Strengthening Food Control Systems:
We know it is very important to always keep control of food grains for quality assurance and applying continued advancement in improving food quality and safety. These are some of the areas we follow and assess on a continuous basis:
- establishing food inspection and sampling;
- establishing food laboratory analytical programmes;
- developing monitoring programmes for food contaminants;
- conducting training for food control managers, food inspectors and laboratory analysts;
Good Practices in Crop Production
Implementing quality assurance methods starts at the farm with the application of respectable agricultural practices. Our farmer practices to enrich the production of food that is safe and of good quality, that are environmentally sound and that ensure correct handling, storage, shipping and management of the product. We feel that when excellent practices are properly applied to the production of our grains, consumers can be assured that the food will meet quality and safety standards at the time of harvest. This practice may include:
· selecting the right land to be cultivated for food crop production;
- planting the best-quality seeds of the most appropriate varieties;
- controlling the quality of irrigation water (if used);
- using appropriate harvesting and on-farm storing and handling techniques;
- Using appropriate methods for shipping to markets or food processors.
Good Practice in Processing
The quality and safety of food planned for manufacturing or processing can be ensured by applying good manufacturing practices and good hygienic practices to food processing. When correctly applied, these measures guarantee quality and safety for all the processing or manufacturing procedures from the delivery of the raw materials to the shipping and marketing of the final products to the consumers. Implementation of good hygiene practices requires the use of proper sanitary measures to prevent microbial contamination and assurance of optimal sanitary conditions for processing food products. Good hygiene practices involve:
- the use of proper cleaning and sanitizing techniques, including the use of approved and effective agents used at the proper level (strength, concentration) and frequency to prevent microbial build-up on processing equipment and utensils or other food contact surfaces;
- observation of sanitary practices, use of protective clothing and strict observation of rules of personal hygiene by personnel involved in handling and processing food; the use of hand-washing and hand-sanitizing dip stations when and where appropriate;
- having time and temperature controls in place to prevent microbial growth in the susceptible intermediate and finished processed foods;
- The use of other sanitary measures that are specifically needed because of the nature of the food being processed, the processing technology or the facilities in which the processing takes place.
Good Processing/Manufacturing Practice Involves:
- food grains are of the appropriate level of quality and safety before use and are stored properly to prevent contamination and mix-up with other processing material;
- equipment is maintained for proper functioning;
- temperatures, times, pressures, machine operations and other processing parameters are controlled at the specifications level required to assure proper processing;
- Appropriate labels are used.
