Managing Foodservice Quality in the Foodservice Industry

*Lindiwe Julia Ncube*

### **Abstract**

Quality has become a value that enables businesses to survive and continue existing. Henceforth, food industries need to entrench quality into their business performance. Foodservice quality is characterized as a service that bears on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs and service free of defects. Foodservice businesses are an integral part of social life, both biologically and socially, biologically as satisfying the nutrition requirements of the society and socially in terms of addressing socialization and esthetics-pleasure values. Therefore, by adopting quality approaches, food industry businesses may encourage customers' preferences for those businesses that diligently offer these services. Managing food service quality is a complex and challenging task requiring commitment, discipline, and emergent effort from everyone involved in food production processes. The task also requires the necessary management and administration techniques to continuously improve all processes (including quality control from raw material to finished product). Food industries need to be organizationally structured, establish policies and quality programs, measure customer satisfaction, use more quality tools and methodologies, embrace knowledge, apply techniques, and food safety programs to manage food quality. This chapter aims to describe the ISO 22000 system—widely used for quality management in the food industry.

**Keywords:** foodservice, food industry, quality management, customer satisfaction, food production

### **1. Introduction**

Unsafe food is a risk for all, and consumers can become seriously ill; hence the food industry may face serious legal consequences. These constant problems call for additional strategies for decreasing and eradicating the risks. As food safety is a joint responsibility for all participating parties, communication and raising awareness of potential hazards through the entire food chain is crucial [1]. Recent research suggests that most microbial food contamination in the food market happens in developing countries than in developed countries. Indeed, most chemical food contamination and food adulteration occur in developing countries. Additionally, the misuse of food additives was a common problem in developing countries; and in developed and developing countries, mislabeling was a problem. Furthermore, the selling of outdated foods occurred in developing countries than in developed [2].

Food products are produced from farms or from food originating from farms. For example, food items such as bread, milk, meat, fruit, vegetables, and sugar originate from agriculture. Farmers grow, harvest, store, and transport food and food products raw materials to markets or processing plants, and transform them into various food items and products [3]. However, since the original standard was published over a decade ago, there have been substantial changes in how food is grown, transported, manufactured, and consumed. A study by [4] on food safety management systems (FSMS) performance in African food processing companies reported high microbiological and chemical contamination levels in most African food products, which exceeded the acceptable (legal) limits. In developed countries, innumerable deficiencies that affect the performance of FSMS in Africa were found at government, sectoral, retail, and organizational levels. For example, most companies (except for the exporting and large companies) hardly implemented HACCP and ISO 22000:2005.

The authors further recommended the use of measures such as the construction of risk-based legislative frameworks, strengthening of food safety authorities, and using ISO 22000:2005 for food safety management in the food industry. Indeed, consumers' food safety training was projected to be implemented by the government. The food sector had to develop sector-specific guidelines and third-party certification, while the food retailers had to develop stringent certification standards and impose product specifications. Food companies had to improve hygiene, apply strict raw material control mechanisms and production process efficacy, enhance monitoring systems assurance activities, and develop supportive administrative structures. Globally, it has been an accepted norm that food safety management systems be based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles, which is an internationally accepted FSMS. However, the implementation of HACCP in South Africa has been driven by the requirements of international trade—where foods are exported to developed countries such as Europe and the United States of America. A regulation requiring HACCP implementation was publicized in South Africa in the year 2003. However, the foodservice industries are not compelled to comply. According to [5], there is currently no force that pressurize the foodservice industry to implement formal food safety management systems in South Africa. Hence, the growing need for international traveling and hosting of international sports events dissected this industry.

Urbanization, consumer changes in eating habits, and travel have increased the number of people buying and eating food prepared in public places. As a result, globalization has triggered growing consumer demand for a wider variety of foods, resulting in an increasingly multifaceted and longer global food chain [6]. Food safety is becoming more critical with the demand for food to meet the rapidly growing world population. The food-to-table progression put a significant focus on food contamination prevention and maintaining good food quality standards. Each food supply chain is highly regulated by government agencies such as the FDA and the newly implemented Food Safety Modernization Act. The population growth results in increased agriculture and animal production to meet the increasing demand for food, subsequently creating opportunities and challenges for food safety. Food safety ensures that products delivered to consumers do not negatively impact their health [1]. Hence, failing to comply with the food safety regulations may result in foodborne diseases. Climate change is also influencing food safety. These challenges put greater responsibility on food producers and handlers to ensure food safety.
