Quality and food safety in the digital age

The importance of food quality and safety today

Although, as we have mentioned before, it has always been important to prevent diseases and protect public health, there are various factors that have made food quality and safety even more prominent than in previous years.

Globalization, for example, has made supply chains more complex when it comes to food quality control. In contrast, we find increasingly strict legislation, where sanctions and product withdrawals occur if foods do not meet these demanding quality standards. In fact, the European Union has one of the most rigorous legislations in terms of food quality and safety.

Furthermore, food quality and safety have become increasingly relevant purchasing factors for consumers. Growing health concerns have led the average consumer to be more aware and informed about nutrition and to ensure that the foods they consume are free of contaminants and produced in safe environments. Innovation in processes and quality in the food industry allows for the development of safer and more nutritious products.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in the latest Eurobarometers, has revealed that food safety is an essential factor for 50% of respondents when choosing products. Ensuring processes and quality in the food industry also becomes a resource to foster customer loyalty and improve brand reputation.

To ensure food quality and safety, a key concept emerges: product traceability. However, in order to identify and manage risks in our supply chain, we need real-time traceability systems that allow for a quick response.

How to ensure food quality and safety?

Being more agile and efficient

Continuous improvement of processes and quality in the food industry is key to staying competitive in the market. Globalization has not only increased complexity in the supply chain of many businesses, but has also led to a considerable increase in competition. The global food and beverage market is growing exponentially, which increases opportunities, but also attracts new competitors.

To be competitive, we need to implement substantial improvements that increase operational efficiency and allow for quick adaptation to changes, such as new consumer trends, price fluctuations, or new food safety regulations. The best way to achieve this is through enterprise management software or ERP, which will not only ensure food quality and safety, but also the overall operation of the business.

Reduce waste

The growing awareness of sustainability both in the population and in the markets has highlighted the need to reduce the waste generated during production. Now, what does waste reduction have to do with food quality and safety?

These two aspects are closely related. When we reduce our waste, we are also indirectly ensuring that food reaches the consumer with the necessary quality and safety. For example, by ensuring the proper cold chain to prevent food spoilage, we are preventing the proliferation of certain types of pathogens.

Traceability in processes and quality in the food industry

An traceability system for food products allows for a detailed recording and tracking of all ingredients and products at every stage: from the initial production phases to their subsequent distribution.

Traceability also brings greater rigor to processes and quality in the food industry, identifying allergens in products, preventing cross-contamination, and ensuring more rigorous and precise labeling. Additionally, it is essential for effective cold chain management, allowing monitoring of warehouse and transport temperatures, thus avoiding food spoilage if the temperature exceeds its safe range.

However, not all traceability systems are sufficient. It is crucial to be able to detect problems in real time. This way, if a contaminant is detected in a can, we can act promptly and remove all contaminated batches before they reach the end consumer.

Monitor compliance with quality and food safety regulations

In addition to public health and consumer trust provided by certifications such as BRCGS Food Safety, complying with regulations is essential for expansion and access to international markets. This is the case with approvals such as ISO 22000 or IFS (International Featured Standards), which are vital for the marketing of food products in Europe.

However, the challenge in this area is facing a set of regulations that are not only complex, but also changing and vary even between regions. In this sense, once again, **business management software** come into play as tools that collect, analyze, and interpret data, to also have **traceability regarding regulations** and ensure that the system ensures for us to always be up to date.

Quality and food safety with the help of specialized software

As you have been able to verify, the food industry faces great challenges regarding food quality and safety. However, as we have hinted throughout the text, digitalization is the answer to all these new needs.

In SEIDOR, we have a specialized team in digital solutions for the food industry. So much so that we have developed our own food production management software, Delsys by SEIDOR, based on the best practices of the sector to provide a complete tool for planning and control, data management and analysis, and productivity optimization. This tool integrates seamlessly with ERP SAP Business One, becoming the best system to simplify and optimize manufacturing control, traceability, and factory quality in real time and from any device. Contact us without obligation if you want to know how this software can help you.