One of the most important aspects that underline food quality is its recognition amongst stakeholders . The recognition mentioned is due to norms that describe the food product ; these norms are used as standard references in product certification processes by independent Certification Bodies .
4 . Certification
At its simplest , conformity assessment means checking that products , materials , services , systems or people measure up to the specifications of a relevant standard . For example , a customer may check that the product ordered from a supplier meets the purpose for which it is required . One of the most efficient ways to do this is when the specifications of the product have been defined in an International Standard . That way , both supplier and customer are on the same wavelength , even if they are based in different countries , because they are both using the same references .
The Importance of Product Certification
Today , many products require testing for conformance with specifications or compliance with safety or other regulations before they are put in the market . Even simple products may require supporting technical documentation that includes test data . It isn ‟ t always practical for these activities to be carried out by suppliers and customers , and so often specialized third parties get involved . In addition , national legislation may require such testing to be carried out by independent bodies , particularly when the products have health or environmental implications . In fact , conformity assessment has become an important component of world trade and it ‟ s often carried out by specialist organizations , such as inspection and certification bodies and testing laboratories .
Objectives of Product Certification :
1 . to address the needs of consumers , users and , more generally , all interested parties by giving confidence regarding fulfilment of specified requirements .
2 . to allow suppliers to demonstrate to the market that their products have been attested to fulfil specified requirements by an impartial third party body .
3 . toprovide confidence for those with have an interest in fulfilment of requirements , and sufficient value so that suppliers can effectively market products .
Schemes of Product Certification
Certification schemes for agricultural and food products provide assurance ( through a certification mechanism ) that certain characteristics or attributes of the product or its production method or system , laid down in specifications , have been observed . They cover a wide range of different initiatives that work at different stages of the food supply chain ( preor post-farm gate ; covering all or part of the food supply chain ; affecting all sectors or just one market segment , etc ). They can operate at the business-to-business ( B2B ) level where the supermarket or processing business is the intended final recipient of the information , or at a business-to-consumer ( B2C ) level . They can use logos although many , especially the B2B schemes , don ‟ t do it .
41