Thumbnail Image

Food engineering, quality and competitiveness in small food industry systems

With emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean

Year of publication 2004

Pages 100

Author Roberto Cuevas;Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 9251052506

Series title FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin

Series number 10101365

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Small food industries operate within a web of macroeconomic, microeconomic, social and technical forces that determine competitiveness within the sector. This bulletin proposes to utilize the systems approach to establish the analytical context for all factors affecting food quality and safety, and hence food industry competitiveness, and identify the engineering variables intrinsic to the food industries and their environment and which, once improved, will make the sector more competitive. The document presents a conceptual methodological proposal whereby any strategy based on the above approach will make it possible to identify and address the priority needs of the small and medium food industries sector in Latin America and the Caribbean region and to respond efficiently and effectively to those needs through sound action. The ideas proposed in this bulletin address, from the food engineering and technology perspective, the complex issues faced by small food industries in today's markets, where high quality and safe foods are demanded by consumers, and where all businesses, no matter how big or small, must be competitive to survive and succeed.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • No Thumbnail Available
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
    Quality assurance for small-scale rural food industries 1995
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    For the preface of this book the authors felt that the following article, written by a food technologist from an African country - who is clearly frustrated at the lack of quality assurance, would highlight the real situation in some food manufacturing enterprises and demonstrate the need for more attention to quality assurance. It is hoped that this small book will provide readers with the basic knowledge to start applying total quality assurance to their processes and so avoid the pitfalls described below. "In this article I would like to look at some of the companies I have visited in which basic hygiene rules are so flagrantly flouted. The employee is a prime determinant of final product quality; hence rules about washing hands before contacting foods, use of utensils to handle products, disposable gloves, clean clothes, and protected hair need to be applied regardless of the size of the operation. In practice what can be seen? An employee happily picking his nose while wa iting for the next can on the line to fill. Meanwhile a colleague is sweeping up a cloud of dust right in the middle of the production line. At the change of shift a casual worker rushes in and quickly changes into soiled overalls and goes to the production line. He shakes his (unwashed) hands with those around. Washed hands and gloves do not feature. Late in the shift the worker goes to a dark corner for a sleep while colleagues cover for him. Rules are being ignored whilst management complain about the cost of providing clean protective clothing daily.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.