideas .
In the food processing industry , it is important to ensure the health of all workers in the production line and supply chain and avoid any possible cross-contamination . Food manufacturers , especially those exporting food , should strengthen the environmental monitoring programme in the production line , implement good manufacturing practices ( GMP ) and hazardous critical control points ( HACCP ) to avoid any possible international food supply chain crisis . The key to this is the traceability of the food supply chain from upstream agricultural products to downstream processing to consumers ’ tables . Food traceability has increasingly become an important bridge for building trust between food brands and customers . In fact , an effective traceability system can also curb food fraud cases . If every ingredient in the food can be traced successfully , then consumers will be able to understand the origin of the food more accurately . After all , food ingredients can come from all over the world , and consumers have the right to make choices .
At the same time , when a sudden food safety incident breaks out , the traceability system can
ensure that the food is quickly recalled . Food traceability is regarded as the best way to track the status of every link in the supply chain . From crops to manufacturers to wholesalers and retailers , traceability increases the transparency of the food supply chain and minimises risks . The food traceability system also allows brands to have a comprehensive understanding and more complete control at each stage of the supply chain . If there is a problem at any point in time , the merchant can trace back to the history of the product and find out the specific fault , and take corrective measures before it is too late , so that customers have confidence in the authenticity and quality of the product .
The monitoring of food safety risks , the implementation of standardised and clean agricultural production , and the in-depth evaluation of agricultural product quality and safety risks , especially focusing on the detection of pesticide residues and heavy metal contamination , cannot be ignored . It is very important to guide and supervise the origin of
ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH
63