21 - Management of product quality and safety

Abstract

Publisher Summary Today, pressures on chilled food businesses have become considerable; they arise from a variety of sources, including the media, customers, the end consumers and the legislature. Companies are operating in a demanding marketplace, where consumer expectations are high and public confidence is paramount. Over the last 20 years, the chilled food industry has evolved enormously, with chilled products becoming desirable additions to the shopping basket. Ranges available are now vast, including complex ready-meals, soups, fish, salads and a host of other innovative products. Standards throughout the manufacturing and retailing sectors have risen sharply largely due to the focus on food safety. During the growth of the industry, considerable technical and scientific activity added to the picture. The need for impeccable food safety drove chilled manufacturers to invest in improved factory designs and the logistics required to ensure microbiological, physical and chemical food safety. This chapter focuses on the management of product quality and safety of chilled products. It is now not uncommon for a food business to use a quality model as a platform for defining the quality of its whole business enterprise (for example, Total Quality Management (TQM)). The chapter briefly discusses the use of whole business quality modelling.