FOOD SAFETY: QUALITY CONTROL STANDARDS AND METHODS

Abstract

Achieving food safety by producers is still a priority for all sectors of the food industry. This issue becomes even more relevant when the food market is developing rapidly, the level of competition and the range of products of foreign origin are increasing. According to regulatory documents, food safety is the absence of hazardous factors in food at the time of consumption. Such factors can arise at any stage of food production, so adequate management at each stage of the food product life cycle is essential. Recently, Ukraine has implemented a number of measures to improve the situation in the field of quality. Quality management systems in accordance with DSTU ISO 22000 are being implemented at enterprises and central authorities, the existing quality assurance infrastructure is being reformed, standards are being developed and updated, and the necessary legislation is being adopted. Implementation and certification of quality management systems according to the models regulated by the international standards of the ISO 22000 series should be considered an effective tool for improving the quality of products of domestic enterprises. In Ukraine, issues related to food safety and quality are mostly regulated by law. However, the harmonization of European requirements and norms into domestic legislation is not yet complete, especially in the dairy and meat industries. In Ukraine, the implementation of DSTU ISO 22000:2019 “Food Safety Management Systems. Requirements for any organization in the food chain” to harmonize Ukrainian legislation with European standards began as part of the implementation of the signed Association Agreement with the EU. After the transitional phase is over, further development of a safe food market in Ukraine in line with international standards will require the adoption of a number of new legislative and regulatory acts. In each specific food production facility, the general principles and rules of good manufacturing practice are usually implemented through standard operating procedures, production and process instructions. A large number of product quality control methods have been developed, but they can be divided into four main groups: organoleptic, instrumental, physical and chemical, and microbiological.