Journal of Nutraceuticals and Food Science

How to guarantee food safety throughout the supply chain

We cannot guarantee the food safety and quality of our finished product without knowing beforehand the origin and processes our raw materials have gone through. Understanding and knowing the supply chain and assessing the risks at each stage is fundamental to ensure that safe and quality food is produced.

Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: Supplier approval, mapping and risk assess each supplier chain and the raw materials.

Findings: Mapping the supply chain can be challenging, however all parties should actively participate in this process in order to inform as much of it as possible. This way we can understand exactly what could pose a risk to our raw materials.  Good relationships and communication with suppliers are crucial for this task to be successful. The mapping should start from the field, and should cover growers, transport, warehouses, packers, manufacturers, and for each one of them should assess the activities performed and the risks these activities can bring to our raw material. The type of raw materials, their characteristics and state, should also be considered in order to identify whether they are more susceptible to these risks. 

Conclusion & Significance: Mapping and risk assess the supplier chain can become more challenging depending on the complexity, length of the supplier chain and raw material type. This exercise allows for the implementation of strategies, controls and measures to mitigate the risks identified.

Author(s): Vera Botelho

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