Chapter 3 - Food safety and quality systems implementation along value chains

Abstract

This chapter explores the concept of value chains in the global food industry and the role and importance of Food Safety and Quality Systems (FSQS) in building and strengthening value chains. Food value chains have become increasingly complex and transnational in scope with greater focus on production, distribution and retail functions and geared towards the customization or differentiation of products reflecting the requirements of global buyers, modern consumers and food safety regimes. Developing countries are major participants in regional and global food value chains, meeting the challenges of producing processed and fresh food products for international markets in accordance with increasingly stringent food quality and safety standards. The chapter discusses the approaches to meeting the requirement for value chains to deliver safe, quality food, in addition to issues of cost and reliability. Specific cases and examples from the Americas, Asia and Africa will be used to illustrate these approaches. The cases will discuss how value chains are structured and how food safety and quality are built into their operations, from primary production systems (GAP, GlobalG.A.P., SQF, etc.) through distribution to the production of processed products. Specific examples of enabling small rural farmers to become major producers for the hospitality and retail sectors, as well as exporters, are discussed. The value chains discussed include those for produce such as dasheen (taro – Colocasia esculenta), vegetables (sweet (bell) peppers – Capsicum annum), papaya (Carica papaya), cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao).