Food safety

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Policies and standards that aim to ensure that the food produced by farmers and agribusinesses is safe for consumption and free from contamination.

Foodborne illnesses: Understanding the risk of foodborne illnesses and how they can be prevented in agricultural policy.
Food safety regulation: Understanding the regulations surrounding food safety in agriculture and the role of government agencies in enforcing them.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP): The principles and practices of HACCP, a systematic approach to identifying and controlling potential hazards in the food industry.
Food preservation and storage: The methods and practices used to preserve and store food products to prevent contamination and spoilage.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs): The set of guidelines that must be followed to maintain quality and safety during the manufacturing of food products.
Environmental factors affecting food safety: Understanding the role of environmental factors such as water quality, temperature, and air quality in affecting food safety.
Agricultural production and processing: Understanding how food is produced and processed, including the potential risks for contamination and the measures taken to minimize them.
Food labeling and traceability: Understanding the importance of accurate labeling and traceability in ensuring food safety.
Chemical food safety: Understanding the risks associated with pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals used in agriculture, and the measures taken to minimize them.
Food safety education: The importance of educating the public about food safety issues and best practices.
Food safety audits and inspections: Understanding the role of audits and inspections in ensuring compliance with food safety regulations.
Quality assurance and quality control: Understanding the principles and practices of quality assurance and control in the food industry.
Risk assessment and management: Understanding how to identify and assess potential risks to food safety, and the measures taken to manage these risks.
Emerging food safety issues: Staying up-to-date with emerging food safety issues, such as new pathogens or technologies, and how they are being addressed in agricultural policy.
International food safety standards: Understanding international food safety standards and the role of international organizations in enforcing them.
Control of Biological Hazards: This is the prevention and control of microbial contamination of food products.
Control of Chemical Hazards: This involves controlling the presence of harmful chemicals such as pesticides, antibiotics, and heavy metals in food products.
Control of Physical Hazards: This involves preventing contamination of food by foreign objects such as metal shavings, broken glass, or other undesirable substances.
Traceability: Traceability refers to the ability to track a food product from its origin to the final consumer. This helps in identifying the source of contamination in case of a food safety incident.
Hygiene: This involves maintaining high standards of cleanliness and sanitation in all aspects of food production and processing.
Allergen Control: This involves controlling the presence of allergens in food products and preventing cross-contamination.
Genetically Modified Foods: This refers to the regulation and control of genetically modified foods to ensure their safety for consumption.
Irradiated Foods: This refers to the use of ionizing radiation to control microbial contamination and prolong the shelf life of food products.
Food Additives and Preservatives: This involves the regulation and control of food additives and preservatives to ensure their safety for consumption.
Food Labeling: This refers to the regulation and control of food labeling to provide accurate information about food products to consumers.
"Food safety (or food hygiene) is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness."
"The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food is known as a food-borne disease outbreak."
"In this way, food safety often overlaps with food defense to prevent harm to consumers."
"Food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods."
"The usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer."
"Food safety, nutrition, and food security are closely related. Unhealthy food creates a cycle of disease and malnutrition that affects infants and adults as well."
"The main types of pathogens are bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungus."
"Food can also serve as a growth and reproductive medium for pathogens."
"In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries there are fewer standards and less enforcement of those standards."
"In the US, in 1999, 5,000 deaths per year were related to foodborne pathogens."
"In theory, food poisoning is 100% preventable."
"This cannot be achieved due to the number of persons involved in the supply chain, as well as the fact that pathogens can be introduced into foods no matter how many precautions are taken."
"The origins of food including the practices relating to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods."
"Another main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item in the spreading of diseases."
"Unhealthy food creates a cycle of disease and malnutrition that affects infants and adults as well."
"Food can transmit pathogens, which can result in the illness or death of the person or other animals."
"The concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer."
"In lesser developed countries there are fewer standards and less enforcement of those standards."
"Food safety often overlaps with food defense to prevent harm to consumers."
"Food hygiene is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness."