Food Quality Control and Health Registration Standards
Food Quality
Food quality is a concept determined by a combination of different factors, all contributing to the acceptability of food. It is a set of attributes that refer to a part of the presentation, composition, purity, and conservation treatment technology that make the food more or less appealing to consumers. On the other hand, the health aspect and nutritive value of food should indicate the quality to which we refer: nutritional quality, health quality, organoleptic quality, and technological quality. Economic determinants of quality are color, texture, taste, aroma, scent, and absence of contaminants. There is a possibility of confusion in the use of this concept: “high food prices mean good quality.” Quality fitness must mean a pattern of attributes set. To assess the quality, it is necessary to make an assessment of the food by objective and subjective methods, physical, chemical, and physical parameters. The subjective is through taste panels. We can only work with objective methods when we have the assurance that there is a correlation with sensory attributes. There are many measures of physical chemistry used as the food: weight, moisture, density, sugar content, peroxide value, and tannin content. Never rush a single objective test to say something about food security. A food is the chain of factors, and their alignment depends on the quality. Factors of appearance, kinesthetic, and sensory should be analyzed, i.e., factors relating to size, degree of ripeness, viscosity, elasticity, and toughness.
Quality Control
Quality control is an inspection system and performance analysis that is applied to a food manufacturing process so that from a small but representative sample of the food, one will be able to judge the quality. General principles for the analysis method chosen should be appropriate to the purpose for which results are required. When applying a method of analysis to test materials, performance characteristics in the laboratory must be known. Any method of analysis used to test materials must be monitored constantly and carry associated quality control procedures. The analyst applying a method of analysis to test materials must have demonstrated competence in this regard. There must be documented evidence that these principles are respected.
Choice of Method
The choice of method of food analysis may be necessary for various purposes, such as:
- Control of prohibited substances (application of rules and surveys)
- Control of permitted substances (application of rules and surveys)
- Composition rules (implementing standards and authenticity surveys)
- Food composition surveys
- Dietary intake surveys
Performance Requirements
Analysis methods must be chosen taking into account their performance against the agreed requirements, the most important of which, from a technical standpoint, are the following:
- Accuracy: Lack of systematic error, the degree to which the average results of several determinations would approach the true value, particularly when approaching the concentration at which a measure could be adopted or, in the case of a survey, over the range of concentrations.
- Accuracy: Degree of agreement between repeated independent measurements made with the same test material, particularly in concentrations close to those in which a measure could be adopted or, in the case of a survey, over the range of concentrations.
- Detection Limit: Specified based on a given level of confidence in the presence of a substance that should not be present or as a concentration should be at least a factor of 3 below the level that might be needed a decision.
- Determination Limit: Specified based on the lowest level at which the concentration can be quantified with a given degree of confidence.
- Sensitivity: Change in the concentration unit response, usually specified in concentrations close to those which could be taken a measure.
- Specificity: The extent to which other substances (known) can give rise to a disturbing signal.
- Scope of Application: Interval matrices that apply to performance characteristics.
- Practical Properties: Variety of uses, relevance.
- Reliability: Resistance, relative independence on the skill of the analyst.
Other features that may be necessary to consider are simplicity, speed, and cost.
Main Steps in the Quality System
In recent years, great interest has been granted to automatic procedures. The need to replace manual methods and automated techniques are faced with reduced technical and wasteful use of skilled. In view of the difficulties in the development of rapid microbiological methods, chemical tests have been developed to indirectly determine the destruction of pathogens. They are performed to confirm whether they have achieved the desired results and are performed to verify that the product is within specification limits or any legal or recognized when the test sample indicates an abnormality, he takes a more detailed analysis.
Product Review
The product reviews are not a true control since its state is too late to make any changes.
Concepts
- Quality Certification: The process by which an entity that is declared as an independent, written assurance that a product, process, or service meets the requirements specified in either a national or international standard.
- System of Certification: This system has its own rules of procedure and management to carry out certification.
- Agency Certification: The entity that evaluates and certifies a product with respect to specified requirements and has official recognition of the sanitary registration.
Manufactured Food and Beverages
Chapter I, Article 101
Health Registration Authority for the General Directorate of Environmental Health (DIGESA) of the Ministry of Health is the body responsible nationwide to register, re-register, modify, suspend, or cancel the sanitary registration of food and drink and perform health monitoring of products subject to registration.
Article 102: Mandatory Health Registry
Only industrialized foods and beverages sold in the country are subject to a Health Record. For purposes of Health Registry, it is considered industrial food or drink into the final product for human consumption, obtained by physical processing, chemical or biological inputs of plant, animal, or mineral that contains food additives.
Article 103: Food and Beverage Health Registration Not Required
The following are not subject to a Health Record:
- Food and drinks in their natural state, whether or not packaged for sale, such as grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, and eggs, among others.
- Samples without commercial value.
- Products donated by foreign entities for charitable purposes.
Article 104: Colleges and Obligations Under the Health Registration
Obtaining Licensing of a product enables the manufacture or import and marketing by the holder of the registry, under the conditions laid down in this Regulation. The Health Record holder is responsible for the sanitary quality and safety of the food or drink free for marketing.
Section 122: Violations of Rules on the Licensing of Food and Beverages
Violations of rules relating to food and health registration Beverages include:
- Manufacturing, storing, or marketing of products without health registration.
- Appropriate to the labeling of containers a registration number that corresponds to the product registered.
- Modify or change the data and conditions stated for obtaining health registration, without having communicated in the form and conditions prescribed by this Regulation.
- Incorporate the food or beverage additives being banned or allowed to exceed the maximum limits.
- Use containers made of materials whose use is prohibited.