There is a difference between food safety and food quality. They are equally important and integrated concepts but have different meanings. That is why an effective food safety management system supports both principles.
Food Safety vs Food Quality
Food safety refers to the preservation of food quality. A food safety management system is designed to help farmers prevent food contamination that can cause human health issues. Contamination can occur at any stage of the agricultural value chain. They include the type of fertilizers used, soil quality, pest control, temperature control during transport, waste management practices and more.
Food quality includes food safety and other characteristics. It references the food’s value, acceptability and specifications. Supply chain traceability systems support food safety by ensuring agricultural products meet quality standards established by the farmer and their customers and that the products are correctly labeled throughout the value chain.
Interrelationship of Food Safety and Food Quality
Though food safety and food quality mean different things, they are interrelated. Food must obviously be safe for human consumption, making safety one element of food quality. The only way to ensure safety and quality are protected as the agricultural products move through the supply chain is through supply chain traceability.
The food safety management system utilizes technologies like QR codes to keep track of products. A tech-based data collection and analysis system can assist farmers and others in the food supply chain with food certification, which is also crucial to food safety and quality, as certification means products meet recognized standards. There is no way for a farmer, food processor, and retailer to know if food is safe for consumption or has the desired quality unless the farming practices and movement of products through the supply chain are tracked.
SourceTrace offers a food safety management system that supports food safety and quality as interrelated issues. Contact us to learn more about our agriculture management system.
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