The safety and quality of food products are two concerns upmost in consumers' minds. In this summary from "From Farm to Fork" EUFIC's fact pack on food safety, we look at the way modern farming techniques aim to provide consumers with the high quality, safe food they expect.

To ensure that the quality of food products is as high as possible, farmers have to make the most of the potential of the plants they are growing and the animals they are raising. Plants have to be supplied with the necessary nutrients and animals with the food they need. In the case of apples, for example, a farmer may need to supplement natural soil nutrients and protect the fruit against insects and disease. As a result of this care and attention, consumers are supplied with fruit that is free of insects and fungi and which meets their expectations in terms of taste and appearance.

Food Safety

Farmers have to pay attention to two types of food safety. First, the farmer should strive to ensure that food is free of chemical residues which may be harmful to health. These may be chemicals which occur naturally in the farm product itself or which come from other sources as a result of farming practices or chemicals in the soil. Second, farm products are strictly controlled for food safety. Harmful microorganisms that must be guarded against include bacteria like salmonella, E.coli, campylobacter and listeria and viruses like hepatitis A. To help farmers produce food products in a safe manner, they are assisted by a variety of scientists and advisory services who provide information on the correct use of fertilisers, pesticides, veterinary drugs and other products used in crop and animal husbandry. Products like pesticides or veterinary drugs are subject to strict testing requirements before they are approved for use by European or national authorities. This testing assures that the level of use will not have negative side effects on humans. Evaluation of a product does not stop with registration. Constant monitoring helps ensure ongoing safety. Farm animals may also carry microorganisms which cause diseases in humans but which may be difficult to detect during the animal's life or even after slaughter. Salmonella, listeria and strains of E-coli are examples of these. To limit the spread of microorganisms in their animals, farmers observe good hygiene practices on the farm, during transport and at slaughter.

Food handling

Similar care is needed by consumers or professional food handlers to ensure that food is processed, cooked and stored appropriately. For example, fresh vegetables should always be washed to reduce any possibility of contamination from external sources. Salmonella, which can exist in chicken and eggs, can be eliminated through adequate cooking.

Food preparers and consumers can also play an important role by frequent hand washing and avoiding cross contamination between meat and poultry and other types of food. A new threat which has emerged in the eighties is the cattle disease BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). Measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease among cattle and to exclude certain animal tissues from human consumption. When a possible link was established between BSE and the human brain disease CJD (Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease), safeguard measures were tightened up further. Scientific evidence seems to indicate that these measures are becoming effective in controlling the animal disease and help minimize the risk of possible human illness.

The future

In the future, farming needs to feed the growing world population and to supply consumers with safe, wholesome food. Farmers, together with the scientists, governments and manufacturers who support them, will have to find ways of enhancing soil nutrition and defending crops and animals against pests and diseases. Making farming more productive and improving the safety and quality of food will be major challenges for agriculture in the next century.

FOOD TODAY 07/1998