Ensuring food safety is a public health priority and an essential step in achieving food safety. In order to guarantee food that does not affect health, function Inspector for quality and food safety.

The risk of millions of losses due to non-assurance of quality and safety in the food industry is great, because non-compliance with regulations means that food production is subject to withdrawal from the market, which will generate a series of costs and a race to watch due to the perishability of food products.

In this sense, the function of Quality and Safety Inspector plays a key role in meeting the highest international quality standards that open the door to export.

Continue reading: How to prepare for food safety inspection?

Functions of quality and safety inspectors

Quality control is performed by inspectors technical controls so that everything, from raw materials to the finished product, meets quality and safety standards.

All production processes require elements of quality control. Quality standards are established by the production or processing company itself or by a body under public law.

Between his specific functions stand out:

• Check and review regularly take product samples. They may conduct visual examinations or use technical equipment, such as a microscope.
• Control systems automated devices that enable rapid testing of thousands of samples.
• In the Factory, inspect production and actions of workers.
• Review products purchased by the company and record supplier performance.
• Look after him compliance with safety regulations, especially in the food industry.
• Meet with production staff to understand what is causing the problem and decide if there is a need to change the processes being used.
• Prepare Quality control plan where the size of the samples is specified in detail, taking into account the product and the production process; frequency; tests to be performed; specifications and acceptance limits.
• Register control activities carried out, with the aim of showing the results and the possibility of preparing a quality report.

You are probably interested in: HACCP and its importance for food safety

Risk-based food inspection

According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Traditional food inspection focuses on determining whether food companies are complying with a set of regulations that may or may not be updated.

The effectiveness of this method of inspection depends to a large extent on the time available inspectors physically inspect objects, especially products.

By focusing on the risk factors that can cause foodborne illness, the inspector will make better use of the limited time allotted to each producer or processor, while not overlooking possible violations or non-compliance.

Analysis risk factors As a tool to determine whether a manufacturer’s or manufacturing company’s quality and safety management system is adequate or not, it ensures that inspection is risk-based and meets its objective: protecting consumer health.

If a food control system is in use at all times and products are consistently safe, sampling will only be done for verification purposes and not as a way to ensure product safety.

Finally, risk-based inspection solves some of the problems that product- or facility-based inspection presented. This inspection is, in essence, a recording of what is happening in the institution. food processing at the time the inspection is carried out.

We recommend: Good manufacturing practices in food safety