Air quality and impact on food safety

Abstract

Air is an important potential source of contamination in different areas of human endeavor (medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food industry etc.). During the various technological procedures of producing and processing food, its contamination by polluting substances contained in air, such as suspended particles (physical contamination), combustion products and volatile organic substances (chemical contamination) and biological pollutants (bacteria, viruses, molds and mites) very often occurs. Although the sources of air contamination are numerous (poor construction aspects of the building, improper air conditioning and ventilation, etc.), basic and common sources are people and their activities in food production plants. The task of responsible food production is to adequately and continuously implement good production practices, and thereby, prevent potentially harmful practices, to ensure environmental health and safety for the life and work of the staff in that environment, and to create conditions for safe food production, while protecting the environment.