Food Safety and Quality Control

Satisfactory food supply has always been a central problem for governments since the formation ancient societies several thousand years ago. Although many of the same foods are still produced and consumed, dietary preferences have changed over the centuries due to the development of the economy and the science of nutrition. Today every consumer requires a safe and healthy food supply. The primary role of our food is to provide enough nutrients to fulfill metabolic requirements, while giving us a feeling of satisfaction and well being. In addition recent investigations confirmed the hypothesis recognized even in 500 B.C. by Hippocrates, that beyond nutrition, diet may modulate various functions of the body. Consequently adequate food consumption may promote the state of well being, better health and prevention of diseases. So it is understandable that interest in healthy food and food quality and its regulation is growing worldwide. When a product is offered for sale, the purchaser expects the product to be what it is purported to be: genuine and wholesome, and free from adulteration and contamination. Correct information about the composition and nutritive value of a food product is designed to protect the consumer from adulteration and falsification, and requires a well organized quality control infrastructure and food regulations.