Food Safety, its Definition, Importance, Scope, & Factors affecting Food safety

FOOD AND FOOD SAFETY

Food means “Any substance whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, which is intended for human consumption” (FSSAI). It includes primary food (except the produce in the hand of a farmer or a fisherman), genetically modified (GM) food or foods having genetic ingredients, infant food, packaged drinking water, alcoholic drink, and also the water used in food during manufacture or preparation. To ensure that food is not harmful for Humans consumption Food safety is required.

Food safety is a scientific discipline describing the handling, preparation, and storage of foods in ways that prevent food-borne illness. It gives the “Assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or consumed according to its intended use” (CAC). The track within this line of thought is the safety between industry and the market and between market and consumer. At top priority, food safety is the responsibility of every person who is involved in foodservice.

IMPORTANCE OF FOOD SAFETY

1. Under food safety we identify hazards in food and use preventive measures to remove or minimize the hazard.
2. Food safety provides the best quality of food as food undergoes processing in various steps, therefore there are fewer chances of food hazards.
3. Food safety also helps in improving the health status of living beings, as food free from physical, chemical, and biological hazards is good for human health.
4. Food safety helps in the long-term storage of food as it is stored under proper temperature and moisture as per the requirement.
5. Food safety helps in maintaining the nutritional value of the food to be high, as food is stored in favorable conditions making a minimum loss in nutrients.
6. Food safety also helps in preserving food stock for the future. Some time due to natural disasters like floods, tsunami, landslides, etc. there is a scarcity of food and at that time stored food may help in maintaining the supply line.

SCOPE OF FOOD SAFETY

• To provide an idea and vision about the nature of food production and the way this is going to be processed that includes all the Raw materials, utilities, manpower, environment, and other factors that are going to be assessed to get a safe end product.
• Identifying critical points in food processing and handling required for safe food production.
• Identification of food safety hazards by using the scientific method.
• Acquaint with the implementation of measures to control these hazards where significant better use of resources.
• Standardization of hazard management allowing for easier auditing and inspection.

FACTORS AFFECTING FOOD SAFETY

There are many factors in food safety like food systems, socio-cultural and ecological factors, the food chain. technology, nutritional aspects, and epidemiology that influence the multiplication and entry of pathogens and the formation of toxins in food. These can be discussed as follows:

1. Epidemiological Factors

Improve understanding of epidemiology (study of the distribution and determinants of health-related conditions or events in a defined population) provides the necessary scientific approach. for food safety. Changes in agricultural practices, food processing, packaging, and storage could facilitate microbial contamination and growth; hence food contamination can occur anywhere along the food chain. An understanding of these complex issues is needed, so that food safety strategies could be formulated.

2. Socio-cultural Factors

High probability of communicable diseases among young, old, and immune-compromised individuals, increased international travel, willingness to try new exotic cuisines, ingredients from different parts of the world, and transportation of raw and finished products are the main causes of food-borne diseases. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, the elderly, and the sick.

The major source of food-borne pathogens is contaminated raw food and ingredients. These then spread from raw to cooked food especially by inadequately cleaned utensils or equipment or hands.

3. Socio-economic Factors

The food safety risk is higher among low to medium-low socioeconomic status groups due to limited food safety knowledge, crowded homes, and smaller kitchens. The problems are more prevalent at small, independently owned outlets where many urban, low-income population shops or eat. Also, resources for maintaining safe food preparation and handling practices within the home are more limited among these populations. It has been observed that most of these people do not have access to quality potable water and are unable to refrigerate food after cooking. Food-borne diseases impede socioeconomic development by straining the health care system and harming the national economy, tourism, and trade.

DANGERS OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS

The illness can be for an individual or for establishment:

(a) Individual: Foodborne illness is the greatest danger to food safety. It could result in illness or diseases to an individual that would affect their overall health, work, and personal lives.

• Loss of productivity and family income.
• Increased insurance.
• Medical expenses.
• Death or funeral expense.

(b) Establishment: Foodborne illness outbreak can cost an establishment thousands of rupees, it can even be the reason an establishment is forced to close.

• Loss of prestige and reputation including embarrassment. 
• Lowered employee morale and absenteeism.
• Loss of customers and sales.
• Increase insurance premiums.
• Lawsuits.