Consumers expect their food to be safe, and there are methodologies like HACCP, FSMA, FSIS, etc., to ensure that it is. If there is a possibility of a food contaminant, that product will be recalled to ensure the health and well-being of consumers. Quality is a bit of a different story. But it’s just as important when it comes to consumer expectations.
Scott C. Lane, CFS, food safety trainer/food safety and quality plan consultant at Eagle Tower Inc., explains it this way: “If a product fully complies with FDA or USDA regulations, and there are no food safety hazards, but the overall quality of an established product declines, so will its customer demand. When it comes to food quality, a brand name or company’s reputation can quickly become tarnished, or worse, become valueless [if quality declines].”