What Is Food Safety and Why Is It Important?

Whether you own a restaurant or offer best-selling food products to consumers, food safety should always be at the top of your mind. After all, without food safety, public health is threatened, profits plummet, and brand reputations are ruined. 

Consequently, it’s crucial to partner with a responsible and knowledgeable food product development company like Hela Spice.

We approach food safety with the utmost commitment, seriousness, care, and attention. That’s why we created our unparalleled food safety program, certified by BRC.

What is food safety?

Food safety refers to the processes and procedures that make food safe to consume. It spans every step of the food production life cycle, starting with cultivation. Proper food handling procedures must also be adhered to during food preparation, processing, storage, and distribution to minimize consumer health risks. 

All members of the food supply chain need to comply with food safety standards. It’s their responsibility to prevent contamination and maintain quality throughout food production. Otherwise, food can threaten public health and unleash foodborne illnesses and food-related injuries.

Controlling food safety and thereby protecting the public requires in-depth knowledge and sophisticated technologies. Food product development companies must understand the threats to food integrity and stability at every stage of the supply chain and develop a rigorous control program that ensures food safety.

You can learn more about Hela Spice’s food safety program here.

Why is food safety important?

Food safety directly impacts public health. Crucially, it protects consumers from food-related harm while also providing adequate access to nutritious sustenance. 

Every year, millions of people all over the world contract foodborne infections and illnesses after consuming unsanitary food (according to the WHO). In the United States alone, 3,000 people die every year from foodborne illnesses.

The stakes are extremely high. Improper food safety has devastating consequences on public health, so it is paramount that all food product developers and members of the food supply chain maintain comprehensive food safety programs.

There are other consequences, as well. Consumer confidence in brands and the supply chain is damaged when unsafe food finds its way onto their plates. Consequently, failing to provide consumers with safe food can destroy the brand’s reputation and revenue.

Food safety also affects productivity and our healthcare systems. When consumers get sick because of the food they eat, they can’t work, and productivity losses follow. The WHO reported that more than $100 billion USD is lost every year in productivity and medical expenses from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries.

As medical expenses skyrocket, healthcare systems feel the strain. Economic progress slows, thus harming national economies. Tourism and trade similarly suffer.

What factors affect food safety?

There are multiple factors that influence food safety throughout the supply chain.

During cultivation, agricultural practices impact the safety of raw food materials. Pesticide use, synthetic fertilizers, irrigation water quality, livestock feed, and animal husbandry methods can lead to biological or chemical contamination.

Proper handling and industrial processes must be present throughout manufacturing, as well. This includes temperature control, segregation (to prevent cross-contamination), hygiene practices, and equipment sanitation.

Once food products are processed, they need to be stored correctly. There are many critical points during transportation when contamination or spoilage can occur, so proper storage is paramount. 

Retail locations must follow safe handling practices and storage requirements to preserve food safety. Restaurants must do the same, in addition to safeguarding the quality of ingredients during preparation and cooking.

At every stage of the food supply chain, hygiene is critical for preserving food safety.

What foodborne illnesses are caused by improper food safety?

Food safety exists to protect consumers from foodborne illnesses and injuries. These illnesses occur when food is contaminated with harmful microorganisms, chemical substances, prions, and heavy metals. Harmful bacteria, fungi, yeasts, parasites, and viruses are all examples of common foodborne pathogens.

The six most common foodborne illnesses are norovirus, hepatitis A, E. coli, Salmonella (non-typhoidal and typhoid), Listeria, and Shigella.

Acute poisoning can occur as a result of chemical contamination. Food injuries, on the other hand, can arise because of physical hazards within the food product (such as glass shards, pieces of metals, hard objects, etc).

What are some other advantages of a food safety program?

Of course, maintaining public health and safety is the main objective of food safety. However, following a strict food safety program also offers additional advantages.

1. Reduced cost from food safety issues: Recalling defective products has a high cost. It affects profits, can cause business closures, and can lead to expensive lawsuits and medical expenses.
2. Reduced food waste: If food products are unsafe to consume, they need to be disposed of. This results in costly food waste that raises expenses and cuts into profits. Food safety management systems can detect and control food hazards, thus decreasing food waste and safety issues.
3. Sustainable food production: Safe food handling doesn’t just protect consumers; it also protects the environment. Food safety practices safeguard clean drinking water and reduce environmental pollutants. Additionally, food waste is a sustainability issue. After all, less food waste means less strain on agricultural land.

Hela Spice’s Food Safety Program

Hela Spice, one of the best food development companies, maintains a rigorous food safety program, ensuring that every raw spice and food ingredient blend promotes—not compromises—consumer health. We have an exhaustive and sophisticated system that upholds the highest standard of food safety.

• Superior suppliers: Hela Spice works exclusively with the best suppliers and distributors. Every food product and custom spice blend starts with the finest quality of ingredients.
• Specialized treatments and processes: All spices, ingredients, and blends undergo specialized treatments and processes to make them safe for consumers. These include irradiation, in-house micro testing, sifting, and our proprietary A1-MetalCheck™.
• A1-MetalCheck™: This Hela Spice invention uses rigorous statistical methods to detect minute contaminants like ferrous, stainless steel, and non-stainless metals.

Hela Spice Is your Trusted Food Product Development Company

At Hela Spice, we combine extensive ingredient knowledge, consumer research, modern technologies, and an unparalleled commitment to food safety. This allows us to craft best-selling products that taste great and protect consumer health. 

We don’t just offer the highest quality spices and food ingredients; we provide food safety at its best. Additionally, Hela Spice is BRC Food Safety Certified.

To learn more about food product development from Hela Spice, visit our website or contact us here.