We have developed a solid reputation for our professional food safety training in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
A brief history of food safety
For centuries there has been some form or another used to maintain food safety. Some of the techniques used in the past would, in all likelihood, fail to meet modern food safety requirements but, despite this, food safety has always been important. More recently, over the past three decades numerous outbreaks and public scares have led to many revisions in food safety law. So, how has food safety changed over the years?
Constant Developments in Food Safety Ever since chemicals and preservatives were added to food to maintain its taste and cleanliness, attention has been paid to its safety. Traditional methods of salting, smoking or fermenting food to maintain it have led to some common ways of adding flavour but these methods are now subject to their own food safety inspections.
Food manufacturing, which is exposed to numerous safety requirements, began with the industrial revolution in the 19th Century. This coincided with greater consideration towards hygiene and the abolishment of selling rancid or contaminated food.
The work of Louis Pasteur, the famous scientist, led to breakthroughs in modern sanitisation – the same kind of discoveries that still govern food safety today.
Modern Legislation and Authorities Yet it is in more recent times that we have seen more and more legislation passed and technology developed to improve food safety standards. Things like the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), which was launched in the 1960s, continues to be a useful risk management tool for the identification and elimination of food hazards. Additionally the FSA(Food Standards Agency) provide information and advice food safety.
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food borne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Debates on genetic food safety include such issues as impact of genetically modified food on health of further generations and genetic pollution of environment, which can destroy natural biological diversity. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries the main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item.