|
|
|
You can get e-magazine links on WhatsApp. Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rising growth for Testing, Inspection & Certification in food industry
|
|
Wednesday, 30 March, 2022, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
|
|
Ashwin Bhadri
|
Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC), are the major sources controlling food quality. TIC is a vital factor that maintains food safety and quality standards.
TIC consists of conformity assessment bodies that provide a range of services right from auditing, inspecting to testing, verifying, certifying, and quality assurance. TIC is a huge crowd consisting of in-house and outsourced services.
Currently, the market is growing exponentially with the help of technology and innovative solutions. There are major cases such as adulteration, serving expired food, and others affecting the whole industry.
TIC services are aimed to help the organisation increase productivity and meet global standards. TIC industry offers various services including supply chain certification, food testing, quality, safety control assessment, industrial site inspection, and management system services.
TIC services help the organisation to increase productivity and manage the risks to improve the quality, compliance, and safety of the products and services.
Testing services help consumers access the right products that don’t impact their health consequently. Safety is the primary factor in the food industry. Both consumers and health authorities are required to maintain high levels of quality and safety. There are a wide range of regulations and certifications assisting the consumers to know the safety of the products.
As much as testing is important, inspection too plays a major role and allows the consumers access the right and nutritious food. Inspection allows the food safety officials to ensure the food served to the consumers is safe and consumers can access nutritious, healthy, and hygiene food.
Importance of TIC in Food Safety and Quality
The quality management factor plays an important role and this tool supports the food businesses survival and growth. TICs and Quality audits are used in the food industry for various reasons. Evaluating the management system, obtaining certification concerning food safety and quality standards, confirming legal compliances, accessing the conditions of the premises and other products become mandatory. Due to the pandemic situations, safety and hygiene have become major focuses that are considered. Food Business Operators are now guided to ensure they stick to a variety of food safety and quality standards that promote the measures to be implemented.
The increased cases of adulteration and mixing of substances hamper the health of the consumers. Various products such as milk, oils, and other substances need a quality check and one needs to be aware of the frauds and threats caused.
Testing is the primary objective that allows knowing the relevancy of the products for consumption. Inspection is a crucial factor contributing to inspecting the products after a frequent period to know the reliability of the product.
Change in requirement of TIC in Food Industry
There are ample changes required since Covid hit. The use of TIC has increased due to the safety and hygiene requirements. The FSSAI also ensures there is constant change in the norms and regulations that promises the safety of the consumers.
The food industry is a huge space and one needs to know Testing, Inspecting and Certification validates products as ‘safe for consumption. Ensuring the food is safe for consumption can be assured when products meet the standards.
TIC helps to test, inspect and certify a product. Even the smallest alteration in a product mandates the requirement of testing, inspection, and certifying the products. Currently, people are educated and are worried about their health. This situation increases the requirement of quality, safe and hygienic products for consumption.
Since the hygiene and safety measures are considered at its priority, the regulations and norms have become a bit strict. Those norms are designed to ensure the health of consumers is not taken for granted.
The traditional on-site testing has now shifted to remote testing, inspection, and certifications. Currently, the officials are considering the methods that allow to completely shift to remote testing. Remote testing reduces the burden on the researchers in different locations.
Complex supply chain
TIC services are further segregated into in-house services and outsourced services. Globalisation affects the supply chain and has led to the involvement of privatisation of laboratories and increases the standards of user efficiency. Due to the increase in demand for TIC services, the outsourcing TIC services has increased. Additionally, the establishments are outsourcing such services to reduce the cost of the services and emphasize the core competencies.
TIC aims to improve efficiency and create opportunities via technological innovations. The advancement in technology is reshaping the traditional TIC processes and the training method. Rapid urbanisation, high adoption of outsourcing services, enhancing the need and growth of testing and inspection, and certifications in the food industry are a few challenges experienced in the food market.
The food industry, supply chain increases constantly due to the demand of the products. TIC companies serve a diverse market and check various standards, legalisation, other operations, compliance, and many other factors.
TIC plays an important principle factor emphasizing the testing, inspecting, and providing certification. TIC allows ensuring the health of the consumers is safe for consumption. Third-party TIC is a cost-effective assessment driving the level of compliance.
This assures the manufacturers to reduce the in-house compliance costs and navigate global market requirements. TIC guarantees that a particular product is safe, reliable, secure, effective, and sustainable.
(The author is CEO at Equinox Labs)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|