Principles of Food Quality

Food Quality refers to the perceived value of a product, including its taste, texture, odour, appearance, and nutritional value.
Food quality also encompasses safety parameters, ensuring the food is free from harmful substances and fit for consumption.
Quality attributes of food can be classified into two main categories: Intrinsic and Extrinsic.

Intrinsic Quality Attributes

Intrinsic Quality Attributes are inherent properties of the food, such as taste, aroma, texture, appearance, and nutritional content.
These attributes are highly linked to the sensory perceptions of the consumer, making them crucial in determining food quality.
E.g. the crispiness of an apple, sweetness of a cake, or tenderness of a steak are all intrinsic factors that impact the perceived quality.

Extrinsic Quality Attributes pertain to the external factors associated with the food product, such as packaging, labelling, brand reputation and price.
These attributes indirectly influence perception of the food quality, e.g. premium pricing or high-quality packaging might suggest a higher quality product.

Food Sensory Evaluation is an essential process in assessing the quality of a food product.
This involves examining the food’s appearance, odour, texture and taste to draw conclusions about its quality.
Sensory evaluations may be subjective, as they rely on panelists’ individual experiences, senses and preferences.

The nutritional content of a food is also a significant contributor to food quality.
This includes levels of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
High quality foods typically have a well-balanced, diverse nutritional profile and minimal levels of harmful substances.

Quality Assurance is a preventive method designed to guarantee food quality by setting specific standards/protocols during food production processes.
This method emphasises controlling the raw material inputs, manufacturing processes, and storage conditions to ensure the final product meets the quality standards.
Techniques like HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) are commonly used in the food industry to uphold food quality.

Food labelling plays a vital role in communicating a product’s quality to consumers.
They provide information about ingredients, nutritional profile, allergen warnings, and manufacturer details.
Clear, honest and comprehensive food labelling can enhance perception of food quality and help make informed decisions regarding food choices.

Technological advances significantly influence food quality control, making quality checks more consistent, precise and efficient.
Technologies like near-infrared spectroscopy, electronic noses and tongues, machine vision etc., are increasingly used to assure food quality.
These methods offer non-destructive, rapid and simultaneous analysis of multiple quality attributes, aiding in maintaining high quality standards.