Chapter 7

Question 1

1. What is the food chain?

Answer 1

The food chain is made up of all the key stages involved in food production and consumption from the farm to the point that food is actually consumed - farm to fork. It it involves rearing a calf to beef to the point of eating the meat.

Question 2

2. The agri-food sector is encouraged to ‘’Think Green’’ List the three ways this is done by

Answer 2

Food is produced in safe and hygienic matter.

Food products are traceable at each point in food chain.

Food is of acceptable quality and meets any regulatory or mandatory standard.

Food is produced in environmentally sustainable manner.

Animals kept for food production are treated properly in regard to animal health, welfare and husbandry.

Question 3

3. List five components of the food chain.

Answer 3

Farmers,
Farmer suppliers,
Haulier/Marts,
Wholesale/distributers
Retailers/restaurants
Consumers
Policymakers
Regulatory authorities.

Question 4

4. What is the role of Food Chain Stake holders? Give one example.

Answer 4

Food is produced in a safe and hygienic manner.

Food is traceable eg livestock tags, batch numbers.

Question 5

5. List one example of a Biological Hazard in the food chain.

Answer 5

E coli - food poisoning high risk of fatality. Found in meat, dirty animals at risk.

Salmonella- food poisoning can be fatal chickens, eggs other food

Tuberculosis - pneumonia (lung problems) unpasterurized milk.

Brucellosis - aches, pains and depression - unpasteurized milk.

Johne disease - may be linked (not provend ) to crohn’s disease (severe intestinal problems ) - milk.

Question 6

6. What does SCC and TBC stand for in relation to milk quality?

Answer 6

SCC _Somatic Cell count - shows the health of cows udder and unhealthy udder will have a high will a high count of white blood cells that fight mastitis)

TBC - Total Bacterial Count - measures the bacteria in the milk. A low count indicates clean milk production and proper cooling of the milk. Bacteria grow in warm milk.

Question 7

7. What are the three main components of basic hazard analysis principals?

Answer 7

Hazard analysis - identifying what could go wrong.

Controls -prevents things from going wrong

Record provide proof that you have done all you can to produce quality food.

Question 8

8. In relation to hazards in the food chain, what does HACCP stand for?

Answer 8

Hazard analysis Critical Control Points.

PRevent what could go wrong. Not required by law on farms but a standard to aim for.

Farms use Assurance schemes and regulations such as dairy hygiene regulations to keep food safe possible at farm level.

Question 9

9. What are the four main concerns consumers are worried about regarding food?

Answer 9

Animal welfare standards.
Food safety.
Food quality
Price

Question 10

10. List the two possible hazard classifications regarding Quality Assurance Schemes

Answer 10

Environmental issues.

Animal health and welfare

Quality issues
Traceability issues

Question 11

11. Regarding animal traceability issues, what are the main traceability requirements at farm level? Give at least 5 points
    Answer:

Answer 11

Calves must be tagged.

Calves must be registered

Cattle must have an identity card/passport
Herd Owners must comply with Animal identification and movement system (AIM) requirements for animal movements (deaths of cattle, private sales)

Herd owners must keep a Bovine HErd Register to account for all the births, deaths, sales and purchases of cattle on their farms.

Knackery receipts: If cattle die or have to be put down on the farm they must not be buried on the farm. They can only be disposed of through licensed knackery. Herd owners must keep knackery receipts for inspection.

Question 12

12. Regarding department of agriculture identification systems, what is the NSIS?

Answer 12

The national Sheep identification system (NSIS)

Question 13

13. List two methods of traceability in the food chain

Answer 13

Livestock traceability - livestock tagging, herd registers, animals movements, death and disposal of dead animals.

Question 14

14. In relation to the food chain, what is a stake holder

Answer 14

A stakeholder is a key link in the food chain like a farmer, consumer or retailer. They have a vsted interest in ensuring that food is produced in safe and hygienic mnner.

Question 15

15. List Two of the four food safety hazard groups

Answer 15

Chemical hazards
Biological hazards
Phyiscal hazards
Quality hazards

Question 16

16. Give one example of a Meat Quality Hazard

Answer 16

Brusing of meat if animal gets a knock. Pulling of wool of sheep also bruises the meat.

Question 17

17. Give two examples of the main cattle traceability requirements set out by the DAFM

Answer 17

DAFM _ Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Livestock tracebility.

Dairy hygiene regulations.

Major notifiable plant dieseas and notifiable pests (colorado beetle)

Animal remedy records

Home mixing of animals feeds.

Question 18

What is ‘Think Green’

Answer 18

Safe.
Sustainable
Transparent.

Question 19

List an example of chemical hazards in food?

Answer 19

herbicides to kill weeds in crops.
Insecticides to kill insects in crops.
Wormers to kill stomach and lung worms in cattle and sheep
Antibiotics, used to cure diseases in animals including mastitis.
Detergents and sterilizers used in cleaning milk equipment.

Toxins in animal feed or fodder produced from moulds.

Question 20

Best Farm practice to avoid chemical hazards?

Answer 20

Use the correct chemical for the job.

Use the correct dose rate, too much will last longer in the plant or animal leaving residues in the food.

Store chemicals away from animal feed.

Don’t feed mouldy foods, they can contain toxins.

Only used approved cleaning products for cleaning and sterilizing milking equipment.

Question 21

What are biological hazards?

Answer 21

Pathogenic organisms (dangerous bugs) that get into food. Farmers responsbile for implementing best farm practices to prevent build up of bugs.

Question 22

Physical hazards?

Answer 22

Stones, glass, metal, broe needles that enter food chain

Question 23

What is the quality of meat affected by?

Answer 23

Abscesses - (areas infected with pus) can occur where an injection was given if the site was of injection was not cleaned properly.

Brusing of meat may occur if an animal gets a knock when loading for the factory. It appears as a dark purple patch in red meat.

Stress can cause darkening of meat.

Bulls have to be carefully and killed quickly to reduce stress.

Fat colour - white fat is produced by cattle that are fed on barley or grain as opposed to the yellow fat of cattle finished off grass.

Quality of Fruit - vegetables and grains can be affected by.

Phyiscal damage during harvesting, handling and transport.

Spoilage during storage (moulds, decay, pest damage such as grain weevils).

Question 23

Quality hazards?

Answer 23

Quality of milk

SCC _Somatic Cell count - shows the health of cows udder and unhealthy udder will have a high will a high count of white blood cells that fight mastitis)

TBC - Total Bacterial Count - measures the bacteria in the milk. A low count indicates clean milk production and proper cooling of the milk. Bacteria grow in warm milk.

Taints - Milk can have a bad taste if cows are fed on certain foods like kale or if the air around the milking parlour has smells like slurry in it.

Question 24

What does CCP stand for?

Answer 24

A critical control Point a stage in the production process where it is easiest to control that hazard.