What are the biggest threats to food safety?

Food is supposed to provide the body with the necessary nutrients and allow it to function properly. Mankind's eating habits have been changing for many years, and the dynamic development of the modern world provides even more opportunities and even more food diversification. Despite many opportunities, this dynamic development also creates new challenges for producers and traders, which they must meet. One of the most important issues is ensuring proper food safety and quality control of food products.

What is food safety?

“Food safety” is a term introduced in 1974 at the FAO Food Conference in Rome. Almost two decades later, in 1996, during the World Food Summit, a declaration on global food security was adopted. It was then that it was proposed to consider the concept of food safety as a term defining activities at the state level. According to those findings, each country is obliged to adopt an appropriate strategy to ensure food security - including not only the constant availability of food products, but also proper care for the quality of these products.

The term "food safety" is understood as an assurance that food products are harmless to human health and life (in the case of proper preparation - in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions). It is required that proper food safety is ensured at every stage of its production, processing and transport of food products - until consumption by the consumer. According to the Polish Act of 25 August 2006 on food and nutrition safety, in order for food to be safe, the following conditions must be met:

• additives and flavorings used in food production;
• the amount of food contaminants present;
• pesticide residues in food;
• food irradiation environment;
• organoleptic characteristics of food products;
• actions taken to ensure the safety of human health and life.

In addition, in 2000, the White Paper on food safety was developed, which introduced the obligation to provide the consumer with appropriate information about food products by introducing standards related to product labeling and advertising. In 2011, the White Paper was supplemented by the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the EU Council on the provision of food information to consumers.

What are the food safety standards?

In order to be able to properly control the food production process, food quality and safety management systems have been created. They concern the control of food at all stages of production, which is to guarantee that all health requirements are met. Among the numerous quality and safety systems, a few of the most important, constituting the foundations of the ISO 22000 standard, can be mentioned:

• Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP - Good Manufacturing Practice),
• Good Hygienic Practice (GHP - Good Hygienic Practice),
• Good Agricultural Practice (GAP - Good Agricultural Practice),
• HACCP system (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point),
• ISO 9001 standard,
• British Retail Consortium (BRC - British Retail Consortium),
• International Food Standard (IFS - International Food Standard).

What are the biggest food safety risks today?

Today, despite advanced technologies and highly sensitive control systems, there are still some food safety risks. Among the biggest ones are:

• Microbial contamination: Bacteria, viruses, molds and other microorganisms can infiltrate food and cause food poisoning. The most common causes of microbial contamination are lack of hygiene, improper food storage, and improper preparation and cooking.
• Chemical Contaminants: Chemicals such as pesticides, heavy metals, hormones and veterinary drugs can leach into food. They can come from soil, water, plant protection products, as well as food processing and storage. These substances can adversely affect human health, depending on the dose and exposure time.
• Physical contaminants: The presence of foreign bodies such as glass, metal, plastic, wood or stones in food poses a food safety risk. They may cause physical injury, choking or other types of injury.
• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs): In the case of genetically modified foods, there is concern that the introduction of new genes may have unforeseen health effects on consumers. Therefore, it is important to comply with the relevant regulations and laws regarding GMO food labeling and safety.
• Lack of proper sanitation and quality standards: In some regions of the world, the lack of effective sanitation regulations and standards can lead to the production and distribution of food of poor quality. This can lead to various health risks for consumers, including the development of infectious diseases.
• Poor production and processing practices: Poor food production and processing practices, such as lack of proper hygiene, incorrect storage temperatures, poor transport conditions, etc., can lead to food contamination and deterioration.
• Climate change: Climate change can affect food security through changes in water availability, soil quality and pest distribution. They can also affect yield and food quality.
• Armed conflicts: wars and conflicts can be a threat similar to climate change. This was demonstrated by the example of the war in Ukraine, which disrupted global food production and supply chains.

How to ensure food safety?

Ensuring food safety is the task of everyone: producers, wholesalers, traders, but also consumers themselves. While the processes of production, processing, storage and transport of food must meet certain standards and may be subject to control by state authorities, the consumer can do quite a lot to ensure food security for himself and his loved ones - just remember about a few aspects:

• Personal hygiene: it is important to maintain a high level of personal hygiene when preparing food. Hands should be washed before starting work in the kitchen and each time after physical contact (hand touching) with raw meat, eggs or other potentially contaminated products.
• Proper Food Storage: Proper food storage is essential to avoid the growth of harmful microorganisms. This means maintaining appropriate storage temperatures for different products (e.g. refrigerated for perishables) and keeping raw meat separate from other food to avoid cross-contamination.
• Careful preparation and cooking of food: make sure that food is properly prepared and properly cooked. Washing vegetables and fruits thoroughly before consumption, as well as properly cooking meat, fish and eggs, kills harmful bacteria and reduces the risk of food poisoning.
• Buying from trusted suppliers: Choose food suppliers you trust that adhere to proper hygiene and quality standards. The drive to buy fresh products of known origin increases food safety.
• Appropriate food labeling and storage at home: pay attention to the use-by dates on packages and use food before they expire.
• Allergen Awareness: Be aware of the presence of potential allergens in foods such as nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, etc. Read labels carefully and make sure you are properly informed about the composition of foods, especially if you have food allergies or intolerances.
• Education and Awareness: Continue your food safety education to stay aware of new hazards and best practices. Use reliable sources of information, such as public health organizations or scientific institutes.