Introduction:
In the dynamic space of the food industry, quality has been getting a lot of focus as authorities are enforcing stricter laws and the consumers have become aware of their wellness and demand products that have been tested and verified by a reputed food testing lab, such as Dr. Amin Controllers Pvt. Ltd. – an Alfred H. Knight Co., a trusted food testing laboratory in Mumbai.
In this blog, we are going to explain why food safety testing is important for quality control in the food industry. But before that, we need to understand what food testing is.
Food testing refers to the examination of food products to make sure they adhere to safety, quality, and legal requirements. The procedure involves checking the quality and detecting any harmful contents, like chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, and other impurities, present in food products. The main reason for conducting this procedure is to safeguard the health of consumers and prevent any illnesses.
Why Are Food Testing Labs Essential?
Let us now dig deeper into the role of food testing labs for the food industry’s quality control. The main points have been listed below:
- Product Safety:
The main goal of food quality testing is to ensure that products are safe for human consumption.
The process involves detecting:
- Bacteria, like Salmonella, E. Coli, Listeria, and others
- Viruses, like Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Rotavirus, and others
- Parasites, like Protozoa, Roundworms, Tapeworms, and others
to ensure food safety and protect the consumer from major health risks.
The food must be meticulously tested for nutrition and safety parameters. The rigorous testing process of Dr. Amin Controllers Pvt. Ltd. – an Alfred H. Knight Co. ensures your food is safe, thus building consumer trust and maintaining your brand reputation.
- Compliance with Regulations:
Food enterprises in India need to follow the rules and regulations laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The FSSAI was established to enforce standards that are backed by science and monitor the manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food products for the safety of consumers. It issues licenses to food businesses after thoroughly testing their food products to ensure that the food reaching the market is safe for the consumers.
The Certificate of Analysis (CoA) can be obtained from authorized labs like Dr. Amin Controllers Pvt. Ltd. – an Alfred H. Knight Co. Obtaining a CoA can then assist in securing an FSSAI license and free you from the worry of penalties due to non-compliance.
- Nutritional Analysis and Labeling:
Nutritional analysis of food is important so as to find out the composition and presence of various nutrients, along with their quantity in the food, like
Composition:
- Fats and fatty acid profile
- Carbohydrates
- Proteins
- Sugar
Essential nutrients:
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Amino acids
This gives us an accurate idea of the different constituents of food and further helps in proper labeling.
Labeling is important to build and maintain consumer trust, transparency, and adherence to existing laws. The label must contain all the information about the food product, right from ingredients and nutritional values to the expiration date and allergen warnings.
- Detecting Allergens:
A huge number of people suffer from different food allergies, like:
- Tree nuts
- Dairy
- Gluten
- Sesame
- Soya
Detection and mention of these allergens are highly important, as these could pose severe health complications for people who are prone to these allergies. The consequences can be as minor as sneezing to as major as swelling in the airways; thus, it is important for food enterprises to detect and label it properly.
- Third-party Verification:
A third party can evaluate and test the food products free from any biases and can give accurate and reliable results. This eliminates the chances of corruption and ensures that the tests are conducted in a fair and transparent manner. Consumers often prefer and trust products that have been tested independently by an authorized lab.
- International Trade:
For companies involved in international trade, there is a need to adhere to the rules and regulations of not just our nation but of different nations too. The testing, labeling, and quality of food products must comply with international standards for food quality control. Businesses that wish to export their products also need to obtain certificates from laboratories authorized by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Indian Oilseeds and Produce Export Promotion Council (IOPEPC) & the Export Inspection Council (EIC), one of which is Dr. Amin Controllers Pvt. Ltd. – an Alfred H. Knight Co.
- Preventing Adulteration:
The food supply chain has been affected to a major degree due to the growing focus on maximizing profit. As a result, manufacturers, distributors, sellers, and others in the supply chain have started using inferior or low-quality products to save money. Food is also adulterated with cheaper alternatives to increase quantity and gain more profit. For instance, milk is adulterated with water. Food testing helps in detecting these adulteration practices, thus saving consumers from fraud.
- False Representation:
The practice of providing high-quality samples to impress a buyer and secure an order is a commonly used tactic by the sellers. Upon the confirmation of the order, the seller may deliver lower-quality or poorly conditioned products that do not match the quality of the original samples. This is known as false representation, which can be detected with the help of food quality testing.
- Product Blending:
Another practice involves mixing a few low-quality items with good ones in order to mask the inferior products. For example, if a seller is supposed to deliver 10 dozen mangoes to a buyer, they might mix in one or two dozen of lower-quality produce. This often goes unnoticed but can have a severe impact on consumer health. Food testing helps in identifying lower-quality produce, thus safeguarding the health of consumers.
Conclusion
Food testing labs, like Dr. Amin Controllers Pvt. Ltd. – an Alfred H. Knight Co., act as a pillar for the complicated food industry, ensuring the integrity of the food supply chain. Right from quality to compliance, food testing labs take care of all the needs of the food industry’s quality control. In this way, food testing labs make sure that public health is safe and that the food industry is working smoothly.
Dr. Amin Controllers Pvt. Ltd. – an Alfred H. Knight Co., since 1950, has been the pioneer in the food testing industry and the number one choice of major food enterprises.