Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 1

Implementing Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden

Abdullah Aslam (Student ID: B00738255)

University of West Scotland

Dr. Evi Viza

April 1, 2022.

Contents
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 2

Research Question.......................................................................................................................................3
Aims and Objectives....................................................................................................................................3
Literature Review........................................................................................................................................4
Methodology...............................................................................................................................................7
Limitations..............................................................................................................................................8
Activity Plan................................................................................................................................................8
Conclusions.................................................................................................................................................9
Recommendations.......................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................11
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 3

Research Question

1. What were the reasons besides the implementation of BRC standard in processing by

food making industries in Sweden?

2. What are the drawbacks and advantages of the implementation of BRC over other

standards?

3. How BRC improves the quality management in food sector of Sweden?

Aims and Objectives

1. To find out the reasons for implementation of BRC standard in food processing by the

food industries in Sweden.

2. To search for the advantages of improvisation of BRC standard.

3. To search for the drawbacks of application of BRC standard.

4. To assess the improvement in quality management if food sector due to BRC standard.
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 4

Literature Review

There are many aspects related to the quality management of the food sector; the primary

problem is the transportation of food from the production unit to the consumer. The process

includes processing, marketing, production, access, disposal, and consumption. The process

requires resources like businesses, farms, people, interventions, politics, communities, and

politics. Each step during this process is of equal importance for a company. Food Safety

Standards (FSD) are implemented by food industries in the processes to enhance their

performance (Food standards, 2010).

In recent years, Sweden has emerged as a strong exporter of food products. The

advancements in food product production require a grip on knowledge regarding risk analysis.

Risk analysis is a continuous process and is to be performed all the time. There are many

standards and regulations followed worldwide in the food industry to ensure the quality of the

products. Risk is defined as "the probability of an event to occur and its consequences"

(MacKenzie, 2014).

Quality certifications of food production systems play a vital role in improving the

standard of the products. European retailers often ask for the certifications of food products from

the suppliers. A certified supplier is more successful in the European market than an uncertified

one. An accredited supplier is committed to supply safe and quality food. An accredited supplier

keeps on working hard to improve the safety of the food as much as he can (Food Standards

Agency, 2010).

Sweden shares and follows similar laws and legislation as other members of the Europe

Union from the time Sweden became part of it. According to Europe Union legislation, food-
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 5

producing companies are liable for producing safe food. The food producers must follow

HACCP principles to ensure hygienic conditions per Europe Union regulations. It is mentioned

in Europe Union legislation as, "(EC) 178/2002 laying down the general principles and

requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down

procedures in matters of food safety". The companies must also control all the procedures related

to food processing, production, and distribution. The primary task of a food production company

is to provide food to its customers that do not harm them (Morkis, 2010).

Due to food safety concerns, many international retailers joined their heads and launched

a foundation GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative). The foundation's objective is to devise

standards related to food safety, and it aims to provide the standards regarding food safety that

must be followed globally. It provides a platform for international retailers and stakeholders to

exchange their ideas regarding the subject of food safety. GFSI was not founded to promote only

a single standard worldwide; instead, it targets to promote every innovation related to food

safety. GFSI recognizes various standards like HACCP, IFS, BRC, and FSSC 22000

(Petrovskaya, Mital and Mital, 2020).

Currently, about seven audits agencies are working in Sweden. They inspect the food

produced by the food producers and grant them a certificate. These agencies also provide

consultation to them to earn more profits. There are three types of audits. The first type of audit

is an internal audit that the company itself performs. In the second type of audit, a governmental

agency is involved. The third type of audit is performed by a third party that has no connection

with the company in any means. The first, second, and third types of audit are known as first

party, second party, and third-party audits, respectively. The person performing an audit is an
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 6

auditor and must possess adequate knowledge of food safety standards. It is also essential to

carry out audits frequently to ensure the health safety of the consumers (Food Standards Agency

consultations, 2010).

In the case of food distributing companies, they must apply a traceability system for their

products. Traceability is defined as "the ability to reconstruct and follow a food, feed, a food-

producing animal, or substance intended to be, or join a food or feed, through all stages of

production, processing, and distribution." The companies need to have knowledge regarding the

source of the raw materials. A traceability plan lowers the disposal and minimizes the cost for

the company due to toxic and harmful materials. A company must have the capability to trace its

products one step forward and backward in the food chain (Food Standards Agency News,

2003).

One of the most famous foundations is BRC (British Retail Consortium), related to food

safety. The foundation introduced a standard named BRC Global Standard for food safety. The

standard has a checklist that a food-producing company must follow and operate accordingly.

The organization that wants to gain the BRC certification needs to go through a third-party audit

by BRC. In Sweden, there are about 90 companies that are registered with BRC certification. It

is mainly followed in Great Britain and Schengen countries (Hickey, 2011).

The study aims to study four Sweden food-producing companies that are following BRC

standards for their quality management. The data was obtained from the people at various

positions in the food industries following BRC standards through questionnaires and was

analyzed and compared with the other standards. The study targets to provide a detailed
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 7

explanation of the impact of BRC standards on quality management in the food industries in

Sweden.

Methodology

The data in this study is collected through interviews, and qualitative analysis was

performed on it. The study aims to analyze the application of the BRC standard in the food

companies of Sweden. Qualitative analysis is performed because the study focuses on the quality

of all aspects of the processes involved in food processing.

The methods followed in a study are based on the type of research questions to be

answered. Involvement is essential to understand the situation better, and interviews are

conducted to attain a better understanding and insight. There are no shortcuts for performing

qualitative analysis. For a researcher, it is necessary that he must act as an interested listener

while doing readings during research. The researcher must make sure that they describe the

findings accurately with all the circumstances and limitations. The qualitative analysis provides

understanding and interpretation of the overall situation and context quite efficiently.

Case studies are done to get a complete context interpretation of the situation. During a

case study, it is ensured that the study is conducted without bringing any artificial addition to the

daily processes. It is conducted in a regular and daily routine of a situation. Case Studies are

performed when the target is to evaluate any situation or process (Case studies, 2000). All

corners and angles of a situation are studied and analyzed in a case study.

In a qualitative study, the data from the observations and literature are analyzed and

interpreted. Observing a real situation is quite complex and complicated. In observations, it is a

major and significant threat that the results presented can be biased. Qualitative analysis is more
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 8

preferred to perform informally, and the aim is to get accurate results through interviews or

observations (Scott, 2005).

An interview is a productive method for collecting empirical data during a qualitative

study, and it is an optimum way to obtain data regarding the respondent's thinking. The interview

structure is vital to some limits, but it is essential to take comprehensive responses (Staller,

2022). Therefore, in this study, a semi-structured interview is conducted to collect the responses

from the respondents. Turtle diagram was used in devising and developing the questions for the

interviews. The questions were asked in the Swedish language, and responses were later

translated into English as the first language of Sweden people is Swedish.

Limitations

This study is secondary research, mainly focusing on the quality management of food

industries, only limited to the four food-making industries in Sweden that are granted BRC

certification and follow BRC standards in the procedures involved in food processing.

Activity Plan

Table 1 Activity Plan of Dissertation

Implementing Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden

Choosing Dissertation topic Feb 3,2022 to Feb 19,2022

Literature review Feb 12,2022 to Mar 3,2022

Choosing Methodology Feb 25,2022 to Mar 3, 2022

Research Proposal draft Mar 3,2022 to Mar 21,2022

Data collection and acquisition April 27,2022 to Jul 27,2022

Dissertation draft Jul 27,2022 to Aug 27,2022

Finalizing the dissertation draft Aug 27,2022 to Sep 27,2022

Conclusions

Based on the results obtained, it was concluded that all the four companies that moved

towards the BRC certification and standards were due to the fact that they were not satisfied with

the previous standards they followed. The information collected from every respondent reflected

their dissatisfaction with the earlier standards because of the customers' lack of satisfaction of the

customers of the products that they produced following those standards. The customers are more

satisfied with the products made following BRC standards. It was found that the BRC standard is

too hard to follow for companies that have small production, and there are many reasons besides

it:

1. There is an increment in the paperwork production for the companies to meet the

requirements of BRC standards.

2. It requires a lot of time to complete the requirements of the standard.

3. The BRC standard is often even more complex for the company to understand, and they

ask for a consultant regarding the BRC standard.

Companies want a standard that improves the safety of the food and increases the

opportunity for the companies to earn more profits. The standards must not burden the

companies much and do not cause much additional cost and time to them. The management of

the companies are always eager about the profits and are more concerned about the costs. On the

other hand, the customers also want safe food products at a lower cost.
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 10

Recommendations

FSSC 22000 standards seem more flexible than BRC Standard. Companies seek to earn

from following the standards. The FSSC 22000 suits the companies, but customers are not much

satisfied with the products made following FSSC 22000. Customers are rather more confident

with the products made following BRC Standard. Companies feel that the BRC standard is quite

complex and is heavy for them and requires heavy investments. It's harder for the companies

with lower production. BRC must try to bring flexibility to the standard so that companies feel

more confident about following BRC standards. Companies also felt difficulty in understanding

the standard due to its complexity and asked for a consultation to meet the standard's

requirements. BRC needs to simplify the standard to eradicate and minimize its complexity for

the companies. They also need to shape it for the companies with lower food production.

However, the companies with high production rates seem satisfied with the BRC standard.

Keywords

Quality Management, Food Sector, Food Safety Standards, British Retail Consortium.
 Implementing of Quality Management System in Food Sector of Sweden 11

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