Food industry standards are rules and regulations that all businesses involved with serving and handling food must follow, or else risk being fined or shut down. Public health is important so rules were set into place to ensure that people consuming prepared foods are not susceptible to diseases and infections due to improper handling and preparing. Food industry standards vary from one area to another, but they all follow along the lines of maximizing the safety of all food products that are consumed throughout the world.
All companies that handle and prepare food are required by law, to follow specific safety procedures, and to keep record of those procedures. The safety of the public health relies heavily upon how food is handled and prepared because the demand for prepared foods is on the rise. The industrial world demands that people be on the go more often, which means that they no longer have time to prepare home cooked meals. Because of this, people rely more upon foods that are prepared for them, such as at convenience stores and fast food restaurants, so food industry standards are in place to allow the demand for this industry while maximizing the safety of the consumers.
Most areas have a local policing department that travels around checking to make sure that all food preparation businesses are up to code, and that they are following the guidelines and safety precautions that have been documented. Food industry standards require that the businesses being analyzed comply with the department, make any changes that are stated by the inspector, and that all records are offered if needed. The importance of these enforcers is to ensure that public health is kept as the number one priority in any type of food preparation establishment. If the business fails the inspection, they have a short period of time to make modifications and be inspected again, otherwise they will be forced to close the doors until the guidelines have been met.
Contrary to popular belief, the food industry standards do not just apply to companies that prepare food for the public. The manufacturers of the items, the transportation companies, and the storage companies must all comply with the same regulations. The point of this is that even though the preparation of the food may be done correctly, if the food becomes spoiled during transport or storage, the health of the public will still be at risk. Every company within the food industry is required to follow the rules that have been set, and to keep records that prove that they are following them.