Food Quality System

Abstract

As a company grows, the need for formal departmental operating procedures and reports generally produces a large volume of standard manuals. The Quality Department in a food manufacturing company may be the last one to assemble a written system. There are perhaps more excuses than reasons for this:

• The products change from year to year, and someone would have to be retained on the Quality Department payroll just to keep up with the paperwork. (Unrealistic!)

• The food industry is regulated by federal agencies (Food and Drug, Commerce, Department of Agriculture, and others) and by state and local agencies (Weights and Measures, Public Health, and others). Therefore, there is no need to further formalize quality procedures. (Untrue!)

• A food processing company could not remain in business unless its quality systems were adequate. It might be risky to change the existing system. (Head in the sand!)

• It is necessary to remain flexible in the food business so that the company can take advantage of new developments quickly. A formalized system tends to slow things down. (Absence of a system may bring things to a standstill!)