Quality assurance plays an important role in any industry. It helps companies consistently deliver safe and consistent products to end-users, and is therefore essential to business performance. For the food and beverage industry, in particular, a commitment to quality is a paramount area of focus, as their end-users directly consume the goods and products they produce and package. Of course, there are also various levels of the supply chain in-between, and overlooking quality at any one of these steps could compromise an organization's brand reputation and customer relationships.
This guide to best practices for quality assurance provides a framework for food manufacturers to have a better understanding of what best practices are essential to food quality.
Quality assurance encompasses a broad set of activities to prevent defects proactively. It is an ongoing effort – not a one-time activity – and must therefore be practiced every day to achieve the desired outcomes on an ongoing basis. Here, we take a look at some of the essential quality assurance best practices for the food industry that can be used by companies of all sizes and types of operation.