Food Contact Materials
Materials and packaging that can be reasonably expected to come into contact with food are called „ food contact materials ‟. These include:
� packaging;
� food processing equipment;
� cookware;
� worksurfaces.
To keep the food products safe for consumption:
� make sure that food contact materials don ‟ t transfer anything to the food they touch;
� make sure that food contact materials don ‟ t change the food they touch;
� when inspected, be able to show where the food contact materials came from.
Bacteria and food poisoning
To keep food safe from bacteria, you should follow the HAACP plan. Bacteria that cause serious health problems are:
� E. coli O157 and campylobacter;
� Salmonella, especially with the storage and handling of eggs.
Food hygiene training Employers are responsible for staff hygiene training. It can be either a formal training programme or an informal one. For example, on the job training or self study.
Food allergies If you are a food retailer or caterer, you need to manage food allergies when preparing and selling food.
Food inspections
You can be inspected by specific national authorities according to national or international laws / directives / regulations at any point in the food production and distribution process.
3. Food Quality
Food quality represents the internal( e. g. chemical, physical, microbial) and external( e. g. appearance, texture and flavor) characteristics of food that are acceptable to consumers. Food quality is an important food manufacturing requirement, because food consumers are susceptible to any form of contamination that may occur during the manufacturing process. Besides ingredient quality, there are also sanitation requirements. Food quality also deals with product traceability, e. g. ingredients and packaging suppliers, should a recall of the product be required. It also deals with labelling issues to ensure there is correct ingredient and nutritional information.
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