Food Quality and Safety Certification Guide

Author: Ouyang Xihui, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Currently, food safety issues at home and abroad are becoming increasingly prominent, attracting high attention from governments worldwide. In China, agricultural production generally focuses on increasing crop yields and output, emphasizing the yield effects of agricultural inputs while neglecting environmental effects and quality safety. Since the reform and opening-up, China's agricultural production has made breakthrough progress, solving the food security issue. However, with the increasing intensification of agriculture, the extensive use of agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, and veterinary drugs has led to more severe agricultural pollution, degradation of ecological environment quality, and increasingly prominent food safety and quality issues in agricultural products, which have drawn significant attention from the Chinese government and widespread concern from the entire society. In 2001, China launched the "Clean Food Action Plan," aiming to basically achieve food safety in the production and consumption of major agricultural products within about five years. To achieve this goal, it is essential to effectively improve the standards of food safety and quality in agricultural products, rigorously implement quality and safety certification, and make full use of certification as a "market" to effectively ensure food safety and break through international "green barriers." Currently, various terms and labels such as "green food," "clean food," "clean agricultural products," "organic food," "safe food," "reliable food," and "natural food" exist in society, leading to confusion in concepts and a multitude of certification types, leaving producers unsure about which certifications to choose and consumers equally bewildered about certified products. This book collects and analyzes the latest domestic and international data, combining practical experience and societal needs, to systematically analyze and clarify the differences and connections between green food, organic food, and clean food. It also clarifies the certification bodies and procedures for food quality and safety certification, and defines the concepts of major certified products. Additionally, readers can learn about the laws, regulations, standards, and development status of green food, organic food, and clean food. The book advocates the concept of "full-process quality control from field to table." It is divided into five chapters, primarily introducing the classification and comparison of food quality and safety certification, with a focus on green food certification, organic food certification, and clean food certification. It briefly introduces related ISO 9000 quality management systems, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in relation to food certification. The book is highly practical and instructive, providing scientific certification guidance for producers, helping consumers identify certified products, and offering a basis for industrial and commercial departments to regulate the "green market." It also serves as a decision-making reference for leaders at all levels to plan the development of green food, clean food, or organic food in their regions and industries. This book is suitable for agricultural and food processing industry production, management, and technical personnel, as well as for general consumers. It holds certain reference value for research, production, and industry technological progress. This book was supported by the "Outstanding Talent Cultivation Project" of the Organization Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee. We sincerely thank Researcher Zhao Yingrong for taking the time to review the manuscript and provide valuable suggestions amidst their busy schedule.