State of the Art
Food safety has become a critical priority for the food supply chain in terms of its maintenance and monitoring – in particular for frozen and chilled food products which are especially sensitive to microbial spoilage. The primary objective of the European food policy is “to improve the health and well-being of European citizens through higher quality food and improved control of food production and related environmental factors”.
The consumption of chilled/frozen food products within Europe is growing above average (growth rates >10%) as a consequence of socio-cultural changes (e.g. increased single households), whereas food safety and quality are of great concern for consumers. With 11 million tons consumed per year, the European Union is the second largest market for chilled and frozen food products.
Improved confidence in chilled food products, especially in the integrity of their supply-chain in terms of its ability to maintain product quality and identity along with its ability to detect potentially harmful and undesirable product changes is of high priority for all involved in food production and distribution, especially as Regulation 178/2002/EC on General Food Law will require traceability to be established at all stages of the food chain from the 1st January 2005 on. Since more than 70% of food products are traded internationally food supply chains can be very complex which potentially makes the process very difficult.
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