SAFEGUARDING QUALITY FROM RAW-MATERIAL TO END-PRODUCT - SITUATION ANALYSIS FROM THE POINT-OF-VIEW OF THE FOOD TRADE

Food production as carried on in small craft premises is distinguished by the fact that it combines direct responsibility of the owner with short intervals between purchasing, production and sale, permanent sensory process and quality controls, short sales periods and manufacture and sale by craftsmen. Because of their craft traditions these people have a special relationship to the quality of their products. Complete quality control is guaranteed for all finished products because faulty products or those that do not meet quality criteria are either rejected at the end of manufacture or during preparation for sale. Information and advice are given to the consumer at the time of sale, one of the reasons for this being the desire to keep customers happy. Bought-in raw materials, ingredients and additives are subject to legal provisions and guiding-principles. They are provided chiefly by buyers working in that particular branch and are thus censored in advance. This means that quality is safeguarded very efficiently. Of course it needs to be optimized in the food trade as in any branch of industry. A beginning can be made with the so-called critical control points. In this sense process temperatures, process times and shelf life periods and their correct supervision need to be critically analyzed. Cleaning and disinfection should play a larger part in further education and training because of the many preparations available and the many ways in which waste waters can be contaminated. The same applies to the safeguarding of quality, although in this case this is chiefly in the sense of making people aware of what is already being done. Small-scale food production aims to supply local markets. Legal provisions aimed at regulating trading within communities are interested in production and marketing on a large scale and do not take account of smaller enterprises. Controls which legislation hands over to the manufacturer must correspond to the basic principle of commensurability. The small food firm cannot be expected to support its own laboratory and to carry out chemical analysis and microbiological controls. Sensory checks are in the main sufficient to safeguard quality.