Principles of food safety
The subject food safety has become a discipline in its own right and a formal definition was elaborated in 1997 by CAC: food safety is the assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.
Safety of food means safety of raw materials, of methods of processing, transport, distribution and retail. Safety of food supply is a key to the consumer confidence.
Safety of food includes food hygiene that is consisting in five key principles according to World Health Organization (WHO): preventing contaminating food with pathogens and cross–contamination by separation raw and cooked foods, using the appropriate time and temperature for cooking food as well as strong them and using safe water and cooked materials.
The key principles of the US food safety system are that:
*Foods placed on the market must be wholesome and safe
*Food safety policy is based on scientific evaluation of hazards; in particular the principles of risk analysis, and when necessary, the precaution principle apply
*Government has enforcement responsibility
*Food producers, retailers etc, are expected to comply with food safety legislation
*The regulatory process is transparent for the public
The principles outline the basic needs for the food supply to be safe and nutritious - this is the fundamental purpose of the system.
Meeting this need requires improvements in farming and downstream activities, including manufacturing, distribution, food service and retailing such as that they support a healthy environment and demand fewer resources and even generates resources such as energy and water.
Principles of food safety
