Food Chemistry and Food Microbiology

Food Testing and Quality Control

The surveillance systems have a dual purpose. First is to detect, control and prevent foodborne disease outbreaks. Most of the countries have such surveillance and response systems in place, but the effectiveness and coverage of those systems vary from country to country. Many people outline such foodborne disease outbreak investigations, including their detection and control through food safety mechanisms and discuss the food safety response including the importance of developing emergency response plans for food safety. It is essential to reiterate that safety is the first requisite of any food. In a broad sense, this means a food must be free of any harmful chemical or microbial contaminant at the time of its consumption. For operational purposes this definition takes on a more applied form. In the canning industry, commercial sterility as applied to low-acid foods means the absence of viable spores of Clostridium botulinum.