Task:
Prepare a 2000-word essay where you need to:
- Critically discuss the importance of a quality management system in the food industry (based upon ISO 9001:2015 );
- How quality management systems ensure quality of a manufactured food(what a food looks like, nutritional content, safety parameters and other product specific parameters) for a named food of your choice.
- Please discuss the QMS and include examples of food where appropriate. Submit the essay electronically via Moodle.
To achieve this, you must:
- Discuss the use of a quality management system and why it supports the production of a safety and wholesome food.
- You need to choose a specific food product to discuss examples of how the quality management system should be used throughout your essay. For example, under planning include why specifications are needed for raw materials and what is the importance of buying ingredients from an assured supplier?
Key Areas to Discuss
1. Title
- The title should reflect the assignment brief – The importance of quality assurance systems in the food industry.
2. Introduction (200 words)
- Define what a quality management system is used for – to ensure the consistent production of a safe and wholesome food. You must refer to a specific quality management system and for the purpose of this essay use ISO 9001:2015 (discussed in the first lecture of the module). Expand your introduction to explain the purpose of a quality management system (QMS) in the food industry and its proactive role in controlling product quality, safety, and legality as well as meeting specific customer requirements.
- You can explain how this could be maintained, either paper-based vs. digital
3. Context of the Organisation (50 words)
- Describe in detail how the role, design and scope of the QMS that the producing organisation implements (the producing organisation of the named food product)
- Provide a discussion on the external and internal factors that can affecting the quality of the named food product
4. Leadership (100 words)
- Discuss in detail what the management commitment requirements are, discussing aspects of training, facilities, and maintenance responsibilities as well as assured suppliers for the specified food product producer.
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of all staff within the food product producer and enabling good food safety culture.
5. Planning (250 words)
- Discuss in detail the main process for manufacture of the named food product, addressing risks and opportunities along the main process.
- Aspects to be thoughtful of are raw materials, processing, packaging and storage.
6. Support (250 words)
- Discuss aspects of resources, working environment, and competence of the workforce as well as necessary documentation and traceability that needs to be in place.
7. Operation (250 words)
- Discuss the how the control of operations, customer requirements, and production schedules should be managed within the identified QMS. This should additionally include the management of external providers and non-conforming products.
- Detailed descriptions of raw materials, end products, and processing methods.
8. Performance Evaluation (250 words)
- Discuss how monitoring, inspection, auditing, and customer satisfaction should be managed within the producing organisation and how continuous improvement can be implemented throughout.
9. Improvement (250 words)
- Provide a detailed discussion on the corrective actions, preventive measures, and continuous improvement that is needed. Ensure you are including aspects of the Plan- Do-Check-Act (PCDA cycle) have been included.
10. Conclusions (200 words)
- Provide a concise summary of how a QMS functions.
- Reference list presented in the University style.
Writing requirements for essay are included in the student handbook:
- Font “Calibri or Ariel” 12pt
- Line spacing 1.5
- Margins 2.0 cm
- Citations in the University of Greenwich Harvard format – please refer to Richard’s lecture on the Research Methods Course, Moodle
- Figures and Tables: Include scientifically labelled figures and tables to support your discussion.
- No black borders.
- Use of AI has to be declared
