Food safety standards refer to regulations and laws enacted by a variety of agencies in an attempt to ensure that consumers have access to safe, disease-free food. Various agencies around the world have been tasked with this task, as well as others who are responsible for ensuring that such standards are followed. The World Health Organization, for example, is one of the most powerful bodies in Europe when it comes to developing food safety standards. Regulations in the United States are created and enforced by a variety of organizations, including the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and smaller regional or state organizations.
Various food safety standards may exist, and they may cover a wide range of topics. They could be used to describe how food is transported or stored. They could be about food handling, labeling, or food mixing. Things like how and when to inspect for chemical or bacterial contaminants, as well as when food is unsafe and must be discarded, are frequently discussed.
As previously stated, the goal of all of these laws, which number in the hundreds, is to ensure that people purchase safe food. However, it is clear that willful violations of food and safety regulations and standards do not always address certain issues. The New York Times published an extensive piece in late 2009 about how easy it was to miss the bacteria e. coli in ground beef due to current laws. Such exposés, as well as repeated cases of food poisoning in the United States and Europe, draw attention to the gaps in food safety regulations.
These loopholes may also exist when inspection is shared by multiple agencies, or when additional laws regarding protected food naming must be followed. Food inspectors at the state level, for example, must ensure that food is safe and edible, that it poses no risk to consumers, and that it complies with all labeling requirements. Knowing the definitions of terms like “organic,” “natural,” and other terms can mean adhering to strict rules.
It is undeniably true that meeting food safety standards can be a difficult task for food producers. Selling unsafe food, on the other hand, puts the consumer at risk and makes the company liable. A company that sickens, permanently injures, or kills people due to ignorance of the law or inspection failure is likely to suffer financially, and often for a long time. Nonetheless, complying with all standards is a difficult task, and businesses must ensure that all employees are well-versed in the rules and regulations in place.
Food safety standards can sometimes apply to how consumers use food, or they can be implemented to keep consumers informed. In the late 2000s, the United States implemented a new alert system to make it easier for people to learn about contamination outbreaks and whether or not the food they bought was contaminated. Furthermore, many inspection agencies provide safe food handling and cooking instructions so that people do not become ill at home as a result of poor food preparation techniques.