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At the 12th qualityaustria food forum, experts from home and abroad presented measures to further increase food safety. Particular attention was paid to an early warning system against food fraud from Bavaria, blockchain applications for more transparency in the supply chain and the fact that the review of the food safety culture has recently become mandatory when auditing production companies.
"The establishment of own brands in retail has led to the creation of private standards and has thus made a significant contribution to improving food safety in Austria in recent years", is Wolfgang Leger-Hillebrand, Industry manager for Food safety at Quality Austria, convinced. Because the company's own logo is emblazoned on these products, in order to ensure the best possible quality and food safety and thus to protect the reputation of the supermarket operators, the producers are gradually required to meet stricter standards than are required by law. Branded goods manufacturers who have long been successfully using established standards such as IFS, FSSC 22000 and BRCGS also for the production of their own labels act as producers. Depending on the trading company and product category, certain certifications are now mandatory from suppliers.
"The establishment of own brands in retail has led to the creation of private standards and has thus made a significant contribution to improving food safety in Austria in recent years"
Wolfgang Leger-Hillebrand, Food Safety Industry Manager, Quality Austria, reports on the innovations from the world of standards and norms © Quality Austria
Innovations from the world of norms and standards
At the online event, Leger-Hillebrand presented the latest innovations from the world of norms and standards under the motto “Agility and integrity in times of great change”. Due to a supplement in the hygiene ordinance, for example, the food safety culture has to be checked recently when auditing production facilities. “Among other things, this innovation is intended to ensure that employees are more closely involved and sensitized, and that they are subsequently also heard by the corporate management,” explains the expert. This requirement was also included in all GFSI-recognized food standards. Also interesting: Even in times of pandemics, the standard owner IFS insists that the assessments take place on site and not completely remotely to ensure integrity.
Early warning system in Bavaria analyzes import flows
"Food adulteration is a major challenge for the supervisory authorities," reported Ulrich Busch, Head of the State Institute for Food, Food Hygiene and Cosmetics at the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL). The different types of fraud include not only counterfeiting, but also falsification, substitution and manipulation. Fish, olive oil and organic food are currently among the products with the highest risk of fraud. One of the reasons for this is that manufacturing chains are becoming more and more complex and distribution channels are becoming more and more opaque. An early warning system has therefore been established at the LGL, which is intended to detect health risks and potential for fraud at an early stage. For example, together with the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, an analysis method was developed with which food import flows can be automatically examined for irregularities. Changes in prices and quantities of food imports are recorded and related to the respective country of origin. For example, if the actual price development is higher than the expected development, this can be a sign of food fraud.
Blockchain enables easier product traceability
"One of the challenges in the food industry is traceability, for example in order to quickly isolate the polluter in the case of contaminated products," explained Marcus Henning, Senior Manager at the consulting company d ‑ fine. In this area, blockchain technology can show its strengths and serve as the basis for a system in which all relevant transactions and data along the food supply chain are stored in a forgery-proof manner and made accessible to the various players. This not only increases the safety of food, but also the transparency and the associated consumer confidence. As a result, surcharges can be enforced more easily and brands can be strengthened in the long term.
The expert calls for a de-globalization of the supply chains
"A look at the megatrends shows that we need a disruptive change in food and agriculture in order to meet the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement," pleaded Eike Wenzel, Founder and head of the Institute for Trend and Future Research (ITZ GmbH). Among other things, Wenzel called for a de-globalization of the supply chains for more security of supply as well as the promotion of medium-sized structures and regionality, because it supports local value creation. In addition, the food would also taste better.
In future, take into account the impact on the planet in the income statement
Another expert also called for a rethink: "It is time for a new economic model in which the effects of production on people and the planet will be included in the profit and loss account in the future," was the demand from Volkert Engelsman, Managing Director of Eosta BV, an international wholesale company for organic fruits and vegetables based in the Netherlands. This is the only way to make the economy sustainable. The announcement by the European Union that it would like to expand the proportion of organic farming to 2030 percent by 25 marks the starting point for this.
Subject photo: food production © Pixabay
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