Food Supply Chains vs. Food Supply Nets

Abstract

Public health care is directly connected with the assurance of healthy and safe food. Food systems are experiencing new possibilities in their practices due to rapid technical and technological advancements in the developed world. A hazard is a (micro)biological, chemical, physical agent or condition with the potential to cause adverse health effects. Managing hazards and surrounding circumstances does not mean that we completely manage safety. Currently, we master food safety via nine good practices, obligatory HACCP system and many standards on the food safety field. All current active practices are segregated along the food supply chain. Because they are not connected into a comprehensive system, there are many gaps in the food supply chain in which the potential for food hazard exposure exists. To reduce all such gaps in food supply chains, a food safety platform with the consumer as an active partner in Good Nutrition Practice appears to be the relevant choice for the current state of the development of food production processing and nutrition. A more effective system of primary education and the lifelong learning of food-related topics are needed. To achieve total quality and food safety, a multidisciplinary and an innovative approach, which would be capable of quick and effective responses in the food supply chain, is needed. Consequently, this adjusts system to multidimensional space with all relevant activities in time. All essential actions should be managed in the space between two layers, where all relations and control actions with different professional stakeholders and finally the consumer are determined. This led us from a chain to a network. The network approach would be much more relevant to interconnect all existing nodes in current food supply systems. This would involve and emphasize the importance of the subjective comprehension of health and safety concepts, which are a constituent part of well-being.