Prerequisites for effective official food control

We studied the prerequisites for official food control and their relation to the quality of controls by using 17 Finnish municipal food control units as our sample. Based on our results, units invest in creating adequate working conditions through the provision of guidance papers, pre forma templates and possibilities for staff to collectively hold discussions. However, poor orientation, tacit knowledge and incomplete commitment among staff to quality systems remain as challenges in the units. Insufficient human resources and the inability of heads of food control units to recognize problems in the workplace setting may impair the functional capacity of units. Poor workplace atmosphere and weaknesses in organization of work may also be reflected in food businesses operators' lesser appreciation toward official food controls.     

Prerequisites for high-quality official control in Finnish slaughterhouses

To ensure the safety of meat, official control, including meat and food safety inspections in slaughterhouses, should be of high quality. The prerequisites for high-quality official control were examined by sending a questionnaire to meat inspection personnel, slaughterhouse representatives, and officials who guide and organize the official control of slaughterhouses at the central level in Finland. The questionnaire inquired about the sufficiency of meat inspection personnel resources and its effects on official control. The post-mortem inspection skills of the official auxiliaries (OAs) and steps taken by the official veterinarians (OV) to evaluate OAs’ performance in post-mortem inspection were explored. Furthermore, OAs’ independence from the slaughterhouses in meat inspection, and further training and guidance provided to meat inspection personnel were surveyed. Our results showed that in most slaughterhouses at least occasional shortage of OVs was experienced, and it decreased especially the time dedicated to food safety inspections, meat inspection personnel’s participation in further training, and guidance given to OAs by OVs. All but one chief OV considered the skills of the regular OAs in post-mortem inspection to be totally sufficient, whereas over a third of the chief OVs did not find the post-mortem inspection skills of the OA substitutes totally sufficient. In red meat slaughterhouses, the frequency of the observation of the post-mortem inspection performed by the OAs was variable, and one-third of the red meat OAs considered that their performance in post-mortem inspection was not sufficiently evaluated by the OVs. Although most of the meat inspection personnel agreed that OAs understand working independently from the slaughterhouse in meat inspection, a substantial number of poultry OAs in particular stated that the independency was not entirely clear to them. A majority of the chief OVs considered that the officials guiding meat and food safety inspections at the central level are unaware of the practical problems involved in OVs’ work. Our results highlight the importance of practical experience for the officials guiding the official control in slaughterhouses and increased feedback between OVs and OAs in slaughterhouses. An adequate number of OVs should be guaranteed in all slaughterhouses. The practices to evaluate the red meat OAs’ performance in post-mortem inspection should be standardized and the maintenance of the post-mortem inspection skills of OA substitutes improved.     

Distribution and importance of meat inspection tasks in Finnish high-capacity slaughterhouses

Transferring meat inspection tasks from food safety authorities to slaughterhouses has sparked interest worldwide in the pursuit of cost-efficiency. In Finland, two main organizational models for meat inspection are used: official auxiliaries are employed 1) by the authority or 2) by the slaughterhouse (possible only in poultry slaughterhouses). Here, we examined the functionality of these two different organizational models by issuing a questionnaire to the official veterinarians, official auxiliaries, slaughterhouse representatives and authorities responsible for organizing and guiding meat inspection in Finland. The questionnaire enquired how the distribution of food chain information (FCI), ante mortem and post mortem inspection tasks function in red meat and poultry slaughterhouses, and whether changes in the distribution should be made. Views on the importance of these meat inspection tasks were also evaluated. Our results showed that meat inspection personnel, slaughterhouse representatives and the officials guiding and organizing meat inspection considered ante and post mortem inspections important or very important. Both in red meat and poultry slaughterhouses, the meat inspection organizational model functioned well in relation to ante and post mortems inspections, which is essential for effective and precise inspection. FCI inspection was considered less important than ante and post mortem inspections, and respondents observed serious problems in receiving accurate FCI, which should be promptly resolved. It is also of concern that official red meat veterinarians considered FCI inspection significantly less important in relation to animal welfare than the officials organizing and guiding meat inspection. Authorities should have a mutual understanding of the importance of the tasks to ensure uniformity of official control. In the red meat slaughterhouses, most of the official veterinarians, official auxiliaries and slaughterhouse representatives considered it essential for consumer confidence that official auxiliaries employed by the authority perform post mortem inspection. The role of the official veterinarian in ante mortem inspection and whole carcass-condemnation (in red meat slaughterhouses) was also highly valued by the respondents.     

Retail food stores' internet-based own-check databank records and health officers' on-site inspection results for cleanliness and food holding temperatures reveal inconsistencies

Official food control inspects retail food stores (food stores) regularly for compliance with food safety regulations. The health officer (inspector) inspects the food store's own-check (self-verification) and facilities and operations. The own-check inspection is usually performed on-site and includes the examination of own-check documentation. The chain-store groups (grocery multiple retailers) studied have developed an internet based own-check databank for documentation of own-check data for their own use, and also to enable official food control to make inspections via the internet. The chain-stores aim to speed up and possibly decrease the number of on-site inspections made by the official control in food stores. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy and reliability of the own-check databank from the view of official food control.Fourteen food stores that represented three different national chain-store groups in a local municipality in Finland were included in the study. The own-check documentation from a 3-month period with regard to the receiving of products, cleanliness and temperatures of the refrigeration equipment was inspected by the official control via the internet based own-check databank. This was followed by an on-site inspection for comparison. The frequency of non-compliance for cleanliness recorded by the inspector on-site was significantly higher than the frequency of non-compliance recorded in the databank (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.05). On-site inspection observed non-compliance in temperatures (aberration >3 °C for at least 30 min) of refrigeration equipment for minced meat and processed fish products, determined by temperature data logger (24 h measurement), in 57.1% (8/14) of the stores. In contrast, no non-compliance regarding those same refrigeration equipment was recorded in the databank during a 3-month period. Discrepancies between the inspection results of cold holding and cleanliness in the databank and the on-site inspections were observed in food stores representing all three chain-store groups.The observed differences between the databank data and the on-site inspections, suggest that the frequency of on-site inspections should not be decreased or substituted by off-site databank inspections. Issues of on-site inspection and off-site databank inspection are discussed. Further, the study revealed serious problems in maintaining and monitoring of the temperature in refrigeration equipment in food stores.     

Evaluating the determinants of public and private costs of local food control

The level of food safety is determined by the actions of the consumers, the food business operators (FBOs) and the authorities that undertake official food control. Food control requires substantial investments by the FBOs as well as by the society, and these investments should be proportionate to the benefits obtained. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of economic resources currently invested in food control by the local food control authorities and by the restaurant business operators (RBOs). We also analysed the determinants of the variation in costs and evaluated the implications of the variation for the efficiency and equity of food control. Our results revealed a large variation in the costs, which in relation to the RBOs may in some cases imply risk-based targeting of food control, whereas in relation to the local control units, it may simply lead to unequal treatment of the control objects. The personnel resources (work years devoted to food control) of the local control units varied widely, and there were large differences (at most fourfold difference) in the number of control objects per personnel work year. The units that were found to have high costs had high costs regardless of the measurement unit (cost per work year, cost per control object, cost per inhabitant). Furthermore, larger units were found to have higher costs per work year and per control object. Less food control revenue was collected from control objects in units with a higher number of control objects per inspector. The challenge of management increases with the unit size, and focusing on the management skills and the organizational functionalities of the control units seems necessary.     

Challenges in using administrative enforcement measures in local food control

We surveyed Finnish local food control officials’ opinions about the use and challenges of administrative enforcement measures. Responses to the questionnaire were received from a total of 129 food control officials, covering 72.6% of the 62 local food control units in Finland. In the opinion of 42.7% of the respondents, enforcement measures are not used often enough in their unit to ensure food safety. Based on our results, large units have better practical tools such as templates for enforcement decisions and guidelines that facilitate the use of enforcement measures than small units, but uncertain practices and a lack of routine appear to impede the use of the measures in many units. Particular challenges highlighted by the officials were related to laboriousness and slowness of the administrative process and reasoning for using enforcement measures. Moreover, impairment of cooperation with the food business operator as a consequence of using enforcement measures was of concern for many officials. The officials assessed the expertise of the head of the unit more positively in the units in which enforcement measures were used than in the units in which enforcement measures were not used, and participation in trainings was the strongest explanatory factor for the use of enforcement measures among the inspectors. Our results indicate that development of operating procedures and provision of specific training on administrative procedure with a practical approach play a key role in strengthening officials’ expertise and confidence in using enforcement measures. Moreover, merging the small units with the large ones may promote uniform practices and better capabilities to use enforcement measures in all units.     

Supervising a system of approved private control bodies for certification: The case of organic farming in Germany

Organic food certification by private control bodies (CBs) requires supervision to prevent adverse selection. We investigate whether the official data used for supervision are suitable to assess the control system. To demonstrate the need for supervision, a heuristic game theoretic model analysing different levels of control qualities is presented. Relevant determinants that might explain differences among CBs are discussed. Data analysis is based on data collected from annual supervision reports on the German organic control system from 2006 to 2008. Statistical analysis reveals significant differences among CBs. The data available in the supervision reports are not sufficient to explain the differences identified. Consequences for future data collection on and supervision of European organic control systems are discussed.     

An operational hygiene inspection scoring system for Austrian high-risk companies producing food of animal origin

This study investigates factors associated with operational hygiene of milk, fish and meat producers in Austria using official control data collected in 2014 and 2015. The control inspections (n = 352) were routinely performed by the state authorities comprising a survey as well as food and environmental sampling. The survey, developed in cooperation with official control in advance, was divided in four modules dealing with specific aspects for the three mentioned food categories as “conditions of the goods and their handling” or “microbiological criteria”. The operational hygiene inspection scores were concluded from numerical indicators for the status of operational hygiene and quality management. From 2014 to 2015, the operational hygiene inspection scores of milk and meat increased and of fish decreased. This indicates an improvement of hygienic management in Austrian milk and meat companies. One factor indicating the general fulfillment of the four survey modules was determined by factor analysis. The results confirm that companies with food rejections, meaning food samples deemed as unsafe (Regulation EC No 178/2002, 2002, article 14), wrong labelling (Regulation EC No 1169/2011, 2011) or insufficient hygiene (Regulation EC No 852/2004, 2004), received a lower score than companies without rejections. The design of a scoring tool for milk, fish and meat industries by using the survey in combination with routine data was achieved as objective of this study. Additionally, the analysis of sampling data on Listeria detection revealed a clear correlation: The detection of Listeria in companies without food rejections was statistically significantly lower than in companies with food rejections. In order to provide a better insight into the contamination status (e.g. Listeria) of high-risk companies the present study shows a method to combine results of a routine survey with available data from national control authorities.     

Street-food: The hygiene conditions of hot-dogs sold in São Paulo,Brazil

The present study was carried out with the purpose of identifying the critical points of inspection control for hot-dogs before being sold on the streets. Data were collected from 20 vending sites using interviews, questionnaires, the observation of food handling and storage, the temperature of the meat and the pH measurements of sauce. In 30% of the studied sites, hygiene conditions were rated as regular to extremely poor. Mashed potatoes, chicken and beef preparations were high risk. These findings showed unsuitable hygienic practices for food preparation and a lack of basic knowledge regarding food handling—a public health problem. Given the scarcity of literature and official data about street food in Brazil, further studies are recommended.     

Assessment of the food control systems in the Sultanate of Oman

National food control systems are vital tools in governing the safety and quality of food intended for human consumption. This study of the Omani system was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the current food controls in place for protecting, in particular, the public health from emerging biological and chemical hazards. In response to this situation, a survey was undertaken within the different food safety authorities in Oman to examine the different elements of the national food control systems in terms of their existing food control management, food legislation, food inspection, food analysis laboratories and information, education and communications. Officials from the different authorities were interviewed and results were captured in prepared questionnaires. Overall examinations of the challenges, strength and weakness of the existing system have been highlighted. The findings of the study indicate significant progress is being made and the creation by the government of a national Centre for Food Safety and Quality is a significant positive step.     

Auditing local official food control: Perceptions of auditors and auditees

We surveyed the perceptions of regional food control officials (auditors) and municipal food control officials (auditees) on food control audits during 2007–2010 in Finland. According to the responses, the perceptions of auditors and auditees differed significantly. The regional officials had experienced the audits as clearly more useful and positive than the municipal officials and also found the current auditing system to be more suitable for evaluating municipal food control. The regional officials did, however, state that the audit results had not been adequately utilized in planning the guidance and education of professionals working in official food control. The municipal officials, in turn, were not satisfied with the expertise of the auditors concerning official food control in practice and did not find the audits very useful. The results suggest that more emphasis should be placed on peer-auditing to enhance the impact of food control audits.     

Restaurant business operators' knowledge of food hygiene and their attitudes toward official food control affect the hygiene in their restaurants

We surveyed the knowledge and attitudes of restaurant business operators (RBOs) with respect to their restaurants' hygiene. A total of 82 RBOs were interviewed and a hygiene evaluation was performed in each of the restaurants by one researcher. Fifty-six food control officials responded to an electronic questionnaire. Based on our results, positive correlations exist between hygiene knowledge of the RBOs, their attitudes toward food hygiene and official food control, and their restaurants' hygiene level. Proper justification of control measures used by food control officials and a negotiative approach appear to be highly important for improving restaurant hygiene.     

Process control in phytosanitary irradiation of fresh fruits and vegetables as a model for other phytosanitary treatment processes

Phytosanitary treatments reduce the risk of commodities carrying invasive quarantine pests to negligible levels. Ionizing radiation processing of fresh fruits and vegetables to prevent successful infestation from these pests is steadily growing in commercial use because it provides safe solutions to quarantines and is tolerated by more fresh produce than any alternative treatment in use. Unlike all other commercial phytosanitary treatments (heat, cold, fumigation), the burden of proof of efficacy of phytosanitary irradiation is entirely on process control. Facilities for phytosanitary irradiation processing are more tightly controlled than facilities for other treatments, and the process control involved can serve as a model to harmonize and streamline the latter. Basing treatment certifications of efficacy on process control instead of inspection will help guide phytosanitation towards a phytosanitary hazard analysis and critical control point approach more consistent with other forms of food process control.     

Food control in the European Community

One of the fruits of the impressive food law programme pursued by the European Commission since the single European Act was passed in 1985 is Council Directive 89/397/EEC of 14 June 1989 on the official control of foodstuffs. Two symposia have been devoted to this subject by the Commission, one in 1978 and one in December 1989. The ink of the new Directive had scarcely dried when the Commision recommenced talks with experts of the member states in order to discuss further development of certain articles. The Commission's great attention to official food control is stimulated not only by public sensitivity to the subject but also by the legal complications of enforcing food community law in the internal market.     

Compliance in slaughterhouses and control measures applied by official veterinarians

Implementation of well-functioning hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP)-based self-checking systems (SCSs) is crucial for meat safety in slaughterhouses (SHs). However, if these SCSs fail, control measures used by official veterinarians (OVs) should be efficient enough to secure the safety of the meat. To examine the control measures used by the OVs and the cases of noncompliance in the implementation of SH SCSs, we issued a survey to the chief OVs in high-capacity SHs in Finland during spring 2014. The expertise of the OVs and the quality of guidance they received were also examined. Our results showed that the most common and severe cases of noncompliance in the implementation of high-capacity SH SCSs in Finland were associated with hygiene. Those SHs with high frequencies of noncompliance were all smaller high-capacity units in which written time limits for correction of noncompliance and enforcement measures were less commonly used. Most OVs felt that they did not receive sufficient competent guidance in performing food safety inspections, and in some SHs the expertise of the OVs in administrative procedures and food safety legislation should be improved. To further ensure meat safety, OVs, especially in SHs with high frequencies of noncompliance, should be encouraged to use more effective control measures.     

Effectiveness of enforcement measures in local food control in Finland

Enforcement measures are an administrative tool used by food control authorities for making food business operators (FBOs) comply with food safety regulations. This study evaluates the effectiveness and uniformity of the use of enforcement measures in local food control units in Finland. The study investigates whether and how rapidly the use enforcement measures leads to compliance with food safety regulations and whether the enforcement processes and their durations vary according to the seriousness of non-compliance. Enforcement decisions were requested from 29 (34%) local food control units, ten of which had used no enforcement measures during the study period. A total of 188 enforcement cases from 19 control units were analysed. The food safety violations were categorized into critical and non-critical, based on their likeliness to directly contribute to food contamination or foodborne outbreaks.The use of enforcement measures led to verified compliance in 87.2% of the violations. However, enforcement measures were used recurrently in 15.7% of the violations, due to repeated violations. The duration of the enforcement processes ranged from one day up to several years. The duration of the enforcement process was significantly shorter in critical violations than in non-critical violations (Mann–Whitney U, p < 0.001).Enforcement measures appear to be an effective way of ensuring that FBOs correct their food safety violations, although the enforcement processes were rather long in some cases and required recurrent enforcement. However, several control units had not used enforcement measures, which may be due to dissimilarities in food control actions. Use of enforcement measures should be uniform among food control authorities and equal for FBOs.     

HSE training matrices templates for grassroots posts in petroleum and petrochemical enterprises

This paper aims to standardize health, safety and environment (HSE) training matrices for effectively identifying training requirements and enhancing job competency of grassroots posts in petroleum and petrochemical enterprises. After an investigation into HSE training performance in petroleum and petrochemical enterprises, HSE training matrices templates for 239 grassroots posts involving 22 primary petroleum and petrochemical disciplines were developed based on the technical requirements of HSE training matrices templates and the studies of template development processes and technical methods at grassroots level. Applications of these templates in 12 companies demonstrate their effectiveness in improving HSE training and management for grassroots posts, strengthening risk control and promoting the application of HSE system and tools in grassroots units.     

The impact of inspection reports on consumer behavior: A pilot study

This pilot study evaluated the impact of inspection score information on consumer behavior. Protection motivation theory was used to investigate consumer’s behavioral intentions resulting from food safety information provided in the questionnaire. The questionnaire was created to measure consumers’ perceived likelihood of changing behavior based on protection motivation theory after reading restaurant food safety information in the form of inspection reports. The pilot showed that the methodology used to collect the data was sound. While the number of respondents was too small to show significance, several important trends were noted. One of the more important finding was that the affordable cost of selecting an alternative restaurant rose with the number of violations.     

Implementation and effectiveness of the HACCP and pre-requisites in food establishments

The aim of this paper was to identify the most important weaknesses in the implementation and effectiveness of the pre-requisites and HACCP found in food establishments. To cover these objectives, official control audits of the manuals and their implementation in 1350 small and 66 medium size organizations: restaurants, hotels and cafeterias in one area of the Valencian region (Spain) were carried out from 2007 to 2010. The microbiological quality of 1054 ready-to-consume dishes was also evaluated as an indicator of the effectiveness of the control at Critical Control Points. The results showed that the main deficiencies in the implementation of the pre-requisites and HACCP were found in conditions and structural design followed by hygiene & cleaning. Moreover, the analysis of Listeria monocytogenes in dishes at the time of consumption shows that 99.6% were of good microbiological quality. This indicates that in relation to this hazard, the implementation of safety management systems in the majority of the food establishments was effective. These results demonstrate the crucial role played by official control to ensure the welfare of consumers and how it facilitates continuous improvement in the safety management of these businesses.     

Sensory quality control for food certification: A case study on wine. Panel training and qualification,method validation and monitoring

The use of qualified panels applying specific evaluation methods for sensory quality control increases the reliability of the results, even more if the method is accredited by official accreditation bodies.Based on the work developed with young red wine, this paper describes all the steps carried out after having defined the method: assessor selection, basic and specific training, qualification of assessors (individual performance checking) and method validation (panel performance checking). Other procedures necessary to demonstrate technical competence in a permanent way (monitoring of panel and assessors at each session, quality controls and assessor re-qualification) are also described.Due to the scarce references in sensory method accreditation, many of the tests and criteria proposed are original. They could be helpful for other laboratories dealing with sensory quality control of food products, especially those with quality distinctiveness labels.