Safety Aspects of Food Processing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Safety Aspects of Food Processing - Essay Example Such secondary manufacturers can include re-packers, food caterers, and food retail outlets. As of a decade ago, the working legislation relating to this topic is EC Regulation No 2073/2005. It states that food should â€Å"not contain micro-organisms their toxins and metabolites in quantities that present an unacceptable risk for human health† (European Commission 2005). In addition, existing policy does require that some food business operators be required to demonstrate that the foods the produce comply with the stated criteria related to microbiological material throughout the entire period of time mentioned in the shelf-life. This relates specifically to reasonable and foreseeable conditions of distribution, storage, and use of the food. In regard to labelling, it is important to note that the legal definition of shelf life in Europe is defined as the ‘date of minimum durability’. This means that it refers to the date until which a food can be reasonably expe cted to retain its specific properties as long as it is stored properly. Another important term to note is the ‘use by date’, which relates to a microbiological perspective. Within a short period of time after this date, the food would be deemed to constitute an immediate threat to the health of a human. As such, as the the ‘use by date’ has passed, the consumer should consider the food to be unsafe, but prior to this date they have the expectation that it is, indeed, safe. In addition, the ‘best before date’ is taken to mean to the date until which a food retains its specific properties when it is stored properly. The properties include, but are not limited to, appearance, odour, texture, and flavour. It is one thing to understand the legal requirements of properly setting a valid shelf-life duration for any given product, but it is another thing entirely to do so