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Food Regulations: Ensuring Safety and Viability

The Importance of Compliance with Industry Standards and Best Practices

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What Is Food Regulatory Compliance?

What Is Food Regulatory Compliance?

Food regulation refers to the requirements for standards, laws, and regulations that businesses manufacturing, processing, or distributing foods and beverages must meet. Companies are obligated to maintain compliance with food regulations and to protect customers from exposure to hazards such as foodborne illnesses and contaminants.

Government bodies and, more importantly, private food safety auditors typically oversee the process of developing and enforcing food regulations. The specific regulations and standards businesses must follow differ based on location and industry segment, but the overall goal is always to maintain customer trust for every element of the food supply chain. Food manufacturers follow standard schemes developed and implemented by regulatory bodies or independent organizations to comply with and manage the necessary regulations.

Importance of Food Regulatory Compliance

Why Is Food Regulatory Compliance Important?

Complying with food regulations is vital to maintain customer trust and for public health perspectives. Organizations can suffer long-lasting damage to their image when they fail to maintain compliance. It is imperative that businesses at every stage of the food production chain take responsibility for the safety and hygiene of their facilities. Food regulations help to achieve this goal by creating more consistent processes. It is essential to have a thorough knowledge of which regulations apply to your business and how food safety testing can assist with compliance.

Food Regulations and Quality Control Guide

Staying up-to-date with the latest food regulations and standards is vital for food manufacturers, processors, and distributors. Read our guide to learn how to maintain consistent food safety and quality control, along with expert advice on choosing the right lab instruments to minimize contamination and avoid non-compliance. 

Food Regulations and Quality Control Guide

Categories of Regulatory Compliance

Some food regulations are applied universally by global regulatory bodies. Other regulations and standards differ depending on the business’s location, industry segment, and food product types.

Regulations by Location

While some internationally aligned standards can be followed, countries and regions generally also have their own food and beverage regulations in place for products produced or imported into the country. Below are some of the regulatory agencies (non-exhaustive) that oversee food safety in different areas of the world:

  • The United States: Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Canada: Health Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
  • Europe: European Commission, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
  • China: State Administration for Market Regulation, National Health Commission, Ministry of Agriculture

Regulations by Industry and Food Group

The regulatory environment also shifts as novel food products and market-changing trends emerge. As a result, food and beverage companies need to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in food regulations for their industry segments and products. Many countries separate their regulations into food groups to make them as specific and detailed as possible. The groups often fall under the oversight of different regulatory bodies and may be categorized as follows:

  • Dairy / meat / fruits and vegetables / animal feed / beverages / packaged foods
Food Regulations by Industry and Food Group

Choosing a Standard

A wide range of organizations around the globe design standard schemes and offer certification to businesses in the food and beverage industries. GMP and HACCP are management concepts, and GFSI oversees safety standards. METTLER TOLEDO can help food factories define how to detect or avoid possible threats.

Good Manufacturing Practices

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are the most basic requirements every business involved in food and beverage manufacturing and processing should meet. They outline the key steps for creating a safe environment, including sanitation, pest control, and hygiene practices.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Requirements

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) requirements are the next level in food regulation. They provide a systematic and preventive approach to identify, control, and prevent food production hazards and ensure food safety. The HACCP system involves recognizing risks and taking measures to reduce them to safe levels. Testing instruments are often identified as Critical Control Points to control identified hazards to an acceptable level.

GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative)

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a coalition of actions from the Consumer Goods Forum that aims to assist businesses in developing more effective food safety management systems. To accomplish this, they offer a set of benchmarks that have become the foundation of many standard schemes around the world, and neutral institutes are responsible for the auditing of the food factories:

  • Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards (BRCGS): The BRCGS for Food Safety is a leading certification standard for food manufacturers around the globe, and it offers a framework to food companies who want to achieve optimal safety and quality. 
  • International Featured Standards (IFS): The IFS Food Standard strives to help businesses maximize food safety, transparency, and traceability with standards for food quality, authenticity, and safety.
  • Safe Quality Food (SQF): The SQF Program is designed to meet regulatory requirements for every stage of the supply chain. 
  • Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000: Owned by the Foundation for Food Safety Certification, FSSC 22000 is a standard that includes elements of ISO 22000 (some standard schemes for food manufacturing, e.g., ISO 22000, have not earned GFSI recognition) and is designed for food safety management systems.
Choosing Your Laboratory Instruments to Comply with Food Regulations

Choosing Your Instruments

Before purchasing an instrument, you must be aware of the required allowable limits for a method and whether that instrument can meet them. All instruments used for a particular method, especially those that directly impact the uncertainty of results, shall meet the specifications relevant to that method and be calibrated and verified against those specifications. The usage of equipment in contact with food needs to comply according to the used materials, the hygienic design, and the cleanability of the equipment.

For detailed information about the suitability of one of our instruments for a specific method, contact your local METTLER TOLDEO representative.

Application of Food Testing

The Application of Food Testing

Food testing is central to food safety and regulatory compliance because it enables businesses in the food and beverage industries to determine whether products meet the necessary standards. METTLER TOLEDO provides a variety of instruments that allow for different types of food analysis, including:

Likewise, regulators require that manufacturers conduct food safety tests to check for the presence of pesticides, heavy metals, and other chemicals. These tests are typically performed with HPLC and other chromatography methods, both of which rely on quality samples and standard preparation processes.

Software for Traceability and Data Recording

Traceability is included in many food regulations because it helps regulators locate the source of contamination. To meet traceability requirements, food and beverage businesses must document their process throughout the supply chain, keeping detailed records of the production step and testing results.

Businesses that rely on manual record-keeping have an elevated risk of errors and lost data. Thus, companies that invest in equipment and systems with automated data recording and reporting have an advantage in preparing for audits and preventing food safety issues.

With LabX™, STARe, and ISM-CoreTM, METTLER TOLEDO offers instruments and software that simplify data recording, allowing companies to meet data integrity needs by storing data in their LIMS system for all their sample preparation and testing processes.

Norms

Products

FAQ

How can METTLER TOLEDO help me improve regulatory compliance?

We can assist you in identifying which norms and standards your instruments are compatible with for complying with food regulations.

For the following instruments, additional information can be found by clicking the links below:

If you cannot find the information you need, contact us, and our specialists will be glad to assist you.

Do you offer instrument servicing and qualification?

Laboratories spend significant amounts of money on purchasing equipment. Replacing parts and completing repairs only adds to these expenses. Regular preventive maintenance, calibration, and qualification of the instruments help lower the risk of equipment breakdowns, lengthen equipment lifespans, reduce the cost of repairs, and ensure the equipment performs consistently according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Click here to find out more about our service solutions.

What are the seven principles of HACCP?

  • Conducting a hazard analysis including biological, physical, and chemical
  • Determination of critical control points
  • Establishing critical limits
  • Implementing monitoring procedures
  • Establishing corrective actions
  • Verification procedures
  • Establish record-keeping procedures

The HACCP system involves recognizing risks and taking measures to reduce them to safe levels. Assessing any potential risks requires establishing clear preventive actions so that your processes and equipment conform with all the principles stipulated by HACCP. 

HACCP Risk Analysis:

Principles of HACCP


Identify the hazards that could occur. Biological, chemical, physical, radiological.

Determine the likelihood that a hazard will occur and the severity of the impact if it occurs.

Define and document which control to implement to reduce the risk of the identified hazards. 

How to detect detergents and foreign liquids in food?

The use of inline pH sensors is crucial in ensuring the detection of any presence of alkalis or acids in food due to errors. This critical control point is essential for end-to-end product safety and thus supporting the quality laboratory. The X-chip sensor technology is designed to be unbreakable, making it possible to use directly in contact with food during the production process. Additionally, the sensor is cleaned thoroughly using Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) technology, which enhances food safety.

Pesticides and heavy metals in food

How to test for pesticides and heavy metals in food?

Pesticide residues in food present a risk to consumer health. They are determined using liquid or gas chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry (LC-MS, GC-MS). Preparation of accurate standard solutions is required to qualify and quantify pesticide residues. To learn more about sample and standard preparation, click here.

Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are problematic for human health. Common analytical methods for trace metal analysis include atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Obtaining reliable results depends on the weighing process's accuracy, making it a crucial aspect of any successful analysis. Therefore, balances play a significant role, and weighing should be the first step.