photo.jpg

## Safe Design of Product and/or Process Mortajemi & Lelieveld (2014) mentioned the essential notions of food safety definition: "preparation and/or use of food product should be considered in the product design." A safe design relies on understanding and controlling hazards, minimizing contaminati...

## Safe Design of Product and/or Process Mortajemi & Lelieveld (2014) mentioned the essential notions of food safety definition: "preparation and/or use of food product should be considered in the product design." A safe design relies on understanding and controlling hazards, minimizing contamination, and evaluating the effectiveness of control measures before being incorporated into the food product or production processes. An example is evaluating whether to use straws made from paper or starch and whether these straws deteriorate inside the drink. ## Prerequisite Programs (PRPs) These are the practices and conditions needed before and during the implementation of HACCP (World Health Organization [WHO], 1999). They provide a hygienic foundation for the HACCP system (NACMCF, 1997) by enabling favorable environmental conditions for producing safe food (Canadian Food Inspection Agency [CFIA], 2015). PRPs work alongside HACCP as a preventative control system (Mortimore, Sperber, & Wallace, 2018). It is not standardized like the HACCP principles, so approaches and practices of prerequisite programs differ among food manufacturers and foodservice operators. ## PRPs in the Primary Food Production Area Should be based on appropriate hygienic practices, control of contaminants, pests, and diseases, and the assurance that there are no environmental threats present in areas where food is prepared (CAC, 2009). An example of a PRP is having kitchen employees change into clean and complete work clothes (chef's Jacket, hairnet, apron, pants, and clogs) and washing hands before entering the kitchen. ## Food Fraud, Terrorism, and Defence/Defense Food fraud is the deliberate adulteration or misrepresentation of food or food ingredients for economic gain (HM Government, 2014). One major food fraud incident was the Chinese Milk Scandal in 2008, when melamine, a chemical compound used in plastic products, was deliberately added to infant formula to cheat on quality control testing. It led to kidney damage in thousands of infants, and six (6) died from it (Ramzy & Yang, 2008). Food defense/defense is defined as the effort to protect food from food terrorism or the intentional acts of adulteration where there is an intent to cause wide-scale public health harm (Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2016). Activities associated with food defense and preventative measures against food fraud are done by managing the global supply chain. ## Management Practices Ensure accountability and responsibility throughout the company structure and that the resources supporting the fundamental elements of the food safety program are appropriately administered, supervised, and controlled. Management practices include, and are not limited to, management commitment, training and education, resource management, and supplier-customer partnerships. ## Food Safety Culture Within the company is critical to the effective operation of the food safety program. Food safety programs only work if people in the organization have the understanding necessary to want to work hygienically and operate in a culture where they believe that following procedures is the right thing to do and the normal way to do things (Mortimore, Sperber, & Wallace, 2018). ## References - Desmarchelier, P. (2014). Safe handling of food in homes and food services. Food safety management: A practical guide for the food industry. Academic Press, Inc. - Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. (2003). Codex Alimentarius: General Principles of Food Hygiene. World Health Organization & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization - Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. (2009). Recommended international Code of Practice, General Principles of Food Hygiene CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev 4 (2003), Codex Alimentarius Commission Food Hygiene Basic Texts. World Health Organization & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization