This book is focused on the expansive and highly demanding subject of Food Industry "Technical & Quality Management". As the world's most vital industry "Food Production" is complex, multifaceted and continuously scrutinised. Food scares and product recalls, on national and international scales, demonstrate the persistent challenge to identify, monitor and control all hazards, and also address the increasing criminal threats of Food Fraud, Adulteration & Intentional Contamination.
With the benefit of unique perspectives gained by working across Quality, Technical and Operations Management roles at all levels within the food industry, Swainson's Handbook of Technical and Quality Management considers the very diverse remits and particular challenges of those working to assure product Quality, Safety and Legality in the sector.
This book provides insights and guidance on the "Applied Practice" of Industrial Quality and Technical Management, written from the perspective of the industry practitioner. "Knowing what to do is half of the challenge, but being able to then make it happen is crucial" - a fact which is often less well considered in food sector information resources.
Split into two sections, the book first reviews generic aspects of Food Quality and Technical Management activities with particular regard to: Food Sector Challenges and the Role of Technical and Quality Management; Defining Technical and Quality Standards; The Food Safety and Quality Management System; Raw Materials and Packaging Supplier Control; Site Standards; Product Control and HACCP Considerations; Operations and Process Control; Personnel Control; Audits; Non-Conformance, Recall & Crisis Management; Managing the Technical Department.
In the second part of the book Guest Authors share their expertise on a range of specialist topics, providing significant breadth and depth to the content which includes: Review of Third party audit schemes; Insights into supplying supermarkets with regard to good technical and quality management practices; Enforcement authority perspectives on the food manufacturing sector. Also covered are the specific sector challenges of food quality and safety assurance in Fruit and vegetables; Herbs and spices, Cereals, Baked products, Canning and "Cook - Chill" Ready Meals, Soups and Sauces.
Swainson, M.: - "Since the early 1990s Mark Swainson has worked extensively both in and with the Food Industry. His industrial food manufacturing sector expertise developed whilst holding key Quality, Technical and Operations Management positions in the high-risk chilled and frozen food sectors producing a wide range of product categories including Ready Meals, Soups, Sauces, Dips, Dressings, Risottos, Salads and Pasta Snacks. This involved close engagement with all parts of the food supply chain to assure food quality, safety and legality from supplier control of ingredients and packaging, through operational and technical oversight of food factory processing, storage and distribution, and finally liaison with the end customer including the major retailers and food service groups.
Highly experienced and well qualified in industrial food technology, food processing & packaging operations, and in their underpinning technical standards and audit systems, his industry engagement continues, currently leading the Research and Higher Education agendas of the UK National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM) - University of Lincoln.
Since joining the University of Lincoln he has worked extensively on the development and delivery of a range of Food Sector Employee Training and Education Programmes (both undergraduate and postgraduate), making a significant contribution to the skills and staff development needs of the industry. He has also structured the successful NCFM "industry focused" approach to Research & Development, always working with the food sector to progress multidisciplinary projects and initiatives which address specific food sector challenges across food safety, quality and productivity agendas."
