Functions of Quality Control Unit

The quality control discipline is constantly developing with growing importance of the quality aspects in food processing operation. The vocabulary includes terms like: quality control, quality assurance, total quality management, etc. Let us understand the terms. Earlier the quality control was primarily concerned with maintaining the quality standards. The need to produce and sell high quality products and increase the efficiency of the production process, has led to the development of quality assurance systems. The difference between quality control and quality assurance can be explained as follows:

Quality control is the evaluation of a final product prior to its marketing, i.e. it  is based on quality checks at the end of a production chain for maintenance of prescribed standards and assigning the final product to quality categories such as“high quality”, “regular quality”, “low quality” and “non-marketable”. Since, at the end of the production chain, there is no way to correct production failures or upgrade the quality of the final product, the low-quality products can only be sold at lower prices and the non-marketable products have to be discarded. Their production costs, however, had been as high as those of the high and regular quality products. Thus, quality control has only a limited potential to increase the quality and efficiency of a multi-step production procedure.

Quality Assurance: In contrast to quality control, the quality assurance includes the planning and surveillance of everything to do with the quality throughout the company. It is the implementation of quality checks and procedures to immediately correct any failure and mistake that is able to reduce the quality of the interim products at every production step. Quality assurance seeks to generate confidence both within the organization and externally, among its customers, that their requirements will be fulfilled. The additional features acquired in the progress from quality control to quality assurance are:

•  The definition of a quality policy and objectives;
•  The development of a quality manual;
•  Ensuring competency of personnel;
•  Conducting periodic internal audits;
•  The elimination of the root causes of the problems found; and
•  Periodic review of the system by top management

 Thus, the desired high quality of the final product is planned and obtained by conducting:

(b) Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) guarantee the desired quality of the interim products at every production step.

(c) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is a written document of the guidelines describing the procedures, equipment facilities, and controls for operational conditions to ensure that the food meets the consumers’ needs and wants, and also gives them the security of safety and reliability. Good manufacturing practice are based on the knowledge and skills throughout the food system, from primary production of the raw materials, through processing of the industrial ingredients,manufacturing of the consumer products, distribution of the final retail products to the consumers and eating of the final foods.

Total Quality Management (TQM) The management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction, based on the participation of all members of an organization (suppliers and distributors included) in improving processes, products, services and the working culture. The table  explains the term more clearly.

Meaning of Total Quality Management ( TQM)

Examples of quality control versus quality assurance in the area of food safety are:

The testing of final product for residues is quality control, the implementation of residue avoiding production procedures at farm level is quality assurance; the testing of milk products for salmonella prior to their marketing and consumption is quality control, the implementation of on- and off-farm salmonella-reducing measures as standard operating procedures is quality assurance.

i) Basic Quality Control Activities: The activities in a quality control unit include:

•  Establishing the specifications of the parameters to be controlled;
•  Preparing quality plans for control;
•  Performing checks or inspections;
•  Diagnosing and taking action on the variations observed; and
•  Checking that the variations have been corrected.

 The fundamental purpose of a quality control programme is to acquire dependable information on all the attributes of a product which affects its quality. Quality control ensures that raw materials meet set standards, processing methods should be performed as designed, finished products meet company standards and consumer confidence in the enterprise remains high. The basic functions of a quality control programme are:

•  Physical and chemical evaluation of raw materials and processed products.
•  Control of
• a) Raw materials, ingredients and packaging supplies.
• b) Processing parameters.
• c) Finished products.
•  Microbiological analysis and control of raw materials and finished products.
•  Control of storage and handling conditions.
•  Sanitation and waste products control.
•  Assurance that final products are within the legal and marketing standards established.

 Specific Responsibilities: The specific responsibilities of quality control assigned to a department or to an individual include:

•  Standardizing procedure for sampling and examining raw materials. Development of test procedures.
•  Establishment and implementation of quality standards for fresh and processed products.
•  Setting up preventive quality control methods for in-plant liaison between manufacturing section and test laboratories.
•  Examination of finished products.
•  Storage controls.
•  Sanitation inspection
•  Conformance to food regulations
•  Waste disposal control
•  Research and development into new products and their packaging.

Advantages: Quality control leads to:

•  Raw material control
•  Process control
•  Inspection of finished products
•  Sensory evaluation or evaluation of the acceptability of the final product.
•  Packaging
•  Labelling and storage
•  Sanitation inspection
•  Conformance to food regulations
•  Waste disposal control