Gathering Quality Data: Quality Control

How can the raw product producer or the secondary product processor ensure that the products that he produces meet the consumer’s demands? Farmers and processors must produce products that meet certain quality standards. In South Africa there are very clear standards for the quality of meat, milk, fibre (mohair, wool, and cashmere), eggs, leather etc. Various indicators or indices are used to measure quality. When quality is measured and the results of this measurement are assessed and acted upon, we are busy with the process of Quality Control.

Quality control can be defined as: “The degree to which control is measured against predetermined requirements (quality).” Quality Control has been with us for a long time. It is safe to say that when animal product harvesting began and competition accompanied product processing, consumers would compare and choose the most attractive product. For example producer A discovered that producer B's profits soared, the former tried to improve his/her offerings/production, probably by improving the quality of the output, and/or lowering the price. Improvement of quality did not necessarily stop with the product - but also included the process used for adding value to the product.

Factors that Affect Quality

Many factors influence product quality. Some of these factors are:

On the farm:

• Animal
• Personnel (handling of animals)
• The facilities e.g., milking parlour/ abattoir
• Handling and storage rooms
• Equipment and materials
• Quality of cleaning and washing
• Cooling and storage of products
• Delivery for collection

Transport:

• Cleanliness and condition of transport vehicle
• Temperature during transport
• Duration of transport
• Unloading and reception methods

At Processing Plant:

• Overall cleanliness and condition
• Personnel
• Storage time
• Handling and processing
• Packaging and labelling (production and best before dates)
• Storage
• Loading and transport for distribution

Distribution and Resale:

• General cleanliness and condition
• Storage time
• Storage temperature
• Methods of handling, distribution and sale