Research On General Hygiene Standard For Food Enterprises

PurposeHygiene standards for food enterprises regulate the requirements that can guarantee the quality of food products which is linked to every process during food production. Works on hygiene standard for food manufactures in China can be dated back to mid80s and from1998, Ministry of health has angulated "general standard for food enterprises" and related22standards. At present time, food industry in our country has quickly developed and the technology of food processing has been much modernized in recent decades. The original standard of GB14881, the general standard for food enterprises permitted18years ago is considered not suitable for the current development of overall food industry in China, therefore, it is necessary to make revise according to the evidences through a wide ranged investigation and study. This study was designed to collect information focused on the revise of the general hygiene standard through a series of survey and research, to present a suggestion of frame work of related food hygiene standards, to draft a new version of GB14881as the general hygiene standard for food enterprises based on the results of the study.MethodThis study is basically a qualitative investigation and three major methods used in the study were food enterprises survey through designed questionnaires, collection of the public suggestions including experts, policy and standers makers, food companies, industry association and individual persons through website feedback and comparative research of similar standards in other countries and regions. Based on the analysis of the information, the frame work of hygiene standards should be suggested and a new version of the general standard should be drafted accordingly.ResultsThe differentiation analysis among standards from other countries/regions and our country’s had introduced some new principles and hygiene parameters that may be used in the new standard frame work and draft. The food enterprises survey covered41representative enterprises distributing in20provinces and municipalities, related with alcoholic drinks, functional and health food, jelly food, candies, nuts, meat product, food additatives, condiments, soft drinks and dairy products. The explored hygiene problems covered most of the food items that are consumed in our ordinary daily life and revealed the risks of the food industry in China.283feedbacks was collected through websites and numbers of problems existed and suggestions for modification were collected that is considered valuable for the new draft of general hygiene standard for food enterprises.Based on the results of the study,7new hygiene indices has been integrated into the new version, in additional to the9in original standards.ConclusionIt could be concluded that old version of the general hygiene standard (GB14881-1994) should no longer satisfy the requirement on food enterprises in terms of hygiene and quality. The major issues existed in the old version was that standard included both contents of hygiene and management, thus the practices of the standard was rather difficulty. The results of the study suggest establishing two separated standards and one of them is the specifically standard for hygiene. A new frame work of food hygiene standards and new draft for general hygiene standard of food enterprises has been finished.